Deeds, McDonnell address farm forum

Democratic gubernatorial candidate R. Creigh Deeds talked about his rural roots and Republican Bob McDonnell talked about the importance of farming at a farm forum in Goochland County Sunday.

Deeds, who grew up and lives in rural Bath County, said "I grew up on a farm. I performed surgery on calves and pigs."

McDonnell, who grew up in Northern Virginia, said his home was a mile from Mount Vernon, so he lived on land that George Washington once farmed. He said he also represented the rural Pungo area in Virginia Beach when he served in the House of Delegates.

The candidates appeared before more than 200 farm industry and forestry representatives at a forum sponsored by the Virginia Farm Bureau, the Virginia Agribusiness Council, the State Fair of Virginia, the Virginia Forestry Association and Future Farmers of America. It was held at the Virginia Farm Bureau headquarters.

McDonnell, stuck in traffic at the Hampton Roads Tunnel on Interstate 64, was 30 minutes late.

Despite Deeds' roots, the Farm Bureau endorsed McDonnell in the pair's race for attorney general four years ago. McDonnell won that election by 360 votes -- the closest statewide race in Virginia history.

"It's not where you're from, it's where you stand," McDonnell said.

Deeds begins a weeklong tour of mostly rural areas tomorrow. McDonnell said he plans an RV tour of some of the same areas this month.

Both men said they would work to expand farm exports and to block onerous farm regulations if elected governor.

Each stressed the importance of transportation in getting farm products to market.

McDonnell has proposed a plan to sell bonds, impose tolls, privatize ABC stores and take a portion of increased tax revenues in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads to make more than $1.4 billion in annual transportation improvements in Virginia.

Deeds said he plans to convene a special session of the General Assembly, probably in September or October of 2010 to deal with transportation. All options are on the table, he said.

Deeds said he would conduct a performance audit of each state agency and could realize savings of $300 million to $500 million a year from those audits.

Deeds took credit for legislation that allows farm products to be sold in farmers markets without having to be inspected. This has doubled the number of farmers markets since 2005, he said.

Both men were asked what they would do about "animal rights extremists" who want to protect farm animals. McDonnell said he did not think legislation restricting how farmers deal with animals would pass the legislature, but, if it did, he would veto it.

Deeds also promised to oppose such measures.

McDonnell has been trying to link Deeds to the federal cap-and-trade legislation that is designed to curb greenhouse gas emissions by taxing energy use. The Farm Bureau is adamantly opposed to the federal legislation because it says it will drive up farmers' costs by as much as $5 billion a year.

Deeds has not flatly rejected the legislation, but he said yesterday, "I will not support federal or state legislation that puts additional burdens on Virginia farmers."