Member News - October 2026
Farm Credit of the Virginia’s
Farm Credit of the Virginia’s support of agriculture and the rural communities they serve extends beyond the agricultural credit and financial services they offer.
“Our cooperative also gives to our members and the rural communities we call home through our Charitable Contributions Fund, which provides donations and grant funding to organizations that serve our territory and align with our mission,” says Megan Rodgers, marketing & sales specialist. To learn more about this year’s Charitable Contributions Fund grant recipients who received a total of $130,000, please visit their website.
Rodgers also invites members to visit the Farm Credit Knowledge Center’s event page for upcoming educational opportunities, including the annual Farm Management Institute, being held in early March 2027.
“We’re committed to providing resources, in-person and virtual events as well as blog posts to meet the needs of today’s producers and to support ag literacy efforts,” she explains.
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative
For more than 75 years, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative has helped its 11 member distribution cooperatives deliver reliable, affordable energy. Today, through innovative programs and strong leadership, the Virginia-based generation and transmission cooperative is continuing to deliver on its promise of powering opportunity for all the communities it serves.
ODEC’s energy programs play an important role in lowering costs, strengthening reliability, and making the most of existing energy resources. It’s the first fuel in ODEC’s balanced energy portfolio. One example is ODEC’s residential battery program, which helps reduce electricity drawn from the grid during periods of peak demand by using stored energy to power member-consumers’ homes. Recently launched with BARC, Northern Neck and Delaware electric cooperatives, the program gives members a new way to support grid reliability while helping build a more flexible and resilient energy future.
In addition, ODEC has expanded weatherization and energy-efficiency efforts through its manufactured homes program. These structures can be more energy-intensive and are home for 25% or more of electric co-op members in parts of southern Virginia. Through partnerships with its member cooperatives, ODEC provides energy audits, weatherization measures and insulation enhancements at no cost to the homeowner.
ODEC’s forward-looking approach is guided by President and CEO Chris Cosby, who was recently named to Virginia Business’ 2026-27 Power List as one of Virginia’s most influential leaders in the energy sector. His leadership continues to guide ODEC’s strategic investments in reliable, affordable power.
Helping drive many of those member-focused initiatives is Alison Kaufmann, vice president of strategic electrification and member services, who was recently appointed chair of Virginia’s Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Task Force. Kaufmann brings extensive experience advancing energy-efficiency programs and will provide a valuable cooperative perspective as the task force works to strengthen weatherization efforts across the commonwealth.
To share news of your cooperative with Council members, please email Mary Howell, mary.howell@sscoop.com.