Category Archives: Uncategorized

Central & Southside Virginia is a great place to be this fall for family friendly agriculture events! Check out what is still going on around the area:

Owen Farm Tours

Owen Farm will be open on November 8th from 10:00am to 4:00pm with hayrides, pony rides, bounce house, barnyard friends, lots of fun games, scarecrow stuffing, pumpkin rolling, pumpkin painting and much more. http://www.owenfarmtours.com/

White Fall Farm

Don’t miss the famous hay castle at White Hall Farm!
www.whitefallfarm.com

Gross’ Orchard Apple Harvest Festival

October 18, 2014 is the annual Apple Harvest Festical at Gross’ Orchard in Bedford County. For more information as well as regular hours, check out their website at http://www.grossorchards.com/ or their Facebook page.

Layman Family Farms

Take a trip on over to Bedford County’s town of Blue Ridge, to check out the corn maze, pumpkin patch, haunted harvest and country store at Layman Family Farms. Runs September 13 – November 9, hours vary from month to month, so check out the website for more information: http://www.laymanfamilyfarms.com/.

Previous Family Friendly Fall Ag Events This Year Included:

Family & Farm Day

THIS SATURDAY, September 13th from 9:00am – 2:00pm at the Southern Piedmont Agricultural Research & Extension Center in Blackstone, VA. (Come check out the Arts & Crafts Festival in town too!) Lots of crafts, animals, and fun activities for youth! For more information about the Southern Piedmont AREC, visit their website. For pictures from last year, check out their Facebook page.

Richlands Dairy
Fall Farm Festival

Many of you may already be familiar with Richlands Dairy on 460 on the Nottoway – Dinwiddie line from childhood field trips to the dairy. Well, Richlands is branching out to share their farm with you this Fall. They have many different Saturday & Sunday hours and events from October 4 through November 1. Check out the family farm day, pumpkin patch, corn maze, hayrides, animals, zombie maze, and haunted corn maze dates and times! For more information, click on the flyer or visit their website at richlandsdairyfarm.webs.com/

Parrish Pumpkin Patch

Welcome to Dundas! Gem of the sandy loams of southeast Lunenburg County, Dundas is home to several local mainstays. Ranking up there with sheep stew, the tank, and Willowland Farm strawberries – Parrish Pumpkin Patch has grown as an attraction for families and school groups alike. Check out their Facebook page for more details! Opening Wednesday, October 1st.

South Hill Farmer’s Day

October 4th, come visit South Hill for a blast from the past with the antique tractor parade, a petting zoo, and fun and games for the family. Visit the chamber of commerce website for more details.

Ravenelle Corn Maze

Welcome to Forest and try your hand at the Ravenelle Corn Maze, about 15 miles outside of the town of Bedford in Bedford County. Open Saturdays and Sundays September 27th through October 26th. For more information, check out http://visitbedford.com/event/the-ravenelle-corn-maze/.

Morgan Farms

Welcome to Huddleston! Come pick out a pumpkin or test your maze skills at Morgan Farms Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze in Bedford County. Open September 15- October 31, 7 days a week from 10:00am – 5:00pm. For more information visit: http://visitbedford.com/event/morgan-farms-pumpkin-patch-and-corn-maze/

USDA Disaster Programs

Posted on September 9, 2014 by tucker07

Several questions have emerged recently regarding USDA disaster programs as producers have been faced with unfortunate on-farm losses. Take a moment to check out this pamphlet explaining the different programs available from the different USDA agencies, including the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Rural Development (RD), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).

If you have further questions, please contact your local USDA center. These are often shared by multiple counties and may not be located in your home county. To locate your center, check out this website or call your local extension agent.

*Click on pamphlet for full .pdf file.

2014 Forestry Camp!

Posted on April 17, 2014 by tucker07

Franklin County Mini Educational Equine Affaire

Posted on March 11, 2014 by cmartel

Join Virginia Cooperative Extension on March 29, 2014 in Rocky Mount, VA for a Excellent Equine Program. Guest speakers will be cover the following topics: Hoof Care and Balance, Myoscope and Acuscope therapy, Natural horsemanship and safe handling, Digital hoof x-rays, reproduction, nutrition and pasture management, and teaching the riding instructor.

6th Annual Spring Landowner Retreat: Focus on the Forest

Posted on February 17, 2014 by kefishe2

The 6th Annual Landowner’s Retreat: Focus on the Forest will be held April 25-27 at Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center in Appomattox, VA.

This retreat, designed for new and inexperienced landowners will include both indoor and outdoor sessions. Topics to include:

Working with a forester
Timber sales/preventing timber theft
Managing for quail/creating early successional wildlife habitat
Water quality
Current research on hardwood and pines
Forest insect pests
Wildflower ID
Introduction to forest measurements

For more information, view the Landowner Retreat Spring 2014 brochure.

Please register by Friday, April 11, 2014.

Farm Transition Workshops: Overview of Farm Transition

Posted on February 17, 2014 by tucker07

Farm Transition Workshops in Southside
Blackstone, Rocky Mount, & Halifax

One day event

THIS WEDNESDAY Feb. 19 – Southern Piedmont AREC in Blackstone
8:30am – 3:30pm

One day event

Saturday, February 22, 2014 in Rocky Mount, VA
From 8:30am – 3:30pm

Farm Transition flyer February 22 2014 Rocky Mount VA

Two-day event
Wednesday, March 12, 2014 & Tuesday, March 18, 2014 in Halifax (specific location to be determined)
From 10:00am – 3:30pm

2014 Farm Transition flyer