Mark Alley

David Notter

Two professors from Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences have been recognized for their teaching and research contributions to the agriculture industry. Here is a press release from Tech:

Marcus M. Alley of Blacksburg, Va., and David R. Notter of Blacksburg, Va., received Andy Swiger Land-Grant Awards for their contributions to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech.

Established to reward creative achievement and commitment to the college, the award recognizes faculty members whose accomplishments in teaching, research, or Extension greatly benefit the agriculture industry and improve the quality of life for Virginians. Read more »

The United States Department of Agriculture has announced grants for rural utilities in 20 states. In Virginia, Southside Electric Cooperative was selected for an $18,533,000 guaranteed loan to serve 2,577 new and existing consumers, build 264 miles of new distribution line and one mile of new transmission line, make improvements to 164 miles of distribution line, and make other system improvements. Here is a full press release from the USDA:

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that 37 rural utilities and cooperatives in 20 states have been selected to receive guaranteed loans that will benefit more than 60,000 rural electric cooperative consumers by financing the construction and repair of almost 7,000 miles of distribution and transmissions lines. Read more »

Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia Tech are offering a series of workshops to assist those in the forest products industry this fall. Each workshop is $35. Here is a press release from Tech:

Virginia Cooperative Extension (http://www.ext.vt.edu/) and the Department of Wood Science and Forest Products (http://www.woodscience.vt.edu/) in Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment (http://www.cnre.vt.edu/) will host a series of workshops in Southwest and Southside Virginia this fall to help companies increase manufacturing efficiencies and improve customer service. Read more »

Visitors at the 2009 New River Valley Agriculture Field Day view a fencing demonstration at Kentland Farm. Photo courtesy of Barry Robinson.

The New River Valley Agriculture Field Day is being held Aug. 17 at Kentland Farm. Here is more information about the day’s events from Virginia Tech:

Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia Tech’s Kentland Farm are hosting the fifth annual New River Valley Agriculture Field Day on Tuesday, Aug. 17, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Kentland Farm in Montgomery County, Va.

With support from Extension agents in the New River Valley and surrounding counties, the event will offer learning opportunities for livestock, crop, and horticulture producers.

Morning presentations will focus on general farm safety for the entire family and a soil profile workshop to help producers understand soil relationships. Read more »

The United States Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for rural areas with high energy costs. The applications are due Sept. 8. Here is a press release from the USDA:

Agriculture Under Secretary Dallas Tonsager today announced that USDA is accepting applications for the High Energy Cost Grant program.

“Under this program, the funding awarded will improve energy generation, transmission and distribution facilities that serve extremely high energy cost rural areas—those with average home energy costs exceeding 275 percent of the national average,” Tonsager said. Read more »

VT EarthWorks, a part of Virginia Tech’s Outreach and International Affairs and a partner of Virginia Cooperative Extension, has published a directory of locally produced foods and restaurants in the area. Here is a press release from Virginia Tech:

Want to buy food produced locally? Looking for farmers markets and local-foods restaurants nearby? The Roanoke Valley Locavore Directory is out, produced with the help of VT EarthWorks.

“Locavores, or people committed to eating foods produced or grown locally, now have an easy way to connect with producers, retailers, and even each other,” says Christy Gabbard, director of VT EarthWorks (http://offices.ext.vt.edu/roanoke/programs/anr/growers_acad.pdfis). Read more »

The United States Department of Agriculture announced that the sign-up for its Conservation Reserve Program, allowing farmer to offer their land for preservation, will take place in August. Here is a press release from the USDA:

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that a general sign-up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) will begin on August 2, 2010 and continue through August 27, 2010. During the sign-up period, farmers and ranchers may offer eligible land for CRP’s competitive general sign-up at their county Farm Service Agency (FSA) office. The 2008 Farm Bill authorized USDA to maintain CRP enrollment up to 32 million acres. Jim Miller, Agriculture Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services, made the announcement on behalf of Secretary Vilsack during a conference call with reporters. Read more »

The United States Department of Agriculture is partnering with the Office of Personnel Management again this year in the “Feds Feed Families,” a summer long food drive to help children and families who usually are assisted through school based meal programs. Here is a press release and more news from the USDA:

Feds Feed Families

As you are no doubt aware, hunger does not take a vacation.  When school lets out for the summer, our nation’s youngsters who receive free and reduced price meals through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs are at a higher risk of going hungry.  While USDA’s Summer Food Service Program helps fill that gap, these tough economic times mean that needy families throughout America are turning to emergency food assistance agencies such as food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens to put food on the table.  Unfortunately, the summer is also a tough time for these organizations, as they typically see a rise in demand coupled with a decrease in donations.  The good news, however, is that while the needs of our hungry neighbors are especially great in the summer months, our opportunity to make a difference in their lives is also great. Read more »

P.W. Morgan, Conservation Specialist with the Blue Ridge SWCD showing a livestock watering Trough installed through the VA State BMP Cost-Share Program.

The Blue Ridge Soil & Water Conservation District is now accepting applications for agricultural best management assistance, but warns that there will be more competition for funds. Here is a press release from the conservation district:

The Blue Ridge Soil & Water Conservation District is currently accepting applications for assistance with installation of agricultural best management practices that are designed to conserve soil and protect water quality.

July 1, 2010 begins our new fiscal year with less than half of the funding available compared to previous years.  Competition for funding is expected to be much higher than normal this year due to this decrease.  Agricultural producers who are thinking about signing up for assistance this year are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. Read more »