VCE Loudoun promotes healthy living and food systems, stewards the environment, & engages youth. Department of Agriculture, and local governments.
Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Its programs and employment are open to all, regardless of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, military status, or any other basis protected by law.
Operating as usual
IT'S PASTURE & POND FRIDAY! The window is closing quickly for applying preemergence herbicides for summer annual weeds like Jointhead Arthraxon and Japanese Stiltgrass. Read more about herbicide applications on pastures:
Thank you A Farm Less Ordinary for hosting VCE Loudoun's Fruit Tree Pruning Basics workshop today!
We're all set and ready for tonight's program: Managing Buttercup and an overview of tick-borne Theileria orientalis Ikeda. Join us at National Sporting Library and Museum in Middleburg Register at: bit.ly/23AnEquinePerspective.
IT'S GOAT & SHEEP THURSDAY! Your farm's first kid goats were born in January or February and all seems okay except for one with a poopy-butt. What's going on? One of the first possibilities to consider is Coccidiosis. What's that? It's the most common cause of diarrhea in young goats and it's something to know about. Read more:
This factsheet offers some information on the signs, symptoms, and treatment of coccidiosis, the most common cause of diarrhea in young goats.
Tonight, we are offering two programs to the public! At 6:00pm, join us in person at the National Sporting Library And Museum in Middleburg, VA, where ANR Agent Jim Hilleary will discuss things from an Equine Perspective, highlighting the management of Buttercup and the tickborne protozoon Theileria Orientalis. Register at: bit.ly/23AnEquinePerspective.
At 7:00pm, VCE Loudoun Master Gardeners are hosting a virtual lecture on the snakes of Loudoun County called Snakes Alive! Snakes are a vital part of the local ecosystem. Jenny Erickson of the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy will teach us how to identify the snakes of Loudoun County and how we can live harmonious with them. This event is hosted by Loudoun County Public Library - use bit.ly/VCE230302 to participate (password: LCPL).
Get excited. 🌱
It's March, which means it's time to think about gardening in some parts of Virginia!
ℹ️ Check out the entire Home Gardening Vegetable Planting Guide for more detailed information: bit.ly/SPES426_331
If you missed last week's 'Becoming a Good Houseplant Parent' presentation, you may access the recording here: https://youtu.be/ODxC8lrXGGs.
Yearning for a greener thumb, but don't quite know where to start? VCE Loudoun Master Gardeners' Pamela McGraw will share how YOU can be successful with houseplants. What to choose, how to care for it, learning its 'signals', and a few tips for integrating plants into your home environment will all be addressed. Next Thursday, join us for an enjoyable chat about the delight in growing houseplants! Sign up for event announcements at bit.ly/VCE230223, and join us virtually at bit.ly/3jcGm6r.
This week, ANR Agent Jim Hilleary is offering a free program on equine issues in partnership with the National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg, VA. He will discuss the management of Buttercup before it flowers in your pastures this spring and Theileria Orientalis, a tickborne protozoon with an increasing presence in Virginia. Register at: bit.ly/23AnEquinePerspective.
Only a few days left to reserve your seat for this FREE program, in partnership with Virginia Cooperative Extension - Loudoun (VCE Loudoun) to learn more about pasture management .
For more information: https://www.nationalsporting.org/index.php/nslm/event_details/1250/
It's a smidge chilly, but we're in good spirits at today's Grapevine Pruning Workshop! Specialists with Virginia Tech’s Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center, alongside local Virginia Cooperative Extension agents, offered a hands-on workshop that touched on fundamentals of dormant pruning and pruning strategies for vines.
No need to get rattled! This Thursday, Jenny Erickson of the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy is here to talk about the snakes that are native to our area how we can live harmoniously with them. Sign up for event announcements at bit.ly/3FaOmvT, and use bit.ly/VCE230302 to participate (password: LCPL).
Snakes play an important role in maintaining the balance and diversity of native species. Jenny Erickson, the Amphibian Monitoring Program Coordinator for Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, identifies the snakes that are native to our area and discusses how to live harmoniously with them. Sign up for event announcements at bit.ly/3FaOmvT, and use bit.ly/VCE230302 to participate. Join VCE Loudoun Master Gardeners at this event hosted by Loudoun County Public Library.
Interested in making your own compost at home? Here's some tips to get started:
Want to start making your own at home? Here are some tips for how to do it right!
️ 👇
https://vtx.vt.edu/articles/2021/07/ext-compost.html
Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences
One last "Invasive Species Awareness Week" highlight: Garlic Mustard. Populations of garlic mustard can spread rapidly, allowing it to become the dominant plant in the undergrowth of forests. It poses a serious threat to native plant and insect diversity. The leaves of garlic mustard contain compounds that are lethal to the caterpillars of native butterflies, and the plant’s allelopathic properties can inhibit the growth of other plants.
Homeowners are encouraged to keep garlic mustard from becoming established on their property. Light infestations can be controlled by hand-pulling. For severe infestations, foliar application of a non-specific systematic herbicide can be made in late fall to minimize damage to other plants.
Correct identification of garlic mustard, before hand-pulling, is important because desirable look-alike plants may be growing at the same time. Learn more at bit.ly/3KSMZqj.
Bringing the Farm to School Producer Training continues with a second day in Culpeper, VA! VCE Loudoun is excited to be part of this educational effort to help regional farmers better market their products locally. This morning Stuart Vermaak, Unit Coordinator and Food Safety Agent, presented on "Food Safety Considerations for Selling to Schools, and yesterday ANR Agent Jim Hilleary presented on "Business Planning Considerations for Selling to Schools".
This Invasive Species Awareness Week, we encourage you to learn more about the Bradford Pear tree and its impact in the region: bit.ly/3YNPYEp
The Callery pear’s spread throughout the commonwealth represents the shrinking biodiversity of Virginia’s urban forests. “More resilient forests are less susceptible to problems with disease and insect pests we’ve seen in the last decades,” Wiseman said. “The Callery pear is not a good tree to have in the urban environment.”
Tonight's the night! Join VCE Loudoun Master Gardeners' Pamela McGraw to learn how you can be successful with houseplants, including tips on choosing, caring for and integrating plants into your home environment. Join us virtually at bit.ly/3jcGm6r (Password: LCPL).
Yearning for a greener thumb, but don't quite know where to start? VCE Loudoun Master Gardeners' Pamela McGraw will share how YOU can be successful with houseplants. What to choose, how to care for it, learning its 'signals', and a few tips for integrating plants into your home environment will all be addressed. Next Thursday, join us for an enjoyable chat about the delight in growing houseplants! Sign up for event announcements at bit.ly/VCE230223, and join us virtually at bit.ly/3jcGm6r.
This Invasive Species Awareness Week, VCE Loudoun offers you tips on how to prevent and manage the invasive Spotted Lanternfly - learn more at loudoun.gov/spottedlanternfly.
During winter, we encourage you to help slow the spread by scraping off and destroying the Spotted Lanternfly's egg masses.
This Invasive Species Awareness Week, learn more about how you can combat the invasive Spotted Lanternfly at loudoun.gov/spottedlanternfly.
Destroy spotted lanternfly eggs by scraping or spot spraying the egg mass with dormant oil or horticultural spray oil. Find out more information at loudoun.gov/spottedlanternfly
It’s Invasive Species Awareness Week! This week, we want to highlight some of the invasive species that are impacting Loudoun County. First up – English Ivy.
English Ivy is an evergreen woody vine and can grow up to 90 feet. The vine will climb or form dense ground cover. As the ivy climbs in search of light, it engulfs and kills branches by blocking light from reaching the host tree’s leaves. Tree branch dieback proceeds from the lower to upper branches. The host tree eventually succumbs from the steady weakening.
How can you help stop the spread? Instead of English Ivy, plant native alternatives. Remove English Ivy when possible.
Want to learn more? Visit VCE Loudoun Master Gardeners' website to check out our gardening tips: loudouncountymastergardeners.org
It's also National FFA Week.
Each year, FFA chapters around the country celebrate National FFA Week. It’s a time to share what FFA is and the impact it has on members every day.
IT'S BEEF TUESDAY! Today it's an introduction to the Aberdeen Barn Talk podcast and specifically, Part 1 "What's In Your Calving Toolbox?" You can skip the Intro and get right to the topic by starting at 04:11. It's a national podcast so you'll hear about weather conditions in other states; it'll help you appreciate our local weather.
In this episode Curtis and Todd discuss weather fluctuations in the Midwest then go over Pre-Calving and what's in their Calving Tool Box. This will be the first half of Calving Tool Box. Episode 6 will continue on Dustin Bender of CABB Farms in...
Hey, we'll help unload the hay.
Quick! Mom's distracted; here's my chance.
Yearning for a greener thumb, but don't quite know where to start? VCE Loudoun Master Gardeners' Pamela McGraw will share how YOU can be successful with houseplants. What to choose, how to care for it, learning its 'signals', and a few tips for integrating plants into your home environment will all be addressed. Next Thursday, join us for an enjoyable chat about the delight in growing houseplants! Sign up for event announcements at bit.ly/VCE230223, and join us virtually at bit.ly/3jcGm6r.
Snakes play an important role in maintaining the balance and diversity of native species. Jenny Erickson, the Amphibian Monitoring Program Coordinator for Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, identifies the snakes that are native to our area and discusses how to live harmoniously with them. Sign up for event announcements at bit.ly/3FaOmvT, and use bit.ly/VCE230302 to participate. Join VCE Loudoun Master Gardeners at this event hosted by Loudoun County Public Library.
IT'S PASTURE & POND FRIDAY. For those of you with a thin stand of vegetation in your pasture, our current weather may be a great aid in frost seeding those areas. This article published by Illinois Extension speaks to that. We haven't had the snow mentioned in the article but we're not out of March yet either.
https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2020-03-06-frost-seeding-pastures-and-hay-fields
With spring approaching and warmer weather bringing new life to our environment, equestrians have a lot to prepare for! Join the NSLM in Middleburg, VA for a talk with VCE Loudoun to discuss the management of Buttercup before it flowers in your pastures this spring and Theileria Orientalis, a tickborne protozoon with an increasing presence in Virginia. Register at: bit.ly/23AnEquinePerspective.
Thank you to everyone who has supported VCE Loudoun during this Giving Day! There are just over two hours to give, as Giving Day ends at noon! If you want to make a donation to support VCE Loudoun's local programming, click here: https://givingday.vt.edu/amb/vce-loudoun
At Plant NOVA Natives's Conferencia de Profesionales de la Jardinería, Commerical Horticulturalist Beth Sastre presented in Spanish on how gardeners and landscapers can care for the soil and how they can combat the Spotted Lanternfly.
If you think VCE Loudoun, VCE Loudoun Master Gardeners, and VCE Loudoun 4-H have made a difference in your life, here's your chance to give back.... it's ! The 24-hours to give begins today at noon. ⏰ Show your support, share your story, and encourage your network to share as well ➡️ https://givingday.vt.edu/amb/vce-loudoun
IT'S PORK WEDNESDAY! This week, the pigs think they can top the likes received by either the horses or cattle. It shouldn't be difficult. Anyway, they offer for your consideration, Part 1 of OSU's (Ohio) four-part video course: Small Farms Introduction to Pasture Pork:
Tony Nye, Clinton County Ag & Natural Resources Educator, gives a comprehensive overview of how to get started with a small scale pasture pork operation.
IT'S BEEF TUESDAY! Weaning, there are at least two ways to wean calves - both have merit: traditional and fence line. https://extension.umd.edu/resource/tips-weaning-beef-calves
IT'S EQUINE MONDAY! Today we'll take a close look at alfalfa cubes: https://afs.ca.uky.edu/content/alfalfa-cubes-horses
Ewe missed a great program. Intro to Sheep Shearing: it was a chilly but great day at Middleburg AREC on Saturday. Thank you to Loudoun Valley Sheep Producers Association for sponsoring and providing lunch.
Thinking about your summer garden? You can get started indoors! Here are some helpful tips from Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program. Loudoun County is in zone 6b and 7a.
Is it time to start seedlings for summer veggies yet?! It depends. Different summer crops should be started at different times, for example peppers (ideally) need 8 weeks before being transplanted, while squash need only 4 weeks or less.
If you are in the warmest parts of the commonwealth and you'd like to get your transplants in the ground as soon as your last frost date passes, now is the time to start transplants for crops that take 8 weeks.
Last frost dates for VA:
Zone 6a: 5/5 - 5/15
Zone 6b: 4/25 - 5/5
Zone 7a: 4/15 - 4/25
Zone 7b: 4/5 - 4/15
Zone 8a: 4/5 - 4/15
Remember that your last frost date is just an estimate and you should still be careful putting plants like tomatoes outside as the date arrives--always check your weather and use your judgement about whether its time to transplant. Your local Master Gardeners can also help!
For our full vegetable planting calendar: https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-331/426-331.html
Image text:
When to start summer vegetable seeds indoors
Vegetable, weeks before last frost
Cucumber, 4 or less
Eggplant, 8
Muskmelon, 4 or less
Pepper, 8
Squash, 4 or less
Tomato, 6
Watermelon, 6
Four weeks before last frost dates
6a: April 7 - April 17
6b: March 28 - April 7
7a: March 18 - March 28
7b: March 8 - March 18
8a: March 8 - March 18
Six weeks before last frost dates
6a: March 24 - April 3
6b: March 14 - March 24
7a: March 4 - March 14
7b: Feb 22 - March 4
8a: Feb 22 - March 4
Eight weeks before last frost dates
6a: March 10 - March 20
6b: Feb 28 - March 10
7a: Feb 18 - Feb 28
7b: Feb 8 - Feb 18
8a: Feb 8 - Feb 18
Interested in building connections between farms and schools in our region? Learn more at this producer training in Culpeper, VA.
If interested, please register at bit.ly/3DQJn3N by February 9.
Bringing the Farm to School Producer Training:
February 23, 8:30am - 4:30pm, & February 24, 8:30am - 1:00pm •
Culpeper Baptist Church, Culpeper, VA
Virginia Farm to School Regional Networking Meeting:
February 24, 1pm - 3pm • Culpeper Baptist Church, Culpeper, VA •
Register at bit.ly/3Rju8pc
Look at who's looking sharp at Virginia Cooperative Extension's ! A great chance to connect with Extension Agents across the state and to grow professionally.
Giving Day is coming…
is Feb. 15-16! Giving Day is a 24-hour giving event that brings together people from all around the world to support the things they love about Virginia Tech.
Stay tuned to see how you can help support VCE Loudoun!
IT'S PASTURE & POND FRIDAY! Frost seeding clover: it's time to think about that now but remember to prepare the pasture sod. Mow to minimize the standing dead grass from last year. If you can, use a chain harrow, tines down, to expose some bare soil. Seed 8-10 lbs per acre alone, 2-6 lbs per acre if mixed with other seeds. Follow the broadcast by dragging the pasture again, with the chain harrow, tines up. Pictured with the chain harrow below are two substitute harrows. These aren't great substitutes but they are fairly effective for the second dragging to improve seed-to-soil contact.
IT'S GOAT AND SHEEP THURSDAY! Okay, so that's not a sheep but the little one is a goat. Scrapie is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) of sheep and goats . . . Read more: https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/scrapie.html
Tonight's the night! Join VCE Loudoun Master Gardeners to get some tips on how to choose plants that will most benefit your ecosystem. Join us online: bit.ly/VCE230202; the password for tonight's event is LCPL.
Get excited! VCE Loudoun Master Gardeners' Native Plants vs. Cultivars virtual lecture is this week. As native plants become more popular, many cultivars are being offered in the marketplace. But do these cultivars still benefit pollinators and wildlife? Get some tips on how to choose plants that will most benefit your ecosystem. Learn more about this program at bit.ly/3Xn2Pwu, and sign up for event reminders at conta.cc/3PdmrjF.
750 Miller Drive SE, Ste F-3
Leesburg, VA
20175
| Monday | 8:30am - 5pm |
| Tuesday | 8:30am - 5pm |
| Wednesday | 8:30am - 5pm |
| Thursday | 8:30am - 5pm |
| Friday | 8:30am - 5pm |
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Spray the #SpottedLanternfly! If you’ve got a box truck or any other vehicle, check it for these nasty bugs. Spray them to prevent the spread! #StopSLFInVa Read more at bit.ly/VCE-SLF1. #StopSLFInVa #VaCoopExt
Stomp the #SpottedLanternfly! Check your trailers before moving them to make sure these nasty bugs are NOT hitching a ride. Read more at bit.ly/VCE-SLF1. #StopSLFInVa #VaCoopExt
It's grape harvest time, and all vineyard workers must be trained on the Worker Protection Standard (WPS)! VCE Loudoun encourages agricultural practices that promote workers' safety, and one way we do this is by offering WPS Trainings. If you have a farm and spray pesticides that have an Agricultural Use requirement, then your employees must be trained on the WPS. Loudoun County farmers can contact Beth Sastre at [email protected] to set up a WPS training.
Buddies for BEEF TUESDAY or SHEEP & GOAT THURSDAY. Myotonic Goat kids, young American Aberdeen bull.
Registration for our Spring Well Water Clinic will open any day now! To ensure you dont miss out, add your name to our waitlist and you will be contacted as soon as registration opens. Be quick because we only have 220 kits and our waitlist already has more than 120 people! 👩🔬👨🔬💧💦🧪https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/P7OmEV2/wwp2022
Winter Grape Pruning Workshop at the AREC Winchester. Cold and windy, but fun!
Pesticide Preparation Training at Marshall Community Center
Agricultural education at the Middleburg Agriculture Research Extension Center (AREC) on a beautiful Saturday. Equine nutrition research ongoing in one building while Loudoun residents participate in VSU’s Small Engine Repair program in a different building. Loudoun is fortunate to have a dynamic partnership: Middleburg AREC, Virginia State University, and Virginia Cooperative Extension – Loudoun County.
Our Commercial Horticulturist and Food Safety Agent visited Endless Summer Harvest, located in Purcellville, VA. VCE Loudoun values our relationships with Loudoun Growers, check out this video of their time there!
The Loudoun County Fair is happening now and will continue through Sunday, August 1st! Check out this video showcasing Loudoun County, VA 4-H members and their animals. We are so proud of their hard work! The Livestock Auction is tonight, Friday the 30th, at 6pm. For more information, visit loudouncountyfair.com Virginia Cooperative Extension
Today's #FeatureFriday is a video from VCE Loudoun's Commercial Horticulturist, Beth Sastre. Did you know that you can eat cicadas? Let us know in the comments if you have been brave enough to try them, and what you thought of the flavor!
Bhavesh Bhagat, a beginning farmer in Loudoun for organic vegetables spoke about his experiences with VCE Loudoun. Thanks for sharing, Bhavesh!
Today was Scale Day! Commercial agricultural producers in Loudoun had their scales inspected by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. 55 scales were inspected in just a few hours.
To celebrate #NationalVolunteerWeek, VCE Loudoun wanted to personally thank all of the volunteers that truly make a difference! Thank you, volunteers!👏
Are you interested in farming or a beginning farmer who wants to learn more about developing informed farm decisions? VCE Loudoun is offering the Introduction to Whole Farm Planning course for no fee this spring! There is still room for you to register! Join us on Monday nights April 12th-May 17th through Zoom for guided discussions around this module. Register here: https://register.ext.vt.edu/search/publicCourseSearchDetails.do?method=load&courseId=1456854
Have you tested your well recently? Did you know that it is the responsibility of the property owner to regularly test water quality, maintain the water system, and address potential problems to ensure the water is safe to consume? VCE Loudoun provides affordable and confidential water testing to Loudoun residents. Registration is now OPEN for our Spring Well Water Testing Program. To register, and for more details, click the link: https://tinyurl.com/VCE-2021-VAHWQP-LOUDOUN If you have any questions, please contact Stuart Vermaak ([email protected]). Limited financial assistance available.
With #VTGivingDay happening tomorrow, we wanted to share an awesome video that shows the impact 4-H has on Virginia Youth. A big shoutout to Loudoun County, VA 4-H! We are so proud of the continued impact that club members have in our communities and beyond. 🍀 To support our Loudoun 4-H and VCE Loudoun, make a gift between noon February 24 and noon February 25 here: https://givingday.vt.edu/giving-day/32354/donate?dept=32385 Thank you for your support and investment in the community!⭐
The Loudoun County office of Virginia Cooperative Extension is your local connection to Virginia's land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University.
Loudoun County Commuter Services
Blue Seal DriveLoudoun County Volunteer Fire and Rescue
Sycolin RoadLoudoun Soil and Water Conservation District
Catoctin Cir SEMarine Corps Recruiting Leesburg
Village Market Boulevard SELoudoun County Commonwealth's Attorney's Offi
East Market StreetLoudoun County Veterans Program
Heritage Way N. ELoudoun Career Fire Fighters Foundation
Dry Mill Road SWLCPS Employee Health, Wellness and Benefits
Education Court, Ashburn
Loudoun County Volunteer Fire and Rescue
Sycolin Road
Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District
Catoctin Cir SE
Loudoun County Veterans Program
Heritage Way N. E