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Virginia Cooperative Extension - Loudoun

Virginia Cooperative Extension - Loudoun 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

03/03/2023
augusta.ext.vt.edu

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!
03/02/2023

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 Ike...
03/02/2023

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...
03/02/2023
Coccidiosis, the Most Common Cause of Diarrhea in Young Goats | NC State Extension Publications

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 M...
03/02/2023

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. 🌱
03/01/2023

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://y...
02/28/2023

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 ...
02/28/2023

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 ...
02/27/2023

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 snak...
02/27/2023

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:
02/27/2023

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, ...
02/24/2023

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 ...
02/24/2023

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 ...
02/23/2023

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 houseplant...
02/23/2023

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 Lant...
02/22/2023

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...
02/22/2023

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 Lo...
02/21/2023

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.
02/21/2023
National FFA Week | National FFA Organization

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 You...
02/21/2023
Episode - 5 Calving Tool Box 1/2 - Aberdeen Barn Talk

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.
02/18/2023

Hey, we'll help unload the hay.

Quick!  Mom's distracted; here's my chance.
02/18/2023

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 shar...
02/17/2023

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...
02/17/2023

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.

With spring approaching and warmer weather bringing new life to our environment, equestrians have a lot to prepare for! ...
02/16/2023

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 Gi...
02/16/2023

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...
02/15/2023

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 ...
02/15/2023

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 shou...
02/15/2023
Small Farms Introduction to Pasture Pork Part 1

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.

Ewe missed a great program.  Intro to Sheep Shearing: it was a chilly but great day at Middleburg AREC on Saturday.  Tha...
02/12/2023

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 Ext...
02/10/2023

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 Culp...
02/08/2023

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...
02/07/2023

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 t...
02/07/2023

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...
02/03/2023

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.

Tonight's the night! Join VCE Loudoun Master Gardeners to get some tips on how to choose plants that will most benefit y...
02/02/2023

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.

Address

750 Miller Drive SE, Ste F-3
Leesburg, VA
20175

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

(703) 777-0373

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The Loudoun County office of Virginia Cooperative Extension is your local connection to Virginia's land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University.


Comments

What a gorgeous day for VCE-Loudoun’s Mature Apple Tree Pruning Workshop, taught by Commercial Horticulturist Beth Sastre! Thanks to Tara and the crew for welcoming us and offering us this opportunity to learn.
SHEEP & GOAT THURSDAY. Extension Agent Carrie Swanson (Albemarle) successfully grafted a newborn kid to a foster dam while she was participating in a program coordination Zoom meeting! Go Carrie, you saved a goat kid.! To learn more about grafting kids or lambs read this publication from University of Illinois: http://livestocktrail.illinois.edu/sheepnet/paperDisplay.cfm?ContentID=9831
Do you know what’s in your water? Find out by testing your well, spring, or cisterns through VCE-Loudoun’s Household Water Quality Program. Learn more and register at bit.ly/VCE220401.
Tax Considerations for Farmers. Thursday, 3 March via Zoom. Registration details in the flyer below.

This is an education program open to the public. At the invitation of VCE-Loudoun, Chris Pearson, CPA will speak with producers about tax law revisions and resulting changes to tax record keeping and reporting. Chris understands the questions and concerns of new and small-scale producers and can guide them away from tax errors that erode enterprise and operations profits.
Event is on March 19th! Don't miss out and register today!
It's BEEF TUESDAY. Adapting to changing weather is hard on cattle, especially in the spring when Mother Nature, it seems, can't make up her mind. read more:
https://www.beefmagazine.com/americancowman/health/0304-spring-requires-cattle-issues

Thank you Beef Magazine.
It's EQUINE MONDAY. Horse owners often seed paddocks and pastures with perennial cool-season grasses. Because these grasses accumulate sugars and fructans, they may be unsuitable for horses with metabolic issues, such as insulin dysregulation or laminitis. Read more . . .
https://ker.com/equinews/pasture-forage-for-horses-carbohydrate-content-of-grass

Thank you Kyla of the MAREC and University of Kentucky Equine Research
SHEEP THURSDAY. Sometimes, you just need to ask a livestock-related question. When you're gathering information, consider Loudoun Goat and Sheep owners as a source:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/677010295763378
The mammals have all agreed that PSA posts relating to the ongoing HPAI Avian Flu outbreaks are more important than their weekly, scheduled spotlight.

This URL leads to an excellent USDA website for backyard flocks and keeping birds safe.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/!ut/p/z1/fY87D4IwEMd3PwWLIznA92gcjMTBxwJdmhNaqZQW2mr029sQEl30hv_jcr_hgIyCYOQHMh98HOSXA1H4EFd0QiuUkEFO5nSXJJs4nsb7bbpaRsfNJJqdDtvJOV5A2oMf_luA_GezgR3Ofxjk4tZ1ZA2k0Mqxp4MM20pY2lflqBQXg-Y1jixSfTeU6-Ju-4ZKNChpxVC66ntTCsvQMioU16bpnx1H_m_0VjLOVBm6ioVc6qIOW6OvBhtoa5K_AQFPjoE!/
It's FFA Week! Virginia FFA is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.

Learn how FFA strives to spotlight agriculture's importance to our county, state, and nation. https://www.vaffa.org/
Okay, enough baby goat pictures - it's EQUINE MONDAY, not GOAT WEDNESDAY. The good folks at the Middleburg AREC offer this equine care information bit. Thank you Kyla and AAEP:

". . . Spring might be the best time of the year, but if we have horses that are prone to developing grass founder, this season may be the beginning of serious problems for some of our horses." Read more. https://aaep.org/horsehealth/grass-founder
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Other Government Organizations in Leesburg (show all)

VCE Loudoun 4-H VCE Loudoun Master Gardeners Loudoun County Commuter Services Loudoun County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Douglass Community Center Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District Marine Corps Recruiting Leesburg Loudoun County Government Loudoun County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office Town of Leesburg, Virginia Courthouse Square Loudoun County Veterans Program Loudoun Career Fire Fighters Foundation Rust Library LCPS Employee Health, Wellness and Benefits