Lord Fairfax Soil and Water Conservation District

06/01/2026

05/30/2026

Join Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Cattlemen's Association for Part II of the Emergency Drought Management Webinar series. With dry conditions impacting pastures and feed availability, staying ahead of resource challenges is critical. This live session will cover practical summer management strategies to help protect your herd and handle impending forage shortages.
📅 Date: June 3, 2026 |⏰ Time: 7 p.m.
💻 Join the Zoom Meeting at: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/89848088059

05/23/2026

VA Ag in the Classroom workshop right down the road in Rockingham County!

AITC's Summer Series workshop registration is now live! Educators in Rockingham and the surrounding areas are invited to join us for our Traveling Workshop: Valley Edition on July 14th. Stops include a beef cattle operation, Mt. Crawford Creamery, and Overlook Produce! 🐃🐄🍦🥛🍏🍓🥒🫑🌽🥕🍑🧄🍅🫐
Register here ➡ https://www.jotform.com/261315206059148 🚍🌱📚☀

For information on other workshop venues and dates visit ➡ https://virginia.agclassroom.org/teachers/professional-development/calendar/

05/18/2026

05/16/2026

Ogdens Cave Natural Area Preserve is normally closed to the public to protect its delicate ecosystem. However, for Virginia Cave Week and the Virginia Natural Heritage Program’s 40th anniversary, cavers and speleologists from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation are hosting exclusive tours.

Join our experts on Tuesday, June 2, from 3-7 p.m. to learn about karst landscapes and journey inside the cave.

This event is rain or shine, and registration is capped at 75 people. Secure your spot by emailing Meredith Weberg at [email protected] by May 26.

For more info, visit: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/eventsdetail-ogdenscave

05/14/2026

Despite the rain yesterday, most of Virginia is now under a Drought Warning.

According to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), in coordination with the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force, the drought warning advisory has expanded to include 94 counties and 33 cities across the Commonwealth.

The following areas in the Shenandoah Watershed are included in the warning advisory: Augusta, Clarke, Frederick, Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah, and Warren counties, along with the cities of Harrisonburg, Staunton, Waynesboro, and Wi******er.

In addition, groundwater levels and river flow within the Shenandoah Watershed are now at emergency warning advisory levels. Officials report that groundwater levels continue to decline and are expected to worsen as summer begins, with increased evapotranspiration and higher water usage impacting wells and water supplies.

These dry conditions are already creating widespread agricultural impacts and increasing the danger of wildfires across the region. The expanded drought declarations are also consistent with U.S. Department of Agriculture designations, allowing eligible farmers to apply for Farm Service Agency emergency loans.

All of us need to play our part in conserving water whenever possible and remain aware of local fire conditions.

Visit https://www.deq.virginia.gov/water/water-quantity/drought?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery to learn about May 14, 2026, VA DEQ Drought Advisory Update

05/12/2026

Leaving residue is great for your soil, partially due to these little guys! 🐞

Crop residue provides food and shelter for above-ground insects. They eat the residue and help to break it down throughout the winter, creating organic matter for the soil. Residue management is an important part of a soil health system. Leaving crop residue, strip tilling, reduced tillage, and cover crops are all components to residue management that can increase soil organic matter and overall soil health and structure.

05/03/2026

As water travels through soil, it slows down, spreads out, and many impurities are removed, helping protect water quality before it reaches streams and rivers.

05/02/2026

It takes over 100 years to form just 1 inch of topsoil.🌱📅

This rate depends on several factors, including parent rock material, climate and weathering conditions, organic material accumulation, vegetative cover and land use, and biological activity like worms, fungi, and microbes.

In areas with rich biological activity and moisture, topsoil might form in 100 years. In dry, cold, or heavily disturbed regions, it may take 500 to even 1000 years!

Soil is a living and slowly renewing resource. Protecting what we have is much easier than rebuilding what we lose.