Dinwiddie Cooperative Extension

08/28/2026

SAVE THE DATE! 🏕️🍀

Get ready for a week full of fun, new friends, exciting activities, and memories that will last a lifetime! 💚

📅 June 14–18, 2027
📍 Airfield 4-H Conference Center | Wakefield, VA

More information, including registration details, will be coming in the new year.

For now, mark your calendars & SAVE THE DATE! 🤍

Dinwiddie Cooperative Extension

08/20/2026

Dinwiddie County Fair T-Shirt Contest🎢

Each year a Fair T-shirt is designed by a youth and sold at the Dinwiddie County Fair. After the entry deadline passes, the public votes on Facebook by liking the photo of the entry of their choice.

- Entries Due Sept. 6th by 11:59PM
- Open to youth ages 9-18 in Dinwiddie County

KEY DETAILS
- There is no fair theme this year. Be creative🎡.
- Design is for the back of the shirt
- Design may have to be modified for printing purposes
- Can be drawn by hand with markers (no pencils or crayons) OR on a digital media (canva, procreate)
- Use of AI is prohibited
- Limit to 2 colors
- Cannot include copyrighted material or anything deemed inappropriate
- Limit 1 entry per person

Any entry not following these guidelines will not be posted for voting.

Winner will receive a FREE T-shirt with their design, free entrance to the Dinwiddie County Fair for the duration of the event, AND 1 ride wristband for a day of your choosing!

The Dinwiddie County Fair will be held October 16-18 at the Virginia Motorsports Park.

*Prize is only for the 2026 Dinwiddie County Fair and not transferrable to another person.*

Link to Submit🍀: https://tinyurl.com/htwh2cdt

08/14/2026

Interested in learning about cut flowers? Here's an opportunity for you!

08/10/2026

What’s in Your Water? 💧
Using a well, spring, or cistern for your drinking water? Take charge of your water quality! Virginia Cooperative Extension offers affordable water testing clinics across the state through the Virginia Household Water Quality Program.

$70/sample kit
Tests for: Coliform bacteria, E. coli, lead, copper, arsenic, hardness, pH, nitrate, sulfate, fluoride, and more!

Upcoming Clinic in Dinwiddie:
Kit Pick-Up: November 5-6 from 2PM-4PM or November 9-10 from 9AM-12PM at the Dinwiddie Extension Office
Sample Drop-Off: November 11 from 7:30AM to 10:00AM at the Dinwiddie Extension Office

Pre-registration is required. Register for your kit online at https://tinyurl.com/VAHWQP-DW or in-person at the Dinwiddie Extension Office.

Did You Know?
40% of Virginia well water samples tested positive for coliform bacteria.* Make sure yours isn’t one of them.

Learn more at wellwater.bse.vt.edu
Accessible, confidential, and essential for your health.

*based on 6866 samples tested from 2008 - 2016 in 90 Virginia counties

If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact the Dinwiddie Extension Office at 804-469-4514 during business hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to discuss accommodations 5 days prior to the event. *TDD number is (800) 828-1120.

08/06/2026

I am so excited to introduce myself as your new 4-H Agent🤍🍀!

My name is Desmyn Owens, but most people just call me Des. I grew up right across the county line in Brunswick County, Virginia, and I'm so thankful to be back in rural Southside Virginia.

I hold a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Business and Economics from Virginia State University🧡💙 and am currently pursuing a master's degree in Leadership Studies at Virginia Tech. After college, I lived in Hampton Roads for several years, where I most recently served as the 4-H Agent in Virginia Beach.

I believe in empowering young people to think critically, lead with passion and kindness, and become agents of change. My hope is to help youth discover their strengths, build confidence, and realize they have the ability to make a difference in their community and the world around them. Young people are our future, and it is my hope that every 4-H'er will carry the 4-H motto, "To Make the Best Better," with them long after they leave this program, continuing to make the best better in everything they do and in every life they touch.

I'm excited to build on the strong foundation that's already here in Dinwiddie and look forward to getting to know the youth, families, volunteers, and community partners that make this community so special. Thank you in advance for your support. I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity to serve Dinwiddie, and I can't wait to see what we'll accomplish together!

If you have any questions or just want to say hello, I'd love to hear from you! You can reach me at [email protected].

08/06/2026

Have you got plans for your garden this month? August is a busy time for planting! 🌞🌱

Direct Sowing:

Zones 6A & 6B: Beets, Swiss Chard, Collards, Kale, Kohlrabi, Salad Lettuce, Mustard, Radish, Rutabaga, Spinach, Turnips

Zone 7A: Beets, Carrots, Swiss Chard, Collards, Kale, Kohlrabi, Salad Lettuce, Mustard, Radish, Rutabaga, Southern Pea, Summer Squash, Turnips

Zone 7B: Beets, Carrots, Swiss Chard, Collards, Kale, Kohlrabi, Salad Lettuce, Mustard, Rutabaga, Southern Pea, Summer Squash, Turnips

Zone 8A: Bush Beans, Beets, Carrots, Collards, Kale, Cucumber, Eggplant, Salad Lettuce, Mustard, Okra, Peppers, Southern Pea, Summer Squash, Turnips

Zone 8B: Check the publication linked below!

Transplanting:

Zones 6A & 6B: Broccoli, Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, Cauliflower, Leeks, Head Lettuce

Zone 7A: Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, Cauliflower, Leeks, Head Lettuce

Zones 7B & 8A: Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, Cauliflower, Leeks, Head Lettuce, Tomatoes

Zone 8B: Check the publication linked below!

You can prepare for the entire planting season by visiting https://brnw.ch/plantguide
To determine your USDA zone, you can enter your zip code here: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov

07/09/2026

Managing a chronic health condition like heart disease, diabetes and arthritis can be challenging, but new resources are available to help with the journey.

Virginia Cooperative Extension is offering a free six-week virtual Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) designed to help participants learn practical strategies. Topics covered will include managing symptoms, improving communication with health care providers, setting realistic goals, and making informed health decisions. A free CDSMP workbook is also included with registration and will be mailed to participants to keep.

Participants should have internet and connectivity to join sessions by Zoom, are required to attend at least four of the six sessions and must maintain confidentiality.
Past participants in CDSMP report physical and mental growth as a result of the sessions and an overall emphasis on positivity. “I can live a life of wellness by using wonderful coping skills I learned in this workshop,” according to one CDSMP graduate.
Sessions begin on Thursday, August 6, 9:00 a.m. to 11:30am, and continue weekly at the same time each Thursday through September 10.
To learn more about these sessions and to sign up go to tinyurl.com/VCECDSMP2026 or contact Jessica Jones at [email protected] or Aisha Salazar at [email protected]
To learn more about CDSMP, visit, https://selfmanagementresource.com

07/02/2026

Small Farm Program at VSU College of Agriculture

43560 Project Garden Tour
Come join us at the VSU Randolph Farm 43560 garden project demonstration plot where you will learn from the experts on how to gross $43,560.00 on a 1 acre garden plot. This tour will include visiting the current crops being grown and the planned cool season fall crops that will be planted for fall/winter harvest.

43560 project garden tour Friday, July 10, 2026 • 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM VSU Randolph Farm 4415 River Road Petersburg, Virginia, 23803

07/02/2026

Small Farm Program at VSU College of Agriculture

Strawberry Production for Small Farmers

This workshop will cover the basics of Strawberry production for growers who are interested in growing strawberries on their farm or urban gardens. The workshop will cover the steps that growers should take for site selection as well as steps to prepare their soil, source plugs and transplants, understand planting dates, and growing methods.

Register:

Strawberry Production for Small Farmers Thursday, July 9, 2026 • 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM VSU Randolph Farm 4415 River Road Petersburg, Virginia, 23803

07/02/2026

Small Farm Program at VSU College of Agriculture

Raising Chickens on Your Farm

This presentation will cover successfully raising chickens for profit on your farm. It will take farmers through a step-by step process to through the end product of egg laying production. This class will cover the different breeds as well as which breeds are best for obtaining the value-added results you want for your individual markets.

Register:

Raising Chickens on your Farm Thursday, July 9, 2026 • 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM VSU Randolph Farm 4415 River Road Petersburg, VA, 23803