Grayson County Agriculture Extension

10/21/2026

Looking for something fun to do on a Tuesday morning? Join us Tuesday, November 10 for our November Cooking Class at the GATE Center kitchen! We'll cook easy, low-carb, blood-sugar-friendly meals and snacks side by side with our neighbors, then sit down and enjoy lunch together (or take samples home). No experience needed. Just bring your appetite, and maybe a friend!

📅 Tuesday, Nov. 10
🕥 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 GATE Center Kitchen, Independence, VA
💵 $10 per adult. One child (age 10 or older) joins free with a paying adult.

Space is limited to 12 cooks, so reserve your spot today:
👉 Register online: https://pears.io/events/vce/10887/
📞 Or call (276) 773-2491

This is part of Grayson Grows & Gathers, a monthly cooking class series on the 2nd Tuesday through June, presented with Virginia Cooperative Extension and Twin County Regional Healthcare.

Tag a friend you'd like to cook with! 👇

10/15/2026

Join us Tuesday, November 10, for a hands-on cooking class in the GATE Center kitchen! We'll cook easy, low-carb, blood-sugar-friendly meals and snacks side by side with our neighbors, then sit down and enjoy lunch together (or take samples home). No experience needed. Just bring your appetite and a friend!

📅 Tuesday, Nov. 10
🕥 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 GATE Center Kitchen, Independence, VA
💵 $10 per adult. One child (age 10 or older) joins free with a paying adult.

Space is limited to 12 cooks, so reserve your spot today:
👉 Register online: https://pears.io/events/vce/10887/
📞 Or call (276) 773-2491

This is part of Grayson Grows & Gathers, a monthly cooking series on the 2nd Tuesday through June, presented with Virginia Cooperative Extension and Twin County Regional Healthcare.

Tag a friend who'd love to cook with you! 👇

10/09/2026

08/26/2026

Virginia Cooperative Extension

🎉 BIG NEWS for Grayson County Farm to School! 🎉

We've been awarded a $38,595 Governor's Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Infrastructure Grant from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services!

This funding — combined with a local match from the Grayson County EDA — will equip the GATE Center's shared-use commercial kitchen with cold storage and food processing equipment. Here's what that means for our community:

🥫 Local produce like tomatoes and berries can be turned into value-added products — think spaghetti sauce and freezer pops — made right here and served in Grayson County schools.
🧊 New cold storage will let us receive and stage fresh, locally grown food for both school meals and kitchen processing.
🤝 The expanded space will also be available to other local food entrepreneurs using the GATE Center kitchen.

This is a huge step toward our goal of connecting Grayson County farms directly to Grayson County students — building on the salad bar program launching this year, minimally processed local produce making its way into school menu items, and the school gardens coming in 2027.

A huge thank-you to Governor Spanberger's office (Governor of Virginia), VDACS (Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services), the Grayson County EDA (Grayson County, Virginia), Grayson County Public Schools, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and everyone who has supported this initiative so far. This is what's possible when a community invests in local food and local kids together.

Want to be part of what's next? We're always looking for farms to supply the program, volunteers for the kitchen and school gardens, and community support. Reach out anytime!

06/30/2026

Send a message to learn more

06/04/2026

06/03/2026

TONIGHT! Part 2 of Emergency Drought Management Webinar series for beef cattle producers. 7:00 pm

After a well-attended first webinar, and positive feedback, we will be hosting a Part II to our Emergency Drought Management Webinar!

Join us on June 3rd, 2026, at 7:00pm (EST) as we continue the conversation on managing drought challenges as they impact cattle producers this summer.

Topics include:
- Summer Management Strategies for Livestock
- Managing Hay Shortages
- Cattle & Drought outlook

Please use the link below to join the webinar:
https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/89848088059

For any questions, please contact Emily Bowman at [email protected] or (540)231-2792.