July

July 7-9: Three-day Fish School; Cooperative Extension at Virginia State University has scheduled its annual three-day Fish School featuring “hands-on practical aquaculture” for anyone interested in pond production and small-scale recirculation systems. Free and open to the public, the Fish School will be held at 8:30 a.m. daily beginning Wednesday, July 7 through Friday, July 9 at VSU’s Cooperative Extension Pavilion located on River Road, Ettrick. Interested participants can register for the entire session or for individual days. Anyone desiring to engage in hands-on pond, laboratory or greenhouse activities is encouraged to dress appropriately. The agenda follows: Wednesday, July 7 - Morning discussion topics will include catfish, hybrid striped bass, freshwater shrimp and recreational fish production. Afternoon hands-on activities will feature pond harvest and brood catfish sampling. Thursday, July 8 - Discussions will focus on nutrition, water quality, processing, marketing, weed control, and fish health/biosecurity. Hands-on lab activities will include water quality and a tour of VSU’s fish processing facility. Fri., July 9 - Participants will learn about small-scale aquaculture, recirculating aquaculture systems, greenhouse production systems, aquacultural economics and fish consumption preparation. Greenhouse limited-scale recirculation will be the focus of hands-on activities. To register, call VSU’s Aquaculture Office at (804) 524-5496.

July 8:  Virginia State University’s Small Fruit Production Workshop - Free and open to the public, workshop discussion topics will include fruit production, high tunnel production, marketing and irrigation. Event will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Rose Tree Hill Farm located at 8200 West Cool Hill Road in Charles City. For directions, visit the farm’s website at www.localharvest.org/farms/M14558; or call Debra Jones, VSU administrative specialist, at (804) 524-5496.

July 13: Cotton and Soybean Scouting Clinic; Benson, NC; The meeting will start at 4:00 PM at Meadow Fire Department, which is located at 7409 NC 50 South, Benson, NC 27504 with a presentation from Jack Bachelor . The outside portion of the clinic will be held in the fields across the road from 1692 Barefoot Road, Newton Grove thanks to cooperators Jeffrey Lee and Neal Johnson. Return to the Meadow Fire Department for a sponsored meal that will begin at 6:30. Those interested in attending need to call the Extension Office at 919-989-5380 by Friday, July 9th. Contact Tim Britton at (919) 989-5380

July 14: Green Industry IPM Workshop Series; Mills River, NC; Disease, insect and weed identification and IPM/pesticide controls, pesticide poisoning vs. heat exhaustion, calibration of sprayer equipment. 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM; Event Location - Mountain Horticulture Crops Research and Extension Center, 455 Research Drive, Mills River, NC 28759; Contact Amanda Stone at (828) 255-5522.

July 15: Manure Expo - This annual national event will feature expert speakers from 8 states, educational demonstrations, equipment field demonstrations and approximately 50 vendor exhibits. Time: 8:00am-5:00pm; Location: Ag Progress Days Site, 2710 West Pine Grove Road, Penn Furnace, PA 16865. Contact: manureExpo@psu.edu 814-863-2873.

July 17-18: Pork, Peanut & Pine Festival Chippokes Plantation State Park, Surry Contact: Danette McAdoo Poole 757.294.3625 E-mail: info@toursurryva.com

July 20: Forage Field Day; Waynesville, NC - Educational stops will include demonstrations and calibrations of seeding equipment, a demonstration of strip grazing, herbicide spraying demonstrations, and a demonstration of different herbicides. Educational talks on weed identification, soil sampling and watering equipment for livestock will also be part of the day's activities. Hay equipment from several manufacturers will be on hand to display and demonstrate cutting, tedding, raking, and baling hay. Additionally, distributors of hay storage systems and hay feeding equipment, animal health products, and chemical sprayers will be on hand. Pesticide credits will be available. If you are interested in transportation to this event, please call the Watauga Extension office at 264-3061. 9:30 AM - 4:15 PM; Event Location -  Mountain Research Station, Waynesville, NC; Contact Eddy Labus at (828) 264-3061

July 21: The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Management Program will offer a training and certification program for horse owners who want to become certified to develop their own nutrient management plans. Initial training sessions will take place from 5:30-9:30 p.m. on July 21 and 22 in West Friendship. Following the training, participants will take a specialized nutrient management certification exam and work with MDA and University of Maryland Extension agents to develop their own nutrient management plans. For more information, contact the Maryland Department of Agriculture at 410-841-5959.

July 23:Virginia Cantaloupe Festival Halifax County Fairgrounds, Turbeville Contact: Halifax County Chamber 1.888.458.1003; 434.572.3085 E-mail: info@halifaxchamber.net

July 25: Summer Save Our Food.Org Summer Save Our Food Festival Farm Bureau Center Exhibition Hall, Caroline County, VA; Contact:  Keith Langley 804.290.1535 E-mail:  keith.langley@vafb.com