October Meeting

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Guest Speaker to talk about predators at the October 24th Pot luck meeting.

The meeting will be held at the Halifax County Agricultural Marketing Center at 7 pm. This marks the end of the regular meetings for 2019, to celebrate the end of the year, we will be having a pot luck supper. A December Consignment sale may be held, depending upon member interest. The guest speaker, Kyle Waters, will discuss local predators.

Kyle Waters is a USDA Wildlife Specialist located in Farmville, VA. He began career in USDA Wildlife Services in 2011 after graduating with a B.S. in Wildlife Science from Virginia Tech. Kyle spent the first three years of his career working in Alaska, and in 2014 moved back to his home state of Virginia. Since 2016 he has been working in the Livestock Protection program assisting commercial livestock producers in the area who are experiencing depredation due to wild animals.

Hope to see you on the 24th

Posted on by brandy
October 14, 2019
$605,385 granted to VSU Small Farm Outreach
vsu small farm outreach program logo
The USDA recently granted $605,385 to VSU’s Small Farm Outreach Program to equip VA’s socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers with the tools and skills needed to make informed decisions in owning and operating profitable farm businesses, while increasing their participation in USDA programs. These farmers have been traditionally underserved and have been plagued by several barriers such as limited access to credit, capital, and new and existing markets; lack of skills in business, financial planning and operating successful farm businesses; and lack of knowledge of USDA programs and services. This project will address these barriers with a holistic approach, with the expected result of an improved quality of life of these farmers, their families and communities. Learn more.
A Tree Grows in Colonial Heights
Wayne Covil, WTVR, Oct. 10, 2019
joel koci standing with a tree
Sitting high atop a hill in the 300 block of Virginia Avenue, right next to the historic Violet Bank Museum, you’ll find a truly unique tree that, in the words of one arborist, is hiding in plain sight.
Locals call it the ‘Cucumber Tree.’ Technically, it’s a Magnolia acuminate, native to the eastern United States, but very rare this side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. “This is a remarkable, giant old tree,” said Joel Koci, an urban forestry expert for the Virginia Cooperative Extension. “I like to think it’s 300 years old and has seen an awful lot of history.” Watch video.
Antibiotic Resistance In Food Animals
Triples Since 2000
Morning Ag Clips, Oct. 10 , 2019
world map showing regions of antibiotic resistance
Researchers from ETH Zurich, Princeton University and the Free University of Brussels gathered nearly 1,000 publications and unpublished veterinary reports from around the world to create a map of antimicrobial resistance in low- to middle-income countries since 2000. The proportion of antibiotics showing rates of resistance above 50% increased in developing countries where meat consumption has sharply increased, meaning that antibiotics that could be used for treatment failed more than half the time. Black areas on the map had insufficient data. (ETH Zurich)
“Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem,” said Van Boeckel, who was a Fulbright Scholar at Princeton from 2013-2015. “This alarming trend shows that the drugs used in animal farming are rapidly losing their efficacy.” Read more.

October Meeting & Pot Luck

Posted on by brandy

The meeting will be held at the Halifax County Agricultural Marketing Center at 7 pm. This marks the end of the regular meetings for 2019, to celebrate the end of the year, we will be having a pot luck supper. A December Consignment sale may be held, depending upon member interest. The guest speaker, Kyle Waters, will discuss local predators.

Kyle Waters is a USDA Wildlife Specialist located in Farmville, VA. He began career in USDA Wildlife Services in 2011 after graduating with a B.S. in Wildlife Science from Virginia Tech. Kyle spent the first three years of his career working in Alaska, and in 2014 moved back to his home state of Virginia. Since 2016 he has been working in the Livestock Protection program assisting commercial livestock producers in the area who are experiencing depredation due to wild animals.

Hope to see you on the 24th.

Small Farmer Orientation

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Small Farmer Orientation

  • Monday, October 21, 2019
  • 9:00 AM 12:00 PM 09:00 12:00
  • Wedgewood Golf Center2131 Mountain Rd Halifax, Va United States (map)

Small Farmer Orientation

OCTOBER 21, 2019
9AM – 12PM

Wedgewood Golf Center
2131 Mountain Rd
Halifax, VA

This half-day workshop introduces the available training programs, technical assistance and financial resources designed to support new and beginning farm operations.

SPACE IS LIMITED.

To attend, contact Small Farm Outreach Program Agent Vernon Heath at [email protected] or (804) 892-4518.

Small Ruminant Pasture, Grazing and Browsing Conference

Posted on by brandy
For the first time, Maryland will host a Pasture, Grazing, and Browsing Conference for Small Ruminant Producers. It will be held Saturday, October 19, 9 am to 4 pm, at the University of Maryland’s Western Maryland Research & Education Center in Keedysville. All of the speakers are University of Maryland Extension specialists and extension agents. There is will also be a producer panel.

The registration deadline is Thursday, October 10.
Registration link
Susan Schoenian

Sheep & Goat Specialist

University of Maryland Extension

[email protected]

September Meeting

Posted on by brandy

The September meeting of the SVMGA will be this Thursday, the 26th, at 7:00 p.m. at the Halifax County Agricultural Marketing Center. The recent sale that was held in conjunction with Hollering Hills will be discussed.

Please let us know how you felt about your sale results, if you sold sheep or goats at the September 9 sale.

Thanks,
Pam Alderson

Aug Meeting

Posted on by brandy
Message from the president:
The Southern Virginia Meat Goat Association will meet in the Halifax County Extension Office this Thursday at 7:00 pm (Not at the Ag Center).

There will be a phone conference with Dr. O’Brien and Dr. Nartea about the Mobile Processing unit and “Food Hubs.” A brief discussion of the upcoming sale at Hollering Hills and some other business items will follow the call.

Best regards,
Pam Alderson

September Sale

Posted on by brandy
The next Southern Virginia Meat Goat sale is scheduled for Saturday,September 7 at 1pm. This will be an auction at Hollering Hills Auction, located at 4108 Hunting Creek Rd, Nathalie, Virginia 24877.

The sale starts at 1 pm. You can unload starting at 7 am up to start of the auction. We will need to know how many sheep/goats you plan to have at the auction by August 1. We currently have 319 sheep/goats committed to the auction. This promises to be a good opportunity to sell you stock with competitive bidding that you will not want to miss.
Please contact Debbie Duffer (434)470-0550 or Kim Grossman (434)251-2300 by August 1 to confirm the number of animals you will be bringing and for any further questions or concerns.