Virginia State University College of Agriculture’s Director of Marketing & Communications, Michelle Olgers, was one of two 1890 land-grant university (LGU) agricultural communicator professionals selected to serve on the 14-person National Impact Database (NIDB) writing and editing team this year.

Today, Cooperative Extension resources are offered in every state in the United States to advance the wellbeing of everyone. Empowering its communities, stewarding its resources and shaping a healthy future is at the heart of the nation’s Cooperative Extension program, launched in 1914 by the United States Department of Agriculture in partnership with land-grant universities. However, in the program’s early days, many Cooperative Extension programs and opportunities were offered to whites only.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture have provided funding to the Cooperative Extension system to address health disparities in underserved communities. Called the Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching & Engagement (EXCITE), the initiative offers two options for land-grant universities.

President Joe Biden announced his intent on January 13, 2022, to appoint our own Dr. Ronald Howell, Jr. as the Executive Director of USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Virginia. Dr. Howell was included in a shortlist of new USDA appointees about whom Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said, “As we work to build a better America, we need talented and experienced staff working in our state offices.” He added, “We are thrilled to welcome these dedicated individuals to USDA at such an important time in the Biden-Harris administration.”

Virginia State University’s Extension Program has numerous communal garden projects across the state. Dr. Leonard Githinji, who leads the Sustainable and Urban Agriculture program at VSU and was recently appointed as a state program leader for agriculture with Virginia Cooperative Extension, says the top goals of community agriculture are to “address food insecurity, encourage healthy eating, and provide exercise opportunities.”

Community and connection. These two elements, so essential to our well-being, were challenged in ways we’ve never seen during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Not to be deterred from their mission, Virginia Cooperative Extension’s 4H embraced a new national program called 4H Tech Changemakers that connects teenagers and adults within their communities.

The Virginia Cooperative Extension’s (VCE) emergency preparedness webpages are designed to help Virginia residents prepare for all types of disasters. The pages, part of the ext.vsu.edu website, were created in 2018, as hurricane Michael took aim at Virginia and was expected to make a direct hit.

At VSU, the Dietetic Internship Program integrates teaching, research and Cooperative Extension to give students a well-rounded understanding of the food production process, as well as nutrition education and how to address food insecurity in low-income communities.

Chris Mullins educates local farmers about hydroponics and aquaponics, and he’s fishing for new ways to help them decide what systems will be cost effective for their operations and what crop and fish combinations grow best together.

Dr. Jewel Hairston Bronaugh is making history again as the first African-American Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Dr. Reza Rafie, horticulture Cooperative Extension specialist at Virginia State University (VSU), first realized in 2012 the potential technology held for delivering Extension programming when he and a videographer created a 12-minute video on growing ginger. It’s been viewed more than 86,000 times since.

VSU’s Small Ruminant Mobile Processing Unit has been in the making for five years, but is scheduled to finally be unveiled and fully operational this spring. It couldn’t come soon enough for O’Brien and many small ruminant producers.

At the 78th Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference (PAWC) Memorial Luncheon on December 8, 2020, two members of Virginia State University were honored.

There is something growing year round at the Harding Street Urban Ag Center in Petersburg, Virginia. But it’s what you can’t see growing that makes the center a success and a unique model for sustainable urban agriculture.

With almost one in three low income families in Petersburg receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, Virginia State University’s Family and Consumer Sciences Program in partnership with Petersburg Healthy Options Partnerships, Petersburg Healthy Community Action Team, River Street Market and the Harding Street Urban Agriculture Center have teamed up to establish a new market concept called POP! (Petersburg Offers Produce) Market.

One way of ensuring that youth grow to become curious, confident and capable leaders is by exposing them early to key life skills, educational opportunities and career exploration through 4-H programs like i-Congress.

.Dr. Chantel Wilson, 4-H STEAM Extension Specialist at VSU, Dr. Erika Bonnett, 4-H Programming Specialist at Virginia Tech, and their Virginia Team won a competitive grant from the National 4-H Council to design the 2020 4-H STEM Challenge Mars Base Camp kit.

Downy mildews caused by different water molds are thriving at this time and damaging crops. If you see cucumber or butternut squash leaves quickly turning into a yellow, angular shape from the top, you may suspect a downy mildew caused by one of these pathogens belonging to water molds.

Dr. Chantel Wilson lives where science and nature intersect, and she loves introducing youth to her world. Wilson is an Extension specialist and 4-H STEAM educator with the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) at Virginia State University (VSU).