A Taste of Randolph Farm - VSU College of AGriculture Field Day

Thursday, August 29, 2024 · Registration Begins at 7:30 AM

VSU Randolph Farm, 4415 River Road, Petersburg, VA

This year's theme is "A Taste of Randolph Farm." Discover the rich offerings of the VSU College of Agriculture through:

• Diverse and innovative programs in food, agriculture, natural resources, family, youth, nutrition, and community engagement

• Opportunities to meet faculty, researchers, students, Extension specialists, and community members, including small farmers and industry partners

• Hands-on activities and the chance to taste Randolph Farm's produce and meats prepared by culinary experts

• The VSU Trojan Farmer's Market, where you can shop tasty, healthy, local produce and farm products

FARM TOUR STOPS—

• High-Tech Ag - Drones: Mr. Tim Sexton

• USDA Agencies & Virginia Agencies:

  • Farm Service Agency (FSA)

  • Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

  • Risk Management Agency (RMA)

  • Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

  • Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)

  • Farm Credit of the Virginias

  • Virginia Department of Social Services

  • Virginia Farm Bureau

  • VA Department of Conservation and Recreation

  • University of Arkansas - RMA Navigator Program

• Food Safety & Packaging: Dr. Chyer Kim and Dr. Toktam Taghavi

• Nocturnal Animals; Stone Garden: Dr. Trakela Wright-Hicks, Ms. Bernadette Darrow, and Ms. Sheree Press

• Aquafarm: Mr. James Hill

• Taste of Randolph Farm: Sample tilapia, catfish, and trout prepared by Chef Reese & Chef Rose (HM students), and lamb by Jessica Queen & Chef Bobby Maddox from Belmont Butchery

• Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) - Aquaponics: Mr. Josh Dusci

• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - Pollinator Health: Dr. Zelalem Mersha

• Edible Flowers & Herbs: Dr. Theresa Nartea & Mrs. Robeson

• High-Tech High Tunnel: Ms. Grace Summers

• COA Departments & Clubs:

  • Department of Agriculture

  • Department of Family Consumer Science

  • Department of Hospitality Management

  • Horticulture Club, MANRRS, Pre-Vet Club

• Ginger & Garlic: Dr. Sanjun Gu

• High Tunnel Hemp: Dr. Ramesh Dhakal

• Soil & Water Quality: Dr. Leonard Githinji

• Recycling of Crop Residue: Dr. Adnan Yousuf

• Power Proteins:

  • Edamame: Dr. Guo-Liang Jiang

  • Faba Beans: Dr. Shahram Torabian

  • Black Beans, Kidney Beans, Great Northern Beans, Pinto Beans, and Navy Beans: Dr. Harbans Bhardwaj

• Small Ruminants: Live animals, Parasite Laboratory, Mobile Processing Unit, and Germplasm Laboratory led by Dr. Dahlia O'Brien & Dr. Stephan Wildeus, Ms. Davida Rimm-Kauffman & Ms. Mackenzie Robertson

• Healthy Animals: Dr. Eunice Ndegwa

• Fruits of Discovery - Canticuber: Dr. Shuxin Ren and Dr. Leah Hamilton

• Deer Fencing: Ms. Amanda Seow

• Switchgrass Energy: Dr. Maru Kering

• Heritage Cattle: Dr. Neal Brown, Mr. Berry Harris & Mr. Isaiah Embry

VSU TROJAN FARMER’S MARKET:

Shop tasty, healthy, local produce, and value-added farm products from these vendors:

• Sycamore Springs Farm (Visit Website)

• Crystal's Catering & Sweet Treats (Visit Facebook)

• Petersburg Oasis Youth Farm (Visit Facebook)

• Truth Village Farms (Read More)

• Browntown Farms (Visit Website)

• MiMi's Kitchen (Cooper Family Farms)

• Don Sebastian Salsa (Visit Website)

• Kate’s Sweet Bakes (Visit Website)

• Crunch On! Snacks

• Chocoberry

• Agriberry (Visit Website)

• JavaBean, LLC (Visit Website)

• Hungershop (Visit Website)

Join us for a family-friendly event that showcases the best of Randolph Farm and the VSU College of Agriculture.

For more information, contact Carrie Bolton at 804-524-5836 or cebolton@vsu.edu; or Jessica Harris at 804-524-5964 or jharris@vsu.edu.

If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact Carrie Bolton at cebolton@vsu.edu or call (804) 524-5836 / TDD (800) 828-1120 during business hours of 8 am. and 5 p.m. to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event.

2023 Ginger workshop and field day

Thursday, October 26, 2023 · 8:30am–2:30 pm

VSU Randolph Farm Pavilion, 4415 River Road, Petersburg, VA 23803

Topics:

• Botany and horticulture

• Health benefits

• Marketing, economics and value-added products

• Production in field, high tunnel and home gardens

• Integrated pest management

• Rhizome seed production

• Research updates from Virginia, North Carolina and Delaware

• Field, high tunnel and greenhouse ginger tour

Space is limited to 50 participants.

For more information, contact Jessica Harris at 804-524-5964 or jharris@vsu.edu.

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 Small Farm Outreach Program office at smallfarm@vsu.edu or call (804) 524-3292 / TDD (800) 828-1120 during business hours of 8 am. and 5 p.m. to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event.

Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments. Its programs and employment are open to all, regardless of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, military status, or any other basis protected by law.

VSU College of Agriculture Field Day

Thursday, September 1 • 8:30 AM–12:30 PM

Virginia State University’s Randolph Farm, 4415 River Road, Petersburg, VA, 23803

This free event will showcase the many ways VSU’s agricultural researchers, Extension specialists and professors support Virginia’s agriculture and forestry industries, the commonwealth’s number one private economic driver, with an annual economic impact of more than $91 billion.

Hop on and off trollies as they circle throughout Randolph Farm’s 416 acres and learn from the commonwealth’s leading experts about the latest techniques, trends, research and success stories impacting small-scale, limited-resource farmers and ranchers.

See first-hand how VSU’s research, teaching and public programming is enhancing the resiliency of Virginia’s food systems and addressing food safety and insecurity, especially among those who have limited social and economic resources.

Learn how you, your family, your business and your community can benefit from the food and agri-science programs at VSU.

EXPLORE

• Mobile Sheep & Goat Processing Unit

• Pond Aquaculture

• Hydroponic and Aquaponic Grow Systems

• High Tunnel Production

• Livestock Grazing Demonstration

• Industrial Hemp

• Sheep & Goat Production

• And More

For more information, contact Jessica Harris at (804) 524-5964 or jbrown@vsu.edu.

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 Small Farm Outreach Program office at smallfarm@vsu.edu or call (804) 524-5964 / TDD (800) 828-1120 during business hours of 8 am. and 5 p.m. to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event.

Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments. Its programs and employment are open to all, regardless of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, military status, or any other basis protected by law.

Industrial Hemp Field Day

July 29 - 30, 2020 • Wednesday Start at 4 PM and Thursday starts at 8 AM

Virginia State University • Gateway Conference Center

2804 Martin Luther King Drive, Colonial Heights, VA

The Industrial Hemp Field Day will provide a forum for potential growers, researchers, marketing experts and industrial hemp product users to discuss the future of the crop in Virginia and neighboring states. Learn about the variety of products from industrial hemp, the challenges and opportunities for cultivating this crop, and an update on the legislation governing industrial hemp production in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Registration Will Open Soon!

Thanks for your interest in this program! We need just a little more time to wrap up all the details before we open registration. That should be about a month prior to the program date. You can check back here to see if registration is open yet, or better, yet, why not sign up to receive notifications right in your email inbox? 

Sign up now to receive an email notification when registration opens for this and other events related to small farmers.

(We promise not to share your email address or send you emails more than about twice a week.)

For more information, contact Laverne Morris at lmorris@vsu.edu or call (804) 524-5151.

If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact Laverne Morris at lmorris@vsu.edu or call (804) 524-5151 /TDD (800) 828-1120 during business hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event.

Seaside Hops Field Day

JULY 1, 2019
10AM-3PM

Seaside Hops
14304 Seaside Rd • Machipongo, VA

This event has been cancelled.

VSU Small Farm Outreach Program will host a hops field day at Seaside Hops in Northampton County on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

Mr. Dixon Leatherbury, owner of Seaside Hops, is a hops grower and current Chair of the Old Dominion Hops Cooperative (ODHC). He has also designed and fabricated a number of innovative implements including a hops harvester. 

Field day participants will visit the hop yard and learn about the opportunities and challenges of growing hops. They will also get an update on on-farm research conducted by VSU Agricultural Research at Seaside Hops and see some of the equipment in use at the hop yard

For more information, contact Tracy Porter at (804) 481-2566 or tporter@vsu.edu or call the Small Farm Outreach Program office at (804) 524-3292.

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 Small Farm Outreach Program office (smallfarm@vsu.edu) or call (804) 524-3292 / TDD (800) 828-1120 during business hours of 8 am. and 5 p.m. to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event.

JULY 26, 2018
9am - 3pm

VSU Randolph Farm
4415 River Road • Petersburg, VA

The 2018 Industrial Hemp Field Day will provide a forum for potential growers, researchers, marketing experts and industrial hemp product users to discuss the future of the crop in Virginia and neighboring states. Learn about the variety of products from industrial hemp, the challenges and opportunities for cultivating this crop, and an update on the legislation governing industrial hemp production in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

$10 PER PERSON, includes continental breakfast and boxed lunch.

Space is limited and confirmed by receipt of payment.

For more information, contact the Agricultural Research Station at (804) 524-5151.

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 Agricultural Research Station office manager, Laverne Morris at lmorris@vsu.edu or call (804) 524-5151 / TDD (800) 828-1120 during business hours of 8 am. and 5 p.m. to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event.

EVENT PRESENTATIONS

An overview of hemp research in Kentucky and at Kentucky State University. - Shawn T. Lucas

Industrial Hemp - Products & Their Markets - Jason Amatucci

Virginia Industrial Hemp Research Program - VDACS

Hops Research & Production

VSU Randolph Farm
4451 River Road • Petersburg, VA

This workshop will benefit beginning and established hop growers, as well as those interested in growing hops. The workshop will include a visit to the VSU hop yard. Speakers include: 

Dr. Laban Rutto, Alternative Crops Program, VSU Agricultural Research Station

For more information, contact Susan Cheek (804-720-5539 / scheek@vsu.edu) or call the Small Farm Outreach Program office at (804) 524-5626..

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 Small Farm Outreach Program office at (804) 524-5626 /TDD (800) 828-1120 during business hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event.