Virginia Cooperative Extension Day at state fair to feature exhibits, hands-on activities for families
Virginia Cooperative Extension welcomes fairgoers to learn more about its programs through a day of exhibits, demonstrations, and fun activities at the State Fair of Virginia.
Virginia Cooperative Extension Day will be held Sunday, Sept. 28, from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. at the Meadow Event Park in Doswell, Virginia. The event will feature educational exhibits on food safety, 4-H youth development programs, gardening, emergency preparedness, nutrition, the environment, aquaculture, and much more.
“Virginia Cooperative Extension Day will be a great place for people to see what Extension is all about and to learn about programs that are available to help them in their everyday lives,” said Joe Hunnings, co-chair of Virginia Cooperative Extension Day at the State Fair. “Extension has a lot to offer, and we want to encourage the public to take advantage of these programs.”
Fairgoers will be encouraged to embark on a mission to visit the Extension exhibits located around the fairgrounds. Each area has information, free giveaways, and hands-on activities for all ages. Attendees who complete the mission will receive a Virginia Cooperative Extension drawstring backpack, while supplies last. Maps and more information will be available at the fairground entrance.
Various activities will take place throughout the day. Highlights include:
- Virginia 4-H: Learn about featured programs, including camping, robotics, shooting sports, Military Kids, leadership and teen programs, Health Rocks, and livestock and horse programs.
- Family and Consumer Sciences: Watch food safety and food preservation demonstrations at the mobile kitchen and pick up recipes and information about nutrition, financial management, and parenting.
- Virginia Master Gardeners and Junior Master Gardeners: Check out hands-on gardening activities for kids, learn how to protect pollinators, and receive Firewise landscaping tips and gardening information.
- Virginia Household Water Quality Program: Learn how to maintain and protect your private water supply and participate in a water taste test to see how well you know your water sources.
- Virginia Master Naturalists: Find out about habitat improvement and bat houses, take part in fun activities for kids, and spin a prize wheel.
- Aquaculture: Learn about the Virginia aquaculture industry.
- Extension Disaster Education Network: Pick up information on how to be better prepared for emergencies.
- Small Farm Outreach Program: Learn about the educational opportunities and technical assistance provided to limited-resource producers and ranchers.
Virginia Cooperative Extension Day is part of the yearlong celebration of the Smith-Lever Act, which established the Cooperative Extension Service 100 years ago. A unique educational partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the nation’s land-grant universities, the Cooperative Extension Service extends research-based knowledge through a state-by-state network of extension educators. For 100 years, the Smith-Lever Act has stimulated innovative research and vital education programs for youth and adults through progressive information delivery systems that have improved lives and shaped the nation.
