Local Programs
ANR (Agriculture and Natural Resouces)
Soil Samples - There are soil boxes and forms available at the Cumberland Extension Ofifce that you can pick up and mail off your soil samples to the Virginia Tech soil testing lab in Blacksburg, VA. Testing of samples for commercial crop is free of charge, but samples for gardens, lawn, etc. are $10 per sample for a routine test. Routine test include soil pH, P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe, B and estimated CEC. There are also soil probes that can be taken out on loan to assist with collecting the soil samples.
Annual Well Water Testing: Drinking water clinics are organized once a year by your local Extension Agent and Virginia Tech faculty in the Biological Systems Engineering Department. Participation is voluntary and all information is kept strictly confidential. Anyone with a private water supply system (including wells, springs, and cisterns) may participate. Contact your extension office for this year's scheduled date.
Plant Disease Clinic: The Virginia Plant Disease Clinic provides plant disease diagnostic services to Virginia Cooperative Extension agents. Physical or digital samples with problems caused by pathogens, including fungi, bacteria, viruses, and nematode, in addition to plant samples with environmental or other abiotic problems may be submitted to the Plant Disease Clinic. Diagnosis is provided for any type of plant. To insure the long-term sustainability of our diagnostic laboratories, effective October 1, 2021, each sample sent to the Virginia Tech Plant Disease Clinic for diagnosis will incur a $35 charge. Many plant diseases can be identified and recommendations given by your local Extension office without having to send to the plant disease clinic so it will be on a case-by-case basis.
2025 4-H Cloverbud Camp
This overnight camp takes place June 13-15, 2025 and is a weekend camp to introduce the younger 4-H members to the overnight camping experience. The camp is open to youth turning 5-8 years old before September 30, 2025. It takes place at the Holiday Lake 4-H Center in Appomattox, VA. The cost is $135 per camper which includes programming fees, meals and lodging. Parents will be responsible for transporting their child or children to and from camp.
Click link to register: https://www.holidaylake4h.com/cloverbud-camp?view=article&id-419:cloverbudreg&catid=37:online-registration
**If you are applying for financial assistance....please choose the option during registration that states "payment made in local Virginia Cooperative Extension Office". That will generate a request to the Cumberland Extension Office to send you a financial assistance form. Once that completed form is received...you will then pay the remaining balance through the Cumberland Extension Office.
2025 Cloverbud Camp Brochure - click to view more details and deadlines for camp
2025 4-H Jr. Camp
This overnight camp is open to Cumberland youth ages 9-13 and will take place the week of July 21-25, 2025 at the Holiday Lake 4-H Center in Appomattox, VA. Cumberland youth will also camp with youth from Amelia, Nelson, and Nottoway counties during that week. While at camp, youth will attend four classes of their choosing such as archery, riflery, canoeing, outdoor cooking, crafts, fishing, nature, theater, low and high ropes, gau-gau, swimming, etc. The cost is $285 per camper which includes meals, lodging, transportation, camp shirt and all class supplies/materials. The registration deadline is May 30, 2025 so please register as soon as possible to ensure a spot.
Registration link: https://bit.ly/2025JrCamp
2025 Jr. Camp brochure - Click to view more details and deadlines for camp
2025 Jr. Camp financial assistance form - There is limited financial assistance and will be on a first come, first serve basis. The form must be completed and returned with a $125 deposit payment.
4-H Buckingham & Cumberland Livestock Club
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to raise a sheep or a cow? Have you ever thought about what is involved in showing a pig before a judge? You don't have to live on a farm or have your own livestock to participate in the 4-H livestock club. You just have to have an interest, a willingness to commit to caring for an animal, and enthusiasm for preparing for and partipating in the livestock show.
Club members raise and show market and breeding animals at the Piedmont Area Livestock Show held each May in Blackstone, Virginia. They work with their animals for three to five months before competition in the show against youth from ten counties in the area.
Please call the office at 804-492-4390 and/or click link below for more information!
4-H Buckingham & Cumberland Livestock Club brochure
Engaging with Communities
Virginia Cooperative Extension specialists in community viability work with Extension agents, campus-based faculty, organizational partners, communities, and individuals to further opportunity and build capacity in five program areas:
- Leadership & Planning
- Community Enterprise and Resiliency
- Community Food System and Enterprises
- Community Planning
- Emerging Community Issues
Examples of our work include training county elected officials, educating entrepreneurs, facilitating collaborative projects, supporting the growth of community food systems and local economies, enhancing agent skills and community capacity in facilitation and leadership, conducting problem-driven research, and creating publications and tools that address critical community needs.
Do you have a question about Community Viability?
Perhaps one of the Community Viability specialists below can help you. Contact a Community Viability specialist or direct a question to them using our Ask an Expert system.