Local Programs
Soil Samples: There are soil boxes and forms available at the office for pick up. The soil-filled boxes and forms must then be mailed to the Virginia Tech Soil Testing Lab in Blacksburg, VA. Testing of samples for commercial and/or field crops is free of charge but samples for gardens, lawns, etc. are $10 per sample for a routine analysis. A routine test includes soil pH, P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe, B and estimated CEC.
There are soil probes at the office 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.
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 for more information!
4-H Homeschool Group
Please join the Cumberland Homeschool Group for the 2026 July - December series. The group meets the 4th Thursday of each month focusing on different topics related to environmental science and nature. The meeting location will be at the Cumberland Extension Office as well as other local locations in Cumberland such as Bear Creek Lake State Park, etc. Parents/guardians/adults are required to attend along with the youth. Please contact the office at 804-492-4390 for more information.
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.