Soup-er Bingo to benefit the Haymarket Regional Food Pantry will be held this Saturday, Jan. 26, from 3 to 5 p..m. at Alvey Elementary School, 5300 Waverly Farm Drive, Haymarket, VA 20169.

At the direction of President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue Jan. 8 announced a plan to ensure that low-income Americans have access to the nutrition they need, despite the inability of Congress to pass an appropriations bill that safely secures our borders. The plan provides full benefits for participants in USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for the month of February.

It was a brisk, cold day outside this past Thanksgiving, but hearts were warm at Old Bridge United Methodist Church. For the past 23 years this church in Lake Ridge VA has welcomed the community to come in and sit a spell and enjoy a nice holiday meal.

Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom wants children to discover how farmers provide healthy meals for them.That’s why the nonprofit organization selected Right This Very Minute by Lisl H. Detlefsen as its 2019 Book of the Year. The book will be read by volunteers across the state during AITC’s annual Agriculture Literacy Week, March 18-22.

A devasting blow happened to the weekend food program for kids in September when the transfer of funds from one sponsoring church to a new sponsoring church was planned. The transfer of $25,000 was taken by unknown hackers during the course of the transfer. The FBI, Loudoun and Prince William County police departments are all investigating the fraud.

September is Food Safety Education Month and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services encourages everyone to follow four safety guidelines to prevent food borne illnesses. Those guideline are 1. cleanliness, 2. thorough cooking, 3. proper temperature control and 4. separating raw and cooked foods to prevent cross-contamination.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) wants everyone to know that September is Honey Month across the Commonwealth. Governor Ralph Northam declared September Virginia Honey Month for many reasons. Here are VDACS’ top three:

U.S. meat may be moving to other countries, but trade has slowed. That’s the assessment of Margaret Ann Smith, a Virginia cattle farmer and chairman of the livestock marketing council for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, regarding tariffs recently imposed by China.