All Virginians are encouraged to make some noise for local Farm to School programs today (Tuesday, Oct. 5) by celebrating the fifth annual “Crunch Heard ‘Round the Commonwealth” from 1–1:15 p.m. The social media promotion features Virginians taking a bite out of a Virginia Grown apple and sharing their images and videos. Atif Qarni, Secretary of Education, and Heidi Hertz, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, will lead the crunch today during the annual Virginia Farm to School Conference, which is virtual again this year due to the pandemic.

Anyone wanting to dispose of unwanted pesticides must complete and submit a brochure ahead of time and bring the unwanted items on the day of the event either to the Fairfax or Prince William locations. https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pdf/pesticide-collection-brochure.pdf

Virginia’s agricultural heritage is at the heart of the State Fair of Virginia, and agricultural activities continue in 2021 with a long list of farm-related attractions. The fair, canceled in 2020, will be held Sept. 24-Oct 3 at The Meadow Event Park in Caroline County about 1.5 hours on I-95 south from Rte/ 234.

During the “Bee Encounter at Rippon Lodge,” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 7, visitors to the historic property, at 15520 Blackburn Road in Woodbridge, will have the chance to learn about the history of beekeeping and the intriguing life of bees. “It’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Rippon Historic Site Manager Jessica Alicea.

Farmers and ranchers nationwide are invited to participate in a webinar on July 20 from noon to 1 p.m., CT, which will provide an overview of available federal crop insurance options.

Governor Ralph Northam has issued a proclamation declaring June 13–19 as Virginia Agriculture Week to recognize and celebrate the many contributions of the Commonwealth’s agricultural community. The Governor, First Lady, and Northam Administration officials will visit sites throughout Virginia to highlight the economic impact of the agriculture industry and the role of farmers and agribusinesses.

Forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service, predict a 60% chance of above-normal activity this season. However, experts do not anticipate the historic level of storm activity seen in 2020.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) reports it has detected Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) (Lycorma delicatula) in Prince William County, Virginia, according to Michael Wallace, public information officer. The isolated SLF detection included egg masses and nymphs at one site within the county. SLF has also been found in the city of Winchester and the counties of Clarke, Frederick and Warren, which are all included in Virginia’s SLF quarantine. At this time, Prince William County has not been included in the SLF quarantine.