Virginia Cooperative Extension - Greene Unit

08/28/2026

Save the Date!

Albemarle/Charlottesville, Fluvanna, and Greene 4-H Junior Camp will be June 28-July 2, 2027 at Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center! More details to come!

08/27/2026

We had a fantastic event last night! Participants learned about pasture, w**d ID and control, virtual fencing and the GPS collars that go along with them, and pasture management and alternatives for the more frequent drought cycles that we are in. Thank you to Dr. Michael Flessner from Virginia Tech, Travis Maslen from Regen Pastures Management, and Trevor Talley from Culpeper Soil And Water Conservation District for sharing their knowledge and expertise!

08/25/2026

Don't forget- registration closes this Wednesday, August 26th!

School is back in session, and so is our 4-H In-A-Bag Cooking Program! Youth will create a delicious batch of homemade applesauce while learning basic cooking skills, kitchen safety, and food preparation techniques. It's a fun, hands-on way to build confidence in the kitchen and enjoy a tasty treat at home!

What is In‑A‑Bag?
In‑A‑Bag is a free, hands‑on cooking kit designed to help youth practice measuring, mixing, kitchen safety, and confidence in the kitchen. This activity is open to youth ages 5–19, and families are welcome to participate together. An optional Zoom bake‑along will also be offered for those who want to cook alongside us.
Each kit includes nearly everything needed to make a batch of applesauce at home, along with instructions. (A short list of simple household ingredients will be provided.)

📝 Registration Deadline: August 26
https://tinyurl.com/greeneapplesauce
📦 Kit Pickup: Greene Extension Office
🗓 Pickup Dates: September 2 & 3 | 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
📺 Zoom Bake‑Along: September 3 at 6:30 PM
This program is free for Greene County families, with one kit per household while supplies last.
Thanks to our friends at Farm Credit of the Virginias for making this opportunity free to families.
Thanks to our friends at Carter Mountain Orchard for providing apples for this program.

08/21/2026

“The best pizza of my life!” was a comment we heard from youth who attended our Pizza from Scratch Workshop this summer!

To wrap up our summer programming, youth learned about growing vegetables and explored the plants thriving in our office garden. They harvested ingredients and helped make a homemade tomato sauce using fresh tomatoes, peppers, and garlic.

Participants also mixed and kneaded their own pizza dough, watched it rise, and learned the science behind yeast through an experiment testing which water temperature helped it grow best. Along the way, they discovered the history of pizza and gained hands-on experience in the kitchen.

One of the highlights of the day was seeing everyone's creativity shine as they shaped their pizzas into unique designs and topped them with their favorite ingredient combinations. Many even tried pesto on pizza for the first time and were pleasantly surprised by the delicious new flavor!

This workshop was a true collaborative effort, offered through a partnership between our Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, and 4-H Agent. By combining expertise in agriculture, nutrition, food preparation, and youth development, participants were able to experience the full journey from garden to table.

By the end of the workshop, every participant said they felt confident they could recreate the homemade dough and sauce at home. We certainly hope they do, because according to our young chefs, this was the best pizza of their lives!

08/19/2026

This summer, youth joined us for a Noodles from Scratch Workshop where they took their cooking skills from garden to table!

Participants picked fresh tomatoes and peppers from our office garden before working together to create homemade noodle dough. With a little teamwork and help from the KitchenAid mixer, they rolled their noodles thin and ready to cook. Youth also made both a fresh tomato sauce and a homemade Alfredo sauce to pair with their creations.

While the Alfredo sauce was voted the group favorite, everyone had a great time learning new skills and enjoying the process of making their own noodles from scratch!

08/18/2026

Join us next Wednesday, August 26th, for a Pasture Walk! We will learn about virtual fencing and the collars that go with them with Travis Maslen and Regen Pasture Management, hear from Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District on Pasture Management in a Drought, and then hear from VT W**d Science Specialist Dr. Michael Flessner on pasture W**d ID and management.

Dinner will be provided, but you must pre-register by August 24 by emailing sarahsharpe (at) vt.edu or by calling (434)985-5236. Limited to 30 participants! The program will be held at 2182 Bingham Mountain Road, Stanardsville. Thanks to Travis Maslen with Regen Pasture Management for hosting!

08/17/2026

Earlier this summer, youth joined us for a fun-filled Bread and Butter Workshop as we celebrated June as Dairy Month!

Participants learned about the science and art of making butter, creating it both by hand and with a mixer. They also made their own delicious flavored butters, including a savory cheese butter and a sweet honey butter. To go along with their creations, youth learned how to bake a loaf of bread and an easy biscuit recipe they can recreate at home.

As a special treat, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent Sarah Sharpe shared how wheat is grown and harvested. Participants even had the opportunity to see a combine harvester up close. Unlike large commercial combines, this specialized machine is used specifically for research trials to harvest small amounts and normally can weigh them as well. This machine is used throughout Virginia by researchers with Virginia Tech!

It was a day full of hands-on learning, tasty treats, and agricultural discovery!

08/13/2026

School is back in session, and so is our 4-H In-A-Bag Cooking Program! Youth will create a delicious batch of homemade applesauce while learning basic cooking skills, kitchen safety, and food preparation techniques. It's a fun, hands-on way to build confidence in the kitchen and enjoy a tasty treat at home!

What is In‑A‑Bag?
In‑A‑Bag is a free, hands‑on cooking kit designed to help youth practice measuring, mixing, kitchen safety, and confidence in the kitchen. This activity is open to youth ages 5–19, and families are welcome to participate together. An optional Zoom bake‑along will also be offered for those who want to cook alongside us.

Each kit includes nearly everything needed to make a batch of applesauce at home, along with instructions. (A short list of simple household ingredients will be provided.)

📝 Registration Deadline: August 26
https://tinyurl.com/greeneapplesauce
📦 Kit Pickup: Greene Extension Office
🗓 Pickup Dates: September 2 & 3 | 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
📺 Zoom Bake‑Along: September 3 at 6:30 PM
This program is free for Greene County families, with one kit per household while supplies last.

Thanks to our friends at Farm Credit of the Virginias for making this opportunity free to families.
Thanks to our friends at Carter Mountain Orchard for providing apples for this program.

07/28/2026

4-H Camp simply wouldn’t happen without our volunteers. 💚

This year’s camp was made possible by an incredible team of teen leaders, adult volunteers, and Extension staff who gave their time, talents, energy, and hearts to our campers. From teaching classes and leading activities to mentoring youth and creating unforgettable memories, they were at the center of everything that made camp special.

This photo features volunteers from Greene, Albemarle/Charlottesville, and Fluvanna Counties who helped make our 2026 4-H Camp a success. We are beyond grateful for each and every one of you, thank you for making a lasting impact on the lives of our campers! 🍀

07/21/2026

I’ve been getting a lot of questions from people about why the plants in their gardens aren’t producing fruit this summer. Long story short- it’s just been too hot and too dry!
When temperatures are above 85 degrees during the day, some plants simply don’t produce fruit. Similarly, if temperatures at night don’t get below 75 degrees, some plants (like squash) don’t produce female flowers, only male flowers.
Hopefully we will get some cooler temperatures and more rain soon!
Here’s an article with more information!

Poor blossom and fruit set in vegetable crops can significantly reduce the harvest in a home garden.