ETTRICK, Va. — Chesterfield County resident Barbara Booker has been named 2016 Volunteer of the Year by Virginia State University’s Small Farm Outreach Program.
Nominated for this award by Susan Cheek, SFOP volunteer coordinator, Booker has been volunteering the past two years on VSU’s 416-acre Randolph Farm demonstration/research facility in Ettrick. Booker asserts that Randolph Farm is a valuable community resource where volunteers can learn about food as a basic need and about farming, which she considers a “self-reliant” skill that should be passed down to today’s youth.
Cheek said Booker’s dedication, determination and eagerness to learn make her a “wonderful asset” to Randolph Farm operations. She said Booker is one of several farm volunteers who give of their time twice weekly planting, irrigating, harvesting and testing soil on SFOP demonstration plots. Volunteers also assist with delivering harvested produce to local charities and food banks. Cheek reports that more than 6,000 pounds of produce were distributed last year to help feed the hungry.
“It’s nice being recognized for your volunteer work,” said Booker, a retired environmental/occupational health and safety professional. “Gardening relaxes me,” she said. Booker grows a smorgasbord of vegetables and herbs in her home garden for personal consumption.
Cheek said new farmers, as well as persons interested in becoming farmers, are encouraged to volunteer first to get some helpful hands-on experience. She said several former SFOP volunteers have subsequently pursued their own farming ventures.
It appears Booker, who said she’s “re-imagining” herself, will soon be following suit. She’s planning to start a vegetable project, a market garden or small farm containing multiple crops. Anyone interested in becoming a SFOP volunteer should contact Cheek at 804-720-5539 or email scheek@vsu.edu.
— Virginia Cooperative Extension
RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
RICHMOND, Va. — Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced that California-based Plenty Unlimited Inc. will build the world’s largest indoor vertical farming campus, a $300 million investment in Chesterfield County’s Meadowville Technology Park. The company recently secured $400 million in a Series E financing round, the largest investment to date for an indoor farming company. Plenty […]
Will Payne and Will Clear didn’t hesitate. They knew exactly where and who to turn to when it came to tackling what they called a “big idea project,” one they knew could impact the lives of thousands of Virginians. About four years ago, the pair — Payne of Coalfield Strategies and Clear of the Virginia Department […]
ROANOKE, Va – The Virginia Cooperative Extension Small Farm Outreach Program (SFOP) at Virginia State University will host the annual Small Farm Outreach Conference at the Hotel Roanoke Conference Center in Roanoke, Virginia from November 19-20. This year’s topic, “Better Ways for Better Days,” will include guest speakers and educational break-out sessions that will provide […]
BLACKSBURG, Va. — With a population expected to reach almost 10 billion by 2050, the world’s resources will need to be used in an increasingly efficient manner. Food will need to be grown near where it is needed. Space will need to be maximized. And these challenges can’t be tackled alone. In an effort to […]
