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Grow with expert resources from VCE Publications
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Farmers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed: Your soil and water conservation efforts matter. Make them count.

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Virginia Cooperative Extension delivers practical, science-based information that you can trust, which supports the wellbeing and economic sustainability of individuals and communities throughout Virginia and beyond.

Featured publications

  • Resource Item
    How Environmental Enrichments in Chicken Houses Can Benefit Producers
    How Environmental Enrichments in Chicken Houses Can Benefit Producers , resource

    This Virginia Cooperative Extension publication examines how environmental enrichments in chicken houses can benefit both poultry welfare and producer outcomes. Drawing on peer‑reviewed research and industry examples, the article explains how enrichments such as perches, platforms, foraging materials, laser lights, and dust‑bathing substrates promote natural behaviors, reduce fear and stress, and improve health indicators including bone density, footpad dermatitis, and feather condition. The publication highlights measurable production gains—such as increased egg output, improved feed efficiency, and reduced injury—alongside indirect benefits related to cognition, adaptability, and stress resilience. Practical guidance is provided on selecting biologically relevant enrichments and implementing them effectively to support animal well‑being while enhancing productivity and economic sustainability in commercial poultry operations.

  • Resource Item
    Pink flowers
    Annual Flowers: Culture and Maintenance , resource

    Annual flowers complete their entire life cycle in one growing season, offering gardeners vibrant color and design flexibility. This publication provides guidance on selecting, establishing, and maintaining annual beds, including distinctions between warm‑ and cool‑season annuals and tropical plants treated as annuals. Topics include site analysis, soil preparation, watering practices, fertilization, mulching, pest management, and care techniques such as deadheading and staking. Instructions for starting seeds indoors and outdoors are summarized, with reference to VCE Publication 426‑001 for more detailed propagation guidance. Proper planning and maintenance help gardeners achieve healthy, productive annual displays throughout the growing season.

  • Resource Item
    a cluster of ripe blueberries
    Small Fruit in the Home Garden , resource

    As a general rule, plant selection and production area in a home garden should be limited to what you can properly care for. It is better to have a small, welltended planting area rather than a large, neglected one. Small fruits offer certain advantages over fruit trees for home culture because small fruits require less space for the amount of fruit produced, and they bear fruit one or two years after planting. Success with small-fruit planting will depend on the attention given to all phases of production, including crop and variety selection, site selection, soil management, fertilization, pruning, and pest management.

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