Nir paperwhites have slightly larger flowers and a more subtle scent.
Nir paperwhites have slightly larger flowers and a more subtle scent.
Richdale makes delivery to governor
Wytheville pumpkins were delivered to the executive mansion in Richmond.
The governor and her husband speak with the Crowgey family after a delivery of pumpkins.
Wytheville-grown pumpkins made their way to Richmond and the executive mansion last week.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger and first gentleman Adam Spanberger welcomed a delivery from Richdale Farm operated by the Crowgey family. Richdale is a fifth-generation farm.
The pumpkin delivery is an annual tradition organized by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Virginia Pumpkin Growers’ Association to celebrate autumn and recognize October as Virginia Pumpkin Month.
“We are honored to receive these pumpkins as a celebration of the agricultural bounty of Virginia,” said Adam Spanberger. “Thank you to the Crowgey family for this special tradition during such an enjoyable season in the Commonwealth. The governor and I encourage all Virginia families to take the opportunity to support your local farmers when choosing fall decorations and activities.”
Richdale Farm hosts an annual fall festival with pumpkin picking, hayrides, a corn maze, and other activities. Operated by father and son Eric and Aaron Crowgey with additional support from their spouses and other family members, the farm currently has hair sheep, beef cattle, pumpkins, sweet corn and fall produce.
Aaron Crowgey and his son Graham delivered this year’s pumpkins to the Executive Mansion, and Gov. Spanberger presented them with a proclamation designating October as Virginia Pumpkin Month.
Approximately 4,700 acres of pumpkins were harvested by nearly 400 growers in the Commonwealth in 2025. Fresh market productions had a value of $16.9 million, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, and Virginia ranked seventh nationally for total pumpkin production value.
“Fall is an excellent time to support the hard work of Virginia farmers by visiting local pumpkin patches and other agritourism attractions, decorating with locally grown pumpkins, and embracing all that the Commonwealth’s agriculture has to offer,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Katie Frazier. “The Virginia pumpkin crop is good this year, and we hope everyone will bring Virginia Grown pumpkins home to celebrate the season.”
Virginia farmers begin harvesting pumpkins around Labor Day and continue through Halloween. Plan a family visit to a Virginia farm to pick pumpkins, apples, and late season berries; purchase festive mums and other fall décor items; enjoy hot apple cider and apple cider donuts; and make the most of your Virginia Grown pumpkins at home by making delicious baked goods and soups. Visit the Virginia Tourism website for fall farm trip ideas.
George Wythe's Emma Faulkner.
George Wythe's Emma Faulkner.
Local TRIAD earns AG award
The Wythe County TRIAD received the Attorney General’s Choice Award during a two-day statewide TRIAD conference.
The event brought together TRIAD chapters from across the state for networking and updates, reeling in 150 attendees.
The Wythe County TRIAD averages more than 40 attendees at each meeting and regularly brings in diverse speakers educating seniors on critical topics. From safety programs to community outreach, Wythe County continuously mobilizes local resources to safeguard its older adults.
TRIAD is a cooperative effort of law enforcement agencies, senior citizens, and senior organizations, focused on reducing crimes against seniors. The goal of TRIAD is to reduce seniors' fear of crime and victimization by increasing awareness of scams and frauds targeting them, strengthening communication between law enforcement and senior communities, and educating seniors on local and state resources available in their community.
“Virginia’s TRIAD chapters make sure our law enforcement agencies, organizations, service providers, and elected officials are in step, showing up for our most vulnerable communities with consistency and care, time and time again. But most importantly, TRIAD brings seniors into these conversations and decision-making processes directly. The work these chapters are doing in our communities empowers our seniors and makes sure we’re keeping pace with emerging threats,” said Attorney General Jay Jones. “It was an honor to recognize the dedication of our chapters and partners, as they fight to stop the exploitation and victimization of older Virginians.”
Drought watch for Bland, Wythe, and Grayson lifted (copy)
Three more Southwest Virginia counties are no longer in a drought watch. Last week, due to sustained precipitation over the past several weeks, the Drought Monitoring Task Force (DMTF) recommended lifting the drought watch for Bland, Grayson, and Wythe counties in the New River drought evaluation region.
From those counties to the western end of the state is the only portion of the Commonwealth that is not in a drought watch or warning.
According to the DMTF, sustained rain has prevented drought conditions from worsening; however, drought continues in many parts of Virginia, especially in the Roanoke River drought evaluation region, which has received less rainfall than other areas of the Commonwealth.
Precipitation was above normal in the New River drought evaluation region, where totals were primarily between 1.5 to 2.5 inches. Far northern areas of the state and southern areas generally received below normal totals of less than half an inch. Longer-term precipitation trends show above normal precipitation totals in the Big Sandy region, which includes Smyth County, and New River drought evaluation regions, as well as central and northern portions of the state.
The Big Sandy region was returned to normal status in late August. It was the first time since April 16 that any portion of Virginia was listed as normal. Big Sandy includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, and Wise counties, and the cities of Bristol and Norton.
Producers reported no new, immediate drought-related impacts on agriculture this week. Harvest continues throughout the state.
The seven-day forecast calls for near- to above-normal precipitation totals, with totals of an inch expected in southern and central areas of the state. Precipitations totals are highly dependent upon a low-pressure system and are subject to change significantly depending on its track.
Additional information on the current drought status is available on the DEQ drought webpage and Drought Dashboard, which includes interactive data on stream gages, groundwater wells, soil moisture, and precipitation.
