Local Programs

Agriculture and Natural Resources offers programs to help sustain profitability of agriculture and forest production, while protecting and enhancing land and water resources.

Resources and Services Offered 

Master Gardeners are extension volunteers dedicated to working with the community to encourage and promote environmentally sound horticulture practices through sustainable landscape management. 

Master Gardener Help Desk

Contact the Master Gardeners via email by sending pictures of plants or weeds that you want identified and get advice to correct the plant problem or erradicate the weed.  
Email: hanover.master.gardener@gmail.com

Leave a message on the helpline and a Master Gardener will call you back as soon as possible.
Telephone: 804-752-4306

Check out the Hanover Master Gardeners website for more resources and information.

In response to a growing demand to assist the public with damage and conflicts caused by wildlife, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services Program and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries have collaborated to develop the Virginia Wildlife Conflict Helpline.  The Helpline is a toll-free service intended to provide a single source of consistent, expert technical assistance, education, and referrals to callers experiencing human-wildlife conflicts.  The Helpline is staffed by wildlife specialists who are able to help the caller identify wildlife damage and recommend solutions.  

The Virginia Wildlife Conflict Helpline is available at 1-855-571-9003 and is staffed Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, except for federal holidays.   Because the Helpline is not intended to be an emergency number, it is not monitored after hours, but callers are able to leave a voice mail which will be returned during the next business day.

4-H is the youth development program of Virginia Cooperative Extension.  This nonformal education initiative is conducted by our state land-grant universities (Virginia Tech and Virginia State), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments.  The land-grant university system consists of teaching, research, and extension education. Extension 4-H programs are a partnership involving local residents, volunteers, private support, three levels of government, and universities.  4-H is the only nationwide youth education program that is an extension of the knowledge resources of a university system. 

4-H is characterized as being community centered, volunteer led, extension staff supervised, research based, home and family oriented, publicly and privately funded and responsive to change.  The central theme of 4-H education is "learn by doing" by providing opportunities for youth to learn through hands-on activities.The four H’s stand for Head, Heart, Hands and Health.

Many people are familiar with a traditional version of 4-H as an agricultural based club for rural youth-cows, plows, and sows.  However, 4-H is a dynamic organization; for over 100 years, 4-H programming has adapted to changes in society, family structure, education, work force needs, the economy and technology.  Today almost half of 4-H members in Virginia reside in urban and suburban communities.  

While the programming evolves, the core mission and the underlying values have held fast. 

The mission of 4-H is to assist youth, and volunteers working with those youth, to gain knowledge, life skills, and attitudes that will further their development as self-directing, contributing, and productive members of society.

Participation in 4-H can look different from unit to unit, depending on the interests and needs of the youth community, number of trained and committed volunteers, and resources available. Hanover County 4-H delivers programs currently through community centered, equine, and livestock clubs.  These groups led by volunteers meet on a monthly basis for a business and program meetings. Educational work is on a single topic.  Clubs can participate in other 4-H activities and events such as the Hanover County communication arts contests and other competitions (local, district, state and national), Livestock and Horse programs and competitions, workshops, fundraising and community service, camps, State Congress or National Congress.  Please note that 4-H does not provide horses or riding lessons for equine members. 

4-H members live in towns, cities, suburbs, and on farms in every county of Virginia. Through 4-H, over 181,000 Virginia youth and 20,000 adult and teen volunteers join in local, county, state, national, and international educational opportunities. 

The 4-H year runs from October 1^st to September 30^th. Although you can join anytime during the year, fall is when most  4-H clubs recruit new members.  Youth ages 5 to 18 years old (yo) can take part in programs that are planned and initiated by Extension personnel in cooperation with volunteers. 4-H membership is open to all yoth regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religion, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, genetic information, or marital or family status.  Eligibility for 4-H membership terminates on December 31 of the year the member has his or her 19^th birthday.

• Cloverbud: 5 – 8 yo
• Juniors: 9 – 11 yo
• Intermediates: 12 – 13 yo
• Seniors: 14 – 18 yo

The current listing of Hanover County clubs is available below:

Community Clubs

Community 4-H clubs offer a variety of 4-H projects for their members, generally meet in homes or public buildings, meet 9 to 12 months of the year, and have elected youth officers. A 4-H’er may belong to only one 4-H community club. A community club typically has 5 to 20 members and 2 or 3 adult leaders. Membership in a community club does not exclude one from membership in Special Interest groups or the 4-H Honor Club. Also, members in a given club are in no way restricted from meeting with other clubs for activities. One must, however, relinquish current club membership before joining another club. 

Project Clubs

Project 4-H clubs focus on a single 4-H project or subject matter area (i.e. horse clubs, photography clubs, etc.), generally meet in homes or public buildings, meet 9 to 12 months of the year, and have elected youth officers.

Teen Leadership Clubs

4-H Teen Leadership Club is conducted as part of the training program for counselors at camp.  Being selected is a competitive process.  Previous 4-H camping experience is an advantage but not required.  If selected as a candidate, teens participate in leadership training from November through the start of junior summer camp the next summer.  Teamwork, safety, responsibility, respect, creativity, fairness, problem-solving, and empathy are leadership skills emphasized by the program. 

Special Interest Groups

4-H Special Interest Groups have short-term learning experiences designed to create interest in a subject matter area, learn about 4-H, and have no elected youth officers.

Cloverbud Groups

Designed for youth 5 through 8 years of age, 4-H Cloverbud groups are a sub-group of a 4-H club and introduce youth to 4-H through special learning activities designed for their age group. There are no elected youth officers. While Cloverbuds are allowed to participate in all county contests except shooting education, they are not judged competitively.

School-based Clubs

(Currently Hanover County does not offer school based clubs.)

School based clubs must be approved by the 4-H Agent/County Unit Coordinator and the school system.  After-school 4-H clubs meet after school hours, usually from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., in a school or public building; use 4-H materials; and may or may not have elected youth officers (depending on its organizational setup, a short- or long-term club). 4-H School Enrichment clubs meet during school hours and are designed to strengthen the members’ knowledge of school subject-matter areas, thus complimenting what the school is teaching. The club may or may not have elected youth officers depending on its organizational setup of being a short-term or long-term club. 

Ready to join 4-H?

Hanover County clubs mostly fit in the "community or project" category. Each club has its own uniqueness and project focus. 

1. Review the list of current local clubs.
2. Contact club leaders to see which one is the right fit for your child/family and attend meetings. 
3. Contact UAA and Club Leader via email to alert about impending registration and get assistance with 4HOnline. 
4.  Go to 4HOnline to register youth member(s).  Extension staff will approve memberships. Contact must be made with club leaders before approval will be given.
   
5. Parents do not enroll as their informaiton is in the family profile. Adult Volunteers must contact Angelette Pryor, Volunteer Manager at Extension Office at 804-752-4310 prior to any enrollments. 
6. Re-enrollment is necessary for members and volunteers every year as of October 1st. 
7. Hanover County Club Members are reminded to complete their re-enrollment by October 31st, with the final deadline set for January 1st each year to qualify for participation in the state horse program. This not only ensures eligibility for the state horse but also guarantees coverage under Virginia 4-H risk management insurance during all 4-H meetings and events. Timely re-enrollment is crucial to maintain these benefits and support the safety and engagement of our members in various activities.
   
8. Contact the Hanover Extension Office with questions at 804-752-4310.

Please contact the Unit Admin Assistant, Missy Johnson at the Extension office with questions at 804-752-4310 or mcjohnson@vt.edu. 

4-H Junior Summer Camp

Early Registration opens on January 30th for Hanover County 4-H club members, previous 4-H campers, and siblings of teen counselors who wish to attend:
http://tinyurl.com/EarlyCampRegis2024

Registration opens on January 31st for all other Hanover County youth:  http://tinyurl.com/2024HnvrCampRegis  

Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis! Preference is given to Hanover 4-H residents. Camp registration opens to the general public on Thursday, January 31, 2024. Please complete the application below for each camper to be registered for Hanover 4-H Camp. All completed registrations will be automatically time and date-stamped. You will be notified by an Extension staff member as to whether or not your child has a spot and how to make payment. If full, you will be automatically placed on a waiting list in the order received. Payment must be received within one week of NOTIFICATION of an available space. If not received, your child's spot will be given to the next family on the waiting list. Registration is not complete until payment is made and the camper is enrolled in 4-H online. Do not attempt to enroll in 4-H online until you receive instructions.

A five-day residential summer camp at the Jamestown 4-H Center in Williamsburg, VA.  Designed for youth 9 -13 years of age who are residents of Hanover County. Camp is combined with Powhatan and Goochland counties.  The camp is coed and features opportunities like archery, marine science, kayaking, swimming, and outdoor living skills. Transportation is NOT provided to and from camp.

Our camp week for 2024 will be July 15^th - 19^th. The 2024 fee is $375 + 15 processing fee. The camp fee includes meals and lodging for five days and four nights, a camp t-shirt, class supplies, and snacks. Limited scholarships are available. The link is embedded in the registration forms and can also be found here: http://tinyurl.com/2024CampScholarship . 

Once registration is confirmed details will be sent about payment and enrollment in 4-H Online. Registration is not complete until payment is made and the camper is enrolled in 4-H online. Do not attempt to enroll in 4-H online until you receive instructions.

If you cancel for any reason in writing by June 7, 2024, a refund minus a deposit of $50 + $15 processing fee will be granted.  

More information can be found on the camp website 2024 4-H Camp (google.com).

Call Missy Johnson at 804-752-4310 with questions about camp. 

SPIN 4-H classes

Short-term workshops and clinics are offered, usually six-12 hours.  In the past these have included Jam'n Jam-how to grow and preserve berries, fitting and showing livestock, open 4-H horse shows, keeping chickens, and 4-H Maker Fests.  You do not have to be a 4-H member to enroll in SPIN classes.  These are promoted on our Facebook page and website.

You may also see 4-H participating in Agriculture Literacy Week at elementary schools, Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience for 6th graders, Agriculture Day for 3^rd graders, the Hanover Public Schools Arts and Science Festival, Food Drives, Maker Fests and holiday parades.  4-H members are often the primary leaders at these county events.

Hanover County is fortunate to have (2) two endowed scholarships avaiable for it's 4-H members. The Andranetta E. Weimer 4-H Incentive Scholarship program and the The Betsy Mack 4-H All Star Endowed Scholarship. Resource links are below:

Scholarsip Guidlines and Application

Communication Contest Guidlines and Scoresheets

• Weimer Communication Contest Schedule and Registration
   NOTE : 4-H members from other units are welcome to participate in all 4-H activities on a space available basis. However, 4-H members primarily affiliated with a unit other than Hanover, are ineligible to receive the Adranetta E. Weimer 4-H Incentive Scholarship.