Whether you’re a full-time farmer or a casual backyard gardener, the Virginia Cooperative Extension can be an invaluable resource for cultivating success. This partnership between Virginia’s two land grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University, operates hundreds of offices around the Commonwealth, advocating for the environmental, social, and economic needs of Virginians. From IDing pesky bugs to assessing soil samples, the organization’s agents, specialists, and volunteers are always on hand to share their research-backed expertise. Ext.VT.edu

This article originally appeared in the Best of Virginia 2025 issue.