Are you a farmer or rancher? If you have no office, this is no longer a problem. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is now offering text message alerts so that you can keep up with USDA Farm Service Agency news.

You can receive text message alerts from FSA while on the go, in the field, on the tractor or even on horseback.

Contact your local FSA office to subscribe to receive text message alerts on your cell phone and stay updated on everything from deadline reminders to local outreach events. Standard text messaging rates apply. On average, you can expect to receive no more than two text messages from FSA each month, and participants may unsubscribe at any time.

Contact your local FSA office to subscribe to the text message alerts service or for further information. Visit http://offices.usda.gov to locate your local FSA office.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, March 11 for the annual raffle and silent auction held by the Holiday Lake 4-H Center. Tickets are now on sale.

Perhaps you have items you can donate, let others know about the raffle or sell tickets.

Already a variety of donated items have been collected, including tickets to an excursion on the Buckingham Branch Railroad, vintage clothing and accessories as well as interesting and valuable stamps. Contact Heather or Preston at the center at (434) 248-5444 to get your ticket or to otherwise help make this worthy raffle and auction another successful event.

Can’t be bothered to throw your trash in a proper trash receptacle or take it to a dump? You may be missing out on a small fortune.

Among the many things people throw out of their vehicles are lottery tickets. Recently, a friend recounted how he had collected a substantial sum of money by picking up trash along the road. When he checked the numbers of the lottery tickets he found, he was surprised to find that there were a significant number of winners. While picking up someone else’s discarded garbage is an onerous task, it may also be a way to earn some extra cash.

I truly wish people could be persuaded not to litter our roads and highways. However, it is nice that others who work to keep the roadways clean gain something for this thankless task.

Janet Miller is a writer, painter and retired educator. Her email address is janet.miller@farmvilleherald.com.