Central Virginia Christian School students recently competed in a creative writing contest. Winning first place in short story by age group were: Kassidy Miller, Mattie Moss, and Emma Ranson. Second place short story winners were: Angela Qiu, Aubree Anderson, and Piper Scialdo. Poetry winners were Jackson Hucks, Ty Wilkerson, and Emma Ranson. Second place poets were Luke Canipe and Ella Walker.

Whether you go to church or not, this DNow event is for you if you’re a student in seventh – 12th grade in Buckingham or the surrounding area. This year’s DNow (Disciples Now) Youth Conference will be held at Maysville Baptist Church March 27 and 28. At DNow, students will enjoy time together as they corporately hear a message from God’s Word and then discuss what they learned in small groups. Students will also enjoy a live band, team and individual games, food and just being together in a fun, safe environment. Call (434) 969- 4657 for registration or if you have any questions.

Signup deadlines for USDA Farm Bill programs, particularly those as popular and comprehensive as the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), are of great interest to many of the farmers in this area.

CSP allows agricultural producers and forest landowners to earn payments for actively managing, maintaining and expanding conservation measures such as cover cropping, enhanced nutrient management and buffer strips and pollinator habitats. NRCS accepts applications throughout the year, but makes funding selections at specific times. Interested producers should submit applications by May 29 to be eligible for fiscal year 2020 funding. Changes made to CSP in the 2018 Farm Bill should make the program even more attractive to Virginia landowners.

The list of eligible conservation activities in CSP has been expanded to include soil health planning, building organic content in soil through crop rotations and measures taken to mitigate the impacts of severe weather. NRCS also has brought CSP in line with its Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) by basing new contracts on funding rather than acreage.

CSP and EQIP now feature common applications, contracting operations, conservation planning and related administrative procedures. The NRCS full press release, which includes input from three Virginia producers – a grower, a cattleman and a forester – is also available online. State-specific information on ACEP is available on the Virginia NRCS website at www.va.nrcs.gov. USDA service center locations and phone numbers can be found at farmers.gov.

For more information, contact David Harris, conservation specialist with NRCS at (434) 983-4757 ext. 3 or email david.harris@va.usda. gov.

Bethlehem Baptist Church will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, April 11 at 10 a.m. Everyone is welcome.

Antioch Union will have its Easter Egg hunt April 11 at 10 a.m. with story time, crafts, a hot dog lunch, and a hunt with over 3,000 eggs. Join them for a fun time.

SHERRI WISE is columnist for the Buckingham Bulletin. She can be reached at wise.buckingham@gmail.com.