Agriculinary Botany: From Conservation to Culinary Innovation / Fig & Thyme: Agroforestry Meets Gourmet Agriculture
Friday, October 30, 2026 • 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
1600 East Washington St, Petersburg, VA 23803
Explore how figs and culinary herbs can strengthen diversified farms through agroforestry, specialty crop production, and value-added agriculture. Participants will learn fig propagation, orchard management, thyme cultivation, companion planting, food forest design, and food-as-medicine applications while discovering how conservation practices—including forest farming, alley cropping, tree and shrub establishment, windbreaks, mulching, and conservation planning—improve soil health, biodiversity, and environmentally resilient farming systems.
Featured demonstrations include a seasonal Fig & Thyme Smash, with a non-alcoholic botanical alternative paired with locally sourced goat cheese, brie, walnuts, honey, flatbreads, and fresh figs. Designed for orchardists, agroforestry producers, beekeepers, cheesemakers, herb growers, and beginning farmers interested in creating profitable specialty crop enterprises rooted in conservation and perennial agriculture.
Conservation Connection
This workshop supports NRCS conservation education, demonstrations, technical assistance, and environmentally resilient specialty crop production through experiential learning and producer collaboration.
Following the Workshop
Participants are invited to remain on site from 3:30–5:00 PM to visit the Producer Marketplace & Community Connection, explore specialty products, meet local farmers and agricultural organizations, and continue informal networking before the optional, separately ticketed Agroculinary Happy Hour later that evening.
Guests wishing to extend their experience are welcome to attend the separately ticketed Agroculinary Happy Hour: Learn - Taste - Connect, featuring seasonal food pairings, botanical culinary demonstrations, producer spotlights, and musical entertainment later that evening.
For more information, contact Tabitha Bugg at tbugg@vsu.edu.
Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and local governments, and is an equal opportunity employer. For the full non-discrimination statement, please visit ext.vt.edu/accessibility.