ENTRY FORM
To be submitted no later than March 2, 2012

Students will display their projects at the Land Stewardship Fair to be held in Independence, VA on April 7, 2012 where judging will occur and prizes will be awarded.

The competition is open to all students in grades 8 through 12 enrolled in a school in Grayson County (Grayson County Schools, Galax City schools, Oak Hill Academy) or who are residents of Grayson County and are homeschooled. Projects can be done individually or by a team of 2-5 people. If a team wins a prize, they will share it equally. If entering as a team, please list names, schools, and grades of all team members and give address of 1 person who will handle communications for your team.

This form must be submitted with a short (approximately 1000 word) summary of your project by March 2, 2012 to participate in the Land Stewardship Fair and be eligible for prizes. Entry forms & summaries should be submitted to:

Ms. Ruth Ross
Grayson LandCare
228 Black Rock Mountain Lane
Independence, VA 24348
276-773-2757
email ross@ls.net.

• On the competition day, you will be given a space in which to set up your presentation.
• You are encouraged to be as creative as possible in your presentation.
• You may use whatever approach is most suitable to your subject
• Try to make your proposed solutions to your problem as specific as possible.
• The judges understand that different topics will require different approaches and that some will depend more heavily on scientific research and others will require more investigation in the community.
• You may use whatever format or visual aids are best suited to your topic (for example, creating a website, making a Power Point slide show, doing a poster or demonstration, writing a research paper)--whatever works best for your ideas.
• Try to create a presentation that someone who is not familiar with your topic will understand but be sure to include all the information the judges will need to evaluate your project.

Guidelines and Suggestions

Project title
Be brief and to the point.

Topic area
Pick a topic related to the agriculture, ecology, or economy of Grayson County. For help, refer to the Suggested Topics List and the video (Land Stewardship Fair: What Is Your Vision of the Future?) on our website (www.graysonlandcare.org).

Problem to be explored
Present your problem as an open-ended question such as “How can we make locally raised and processed beef more profitable for local farmers?” or “How can we develop a profitable local business growing and selling ginseng?” The more specific your topic is, the better. Be sure you can find publications or experts to help you with information.

Proposed solution to the problem
Describe your specific approach to the problem you have chosen. For example, proposed solutions to the local beef question might be working with local grocery stores to promote and sell local beef, or establishing high-end markets for specialty cuts, or setting up a direct-marketing website on the Internet. (These are all initiatives that Grayson LandCare is actually involved in. You are encouraged to look for new ideas that might work.) Be sure your solution is practical and feasible for Grayson County. Be as specific as possible in describing what you would do to make your idea work.

Your project will be judged in part on how well it addresses the Triple Bottom Line:

• Increasing the income and economic well-being of the citizens of the county
• In a way that is environmentally sound and sustainable
• And socially beneficial to the community.

• Upper New River watershed quality
• Forestry (including timber and alternative forest products)
• Livestock raising, breeding, and processing
• Crop cultivation
• Energy efficiency/self-sufficiency
• Development of locally owned, sustainable small businesses (e.g., crafts, tourism, food products, toiletries)
• Marketing of agricultural products (timber, livestock, alternative forest products, crops, poultry, herbs, seeds and plants, etc.)
• Eco-tourism and agri-tourism opportunities
• Other topics you are interested in pursing

• Research storm water management practices like rain gardens and identifying places in the community where they would be effective, aesthetically pleasing and/or become useful in teaching the community how to better protect our water resources.

• How can the people of Grayson County grow and market alternative forest products (e.g. black cohosh, ginseng, bloodroot)?
• What forestry methods can Grayson County landowners use to increase growth rates and marketability of their timber (for example, tree spacing, types of timber in most demand, cutting schedules and methods, pest control)?

• How can the people of Grayson County work with Food City to market locally grown products (this might include looking at the example of Food City’s cooperation with those raising hair sheep and local produce in the region)?
• How has Meadow Creek Dairy in Grayson County been so successful? What lessons can local farmers draw from their success?
• How has Nimian Ranch (http://www.nimanranch.com) been so successful? What lessons can local farmers draw from their success?

• What specialty, high-return agricultural crops are being successfully produced and marketed in other areas of the country?
• What specialty high-return agricultural crops are suitable for cultivation in Grayson County?
• How can information on these crops best be provided to local residents?
• How could such crops be successfully marketed to maximize profits?

• What avenues are available for direct marketing of agricultural products on a local basis?
• How can the people of Grayson County use Internet resources to connect with people who would like to buy their products?
• What resources are available to help local entrepreneurs set up new enterprises?

• How do conservation easements work? How can they be used to help farmers and other landowners?

• How could one set up a successful local business to provide guides for fishermen?
• What are the opportunities for setting up a business to serve tourists interested in birding, horse camping, hiking, etc?
• Are there opportunities for agri-tourism (where tourists stay and sometimes participate in farming activities) on working farms?