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Come on along we are going for a hayride!

Vanessa Romas sent these pics of the Botetourt Buddies going on their first field trip of the year to Layman's Farm in Montvale. Botetourt Buddies pairs special education students with general education students for fun and fellowship. Ramos, a senior, started the group with the help of many in the school and from the community last year because her sister Stephanie and other special education students needed a better way to interact with the rest of the Lord Botetourt High School student body. The result has been a terrific success for all involved.

Cool weather seemed fitting for an apple festival! Aromas of pork barbeque, Chick Fil A and apple butter focused the crowd on the event at Ikenberry's this week end. Enjoy the pictures!

Round about the copper pot, students took turns stirring the apple butter for the FFA

The Lord Botetourt High School FFA members began making apple butter at 4 a.m. and by early in the afternoon, the smell permeated LBHS. It was a good smell, too.

Made in a copper kettle in the shop area of  the school, constantly stirring the apple butter with a big wooden paddle is all part of the secret to the tasty spread. "The LB FFA apple butter will retail for $7 per quart," said Stuart Byrd the FFA sponsor and a teacher at the school. All funds go to support FFA projects.

Lots of hardwork goes into the peeling and stirring of the apple butter. In the end, Byrd hoped to can about 140  quarts with today's batch. Contact Byrd at 992-1261 to buy a jar.

Those who helped today included a senior citizen, Warren Rhodes of Troutville, who is a real advocate for the LBHS FFA. He sells tickets to chicken barbeques and really promotes the young folks along the way and of course helps with the apple butter. "We need to support these young people and what they do," he said.

The LBHS FFA will make another batch of apple butter this Saturday and Sunday at Ikenberrys on the Roanoke Road during their annual fall festival as well.

They also have tickets on sale now for the local Young Farmers Annual Chicken Bar B Que November 14 which consists of a half chicken, baked potato, green beans and a roll. $7 donation buys a ticket. Location is the LBHS cafeteria from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. and carry out is available.

Pictured above are Zach Dove ,at the paddle, Daniel Perdue, Michael Ferguson, Warren Rhodes, Josh Parker, Matt Taylor, Hunter Boykin, Marie Galloway, and johnny Nuckles.

Jared Hayes and his first buck!

Jared Hayes, 12, of Fincastle killed his first deer, a seven point buck, using a .30-.30 rifle. He was hunting with his father, Darin Hayes, on Youth Hunt Day. He killed the deer on private land in Fincastle.

Submitted by Connie Hayes.

You can share your photos at news@botetourtview.com

Catawba Creek is an important tributary of the Upper James River Watershed in Botetourt County. Ultimately it is a part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, too.

What: Catawba Creek Stream monitor training

When: Sat. October 24 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free lunch provided

Where: Roanoke Cement on Catawba Road Rt 779.

The health of streams like Catawba Creek which runs across western and northern Botetourt County and  empties into the James River north of Fincastle is an important concern for not only the local creek including water and wildlife, but also the James River watershed and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay.  Water quality is an ever increasing conservation topic. The workshop will teach the average citizen how to become a stream monitor.

Genevieve Goss of Fincastle, an area conservation advocate said, "The event will make a citizen scientist out of you!" A participant will receive the training necessary to become a certified stream monitor. To register contact Goss at 966-4604 or online at genevieve@valleyconservation.org.

The event is being held in conjunction with Roanoke Cement Company, Virginia Save our Streams, Valley Conservation Council and Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Recreation is a big tourism draw in Botetourt County.

Kevin Costello Director of Botetourt County Tourism  sent the following to the Botetourt View. Botetourt County is part of the Roanoke Valley Tourism effort.

SAVE the DATE * Friday, October 23, 2009 *
VIRGINIA TOURISM Help Desk comes to the Roanoke Valley!
Meet one-on-one with Virginia Tourism staff
The Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) and the Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau are partnering to help you drive more traffic to your tourism business! Tourism professionals will be available to network with you and determine if your business is listed in all the right places for maximum exposure! You may want to know....Do I qualify to apply for tourism grant funding? How can I get my event listed on www.virginia.org? How can I get more PR? What marketing opportunities are available? What type of research is available? Come by and meet one-on-one with VTC's marketing and development staff to target and reach travelers, the media and to increase your tourism visitation.
• FREE! OPEN INVITATION TO ALL visitor-friendly restaurants, lodging, events, attractions and retail shopping are eligible including B&Bs, hotels, motels; restaurants, public golf courses, regional DMO's; attractions, wineries, event planners, retail shops and more!
• Orientation sessions will be available throughout the morning. Help Desk Orientation is brief but will allow you to get the most out of the Help Desk experience.
• Get listed on www.Virginia.org and get in front of 5 million+ website visitors a year! - FREE
• Bring existing ad & marketing copy, print brochures, images on CD and your current web site address if you have one
• Reach vacationing families, weekend getaway couples, business travelers and the media to increase business
• Tourism is one of Virginia's most powerful industries, generating $18.7 billion in revenue, supporting 210,000 jobs and providing $1.2 billion in state and local taxes to Virginia's communities. Come and benefit from being a part of local and state tourism resources and opportunities.
Friday, October 23 - 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
FREE Event - NO registration required
110 Shenandoah Ave., NE, Roanoke, VA 24016
‎ * No appointment necessary * Best times are in the morning and early afternoon
For more information: Contact Angela Wiggins (awiggins@virginia.org - 804 545 5553) or visit www.VATC.org/workshops. Local contact - Catherine Fox - rkecvbfox@aol.com or (540) 342-6025.

Jill Henderson of SUIDA, Dairy Farmer and SUIDA board member Jerry Henderson of Cave Hill Dairy Farm in troutville present a check to Chris Morris of the School Nutrition program.

The Southeast Dairy Industry Association (SUIDA) recognized Botetourt County Public Schools with an award of Excellence in School Wellness at the regular October  school board meeting on October 8. The recognition was accompanied by a large check for $500 as well as a list of accomplishments for Botetourt County Public Schools Nutrition Services. School Nutrition Specialist Chris Morris accepted the award on behalf of the school division.

The school district received milk merchandisers (glass front upright coolers) from the Southeast Dairy Association for the four secondary schools when the district converted from the paper cartons to the plastic
bottles. They have also received funding from us to implement expanded breakfast programs i.e. Breakfast in the Classroom and Grab 'n Go style breakfast which have increased breakfast participation. Based on research, students do better in school both from the academic and behavioral standpoint when they eat a good breakfast.

Morris explained the 13 year saga of getting milk vending machines all the way to today with the larger portion recyclable bottles. Jerry Henderson Of Cave Hill Dairy Farm in Troutville, one of the nine dairies left in the county and a SUIDA board member, helped SUIDA Program Account manager Jill Henderson present the check. Morris thanked the local dairy farmers for their diligence and hard work which over the years in grants and awards tallied $25,000.

Peace Presbyterian Church is having a fall festival.

Peace Presbyterian on US 220 alternate will hold a Fall Festival and Pumpkin Patch on Saturday October 17, 2009 from 3:00 to 7: 00 p.m. at the church site on 5646 Cloverdale Road. This is an afternoon of fun filled activities for the everyone. Friends of Praise will provide musical entertainment.

Jack had his bean stalk and Dottie Underwood has her giant gourd plant. Like a fairy tale and fortunately not like a Halloween tale, the giant gourd plant has found a magic place and grew and grew this summer! The Botetourt View could wax poetic how it grew all the way down to the James River and the elves and fairies made boats out of the gourds and had a big adventure on the James River! Alas all for naught!

The reality??? Dottie Underwood of Springwood Greenhouse used her green thumb when she planted this gourd plant. It has a stalk as think as a child's arm and it grew across the greenhouse and out the ventilation window then brnached out grew across the floor and out the front door. The giant gourds --two of them formed on the ventilation window.

Underwood said, "I have never seen such a plant, but I think that these two gourds are going to be the only ones to form because the weather has gotten cooler." They are gianormous!

Enjoy!

Do you have photos of your unusual harvest? You can share at news@botetourtview.com.

Mrs. Williamson's kindergarten class at Breckinridge Elementary School took a field trip to Layman Farms. They explored the corn maze, picked out a pumpkin and rode the cow train.