JACKSON’S MILL, W.Va. – The West Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Hall of Fame (WVAFHF) will honor two years’ worth of inductees with a banquet on Saturday, July 24 at Jackson’s Mill. The 2020 banquet was canceled due to COVID-19, therefore, 2020 and 2021 inductees will be recognized this year. The reception will start at 4:00 p.m. with a dinner to …

Recently, I assumed the role of President of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA), an honor bestowed upon me by my peers. As part of my duties, we must plan the 2022 annual meeting, and of course, I saw this an opportunity to bring my colleagues right here to the Mountain State. Therefore, I am happy to …

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – For the 2021 season, West Virginia produced a totaled 13,000 gallons of maple syrup, down 3,000 gallons from the previous year. Yield per tap correlated with the overall decrease in production as taps on average produced 0.169 gallon, down from the 2020 yield of 0.213 gallon per tap. Despite production levels falling, the total number of taps …

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) has confirmed a third county, Jefferson, that now hosts the invasive Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula). Jefferson County was added to the list, which includes Berkeley and Mineral, after United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) collaborators spotted a small population on May 27 near Kearneysville, WV. The WVDA and USDA-APHIS confirmed …

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt announced West Virginia will be hosting the 2022 Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA) annual meeting in June of next year. Commissioner Leonhardt chose the Mountain State after being elected President of the organization during the 2021 meeting in Arkansas. The theme for the 2022 meeting will be “Rooted in …

As the national food system came to a screeching halt in the early days of the pandemic, the demand for food increased, providing a unique opportunity for local agriculture. This opportunity was only possible due to the hoarding of supplies, the closure of restaurants and outbreaks in large scale processing causing an inability to garner normal goods from large chain …