CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Commissioner Kent Leonhardt released the following statement after the election of the state’s first all-female FFA state officer team: “Congratulations to these young women who have made history in West Virginia. They should be proud that they are a part of a growing trend in agriculture as more and more women head up farms in the United …

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) has announced a pilot project to help increase value of West Virginia cattle by improving cattle vigor prior to entering production channels. The project will examine available preconditioning methods, enhancing overall herd health, the use of electronic identification tags and utilizing a unified approach with producer engagement. The project is …

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) is urging landowners to sign up for the 2022 Cooperative State-County-Landowner (CSCL) Gypsy Moth Suppression program. The program is focused on protecting the landowners’ forested acreage from devastating effects caused by the invasive gypsy moth. The sign-up period runs from July 1 until August 31, 2021. “West Virginia’s forests are …

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 …