CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Commissioners, Directors and Secretaries of Agriculture from 16 southern states and territories will gather in West Virginia next month to hold their annual meeting and tour some of the State’s agriculture industries. This will be the first time in 15 years that the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA) has held their meeting in the …
Op Ed: WVDA Essential to WV Tourism
From the declaration of the New River Gorge National Park to renovating the state parks in West Virginia, over the last five years our tourism industry has received a tremendous amount of attention and support. That support has brought dividends as we have seen tourism revenue increase by upwards of 50 percent, generating $4.5 billion for the state’s economy. Given …
WVDA Issues Consumer Warning Regarding Illegal Hemp and Marijuana Products
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) has issued a consumer protection warning regarding illegal hemp products being sold in West Virginia retail stores. Recently, the WVDA has become aware of illegal products containing non-naturally occurring cannabinoids, as well as counterfeit recreational marijuana. The Department is urging consumers not to purchase these products as the WVDA works …
WV Receives $341,000 in Specialty Crop Block Grants
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Eight West Virginia projects will share in $341,018.74 of federal funding under the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 2021 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) H.R. 133 Stimulus funding. These projects were chosen from nine West Virginia organizations, agencies and institutions who requested a total of $355,057.65 for this fiscal year. Recipients must use the federal …
West Virginia Launches Partnership with FieldWatch
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) announced a partnership with FieldWatch, Inc. to launch a specialty crop and apiary registry for the state. The goal of the registry is to enhance communication between pesticide applicators and producers in West Virginia. FieldWatch is a not-for-profit company with existing DriftWatch and BeeCheck registries in 22 states, the District …
Commissioner Leonhardt Urges Continued Increased Biosecurity to Combat HPAI
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – With confirmed cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in 23 of the 50 states, West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt is continuing to urge farmers and producers to practice increased biosecurity measures. West Virginia currently has no confirmed cases of HPAI, but neighboring states of Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Maryland have found the virus in …