MAPLE HOUSES OPEN DOORS TO THE PUBLIC FOR 7TH YEAR OF MOUNTAIN STATE MAPLE DAYS

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia maple makers will open their operations to the public during Mountain State Maple Days. The annual event is held on the third Saturdays of February and March. This year’s dates fall on February 17 and March 16. This is the 7th year for the celebration which is sponsored by the West Virginia Maple Syrup Producers …

Avian Influenza Found in West Virginia Backyard Flock

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) has received confirmation for the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in a backyard flock in Kanawha County. A field investigation with sampling followed by testing at WVDA’s Animal Health NAHLN lab in Moorefield provided suspect laboratory findings. The owner contacted WVDA Animal Health after rapid onset of illness …

West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio Leaders Gather for Agriculture Roundtable

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt and West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) staff recently held an Agriculture Roundtable with Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding, Ohio Director of Agriculture Brian Baldridge, along with other agriculture industry partners, to increase and improve communication among the states and to discuss shared industry issues. The three agency heads met in …

WVDA Proposes 16,000-plus acres be treated for Invasive Spongy Moth Pest

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA), in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, has proposed the treatment of 9,679 acres in Wirt and northern Roane Counties and 6,960 acres on the Mingo-McDowell County line to slow the spread of spongy moth (formerly gypsy moth). Spongy Moth is an invasive pest that feeds on hundreds of North American plant species …

WVDA Announces $184,000 in USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Funding

Charleston, W.Va. – Three West Virginia agriculture programs will share in more than $184,250 in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grants for Fiscal Year 2023. These grants will help the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) fund projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in the State and support crop growers through marketing, education, and research. …