CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Six West Virginia agriculture programs will share in more than $270,343 in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grants for Fiscal Year 2022. 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. …
2022 Women in Agriculture Recipients to Be Honored at State Fair of West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 West Virginia Women in Agriculture Awards. The West Virginia Women in Agriculture (WIA) program celebrates those female farmers, past and present, and lauds their achievements. The 2022 recipients will be honored during a reception at the State Fair of West Virginia …
Agriculture Takes Center Stage at 2022 State Fair of West Virginia
FAILEA, W.Va. – The 97th annual State Fair of West Virginia kicks off August 11, and the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) will play a big part in the 10-day event. From the livestock shows to the dairy birthing center, the Produce Safety Trailer to the West Virginia Country Store, agriculture is at the heart of the State Fair. …
Swine Influenza Detected in Jackson County
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – On Friday, July 29, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) received multiple reports from the Jackson County Fair of swine exhibiting respiratory symptoms and fever. Samples were collected the same day and submitted to Moorefield Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory, a WVDA animal testing lab. The …
WVDA Urging Landowners to Sign-up for the 2023 Lymantria Dispar Suppression Program
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) is urging landowners to sign-up for the Cooperative State-County-Landowner (CSCL) Lymantria dispar, formerly Gypsy Moth, Suppression Program. The program is focused on protecting landowners’ forested acreage from devastating effects caused by the invasive Lymantria dispar. The sign-up period runs from July 1 until August 31, 2022. “West Virginia’s forests are …
Op Ed: Investments in Local Food Vital to Fending off Food Shortages
After serving twenty years as Marine Corps Intelligence Officer and five years as the Commissioner of Agriculture, it’s easy to identify trends that have the potential to affect the security of the United States. One trend not being discussed enough is the current levels of stress on our food system. Despite our effort to instill resiliency through local agriculture, our …