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. …

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 …

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 …

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 …

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt and the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) announced they will honor the intent of the Legislature 5% across-the-board pay increase for all state employees. The Budget, passed by the Legislature, included additional general revenue dollars to cover the pay raise but only for employees paid out of general revenue funds. The …

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) has released the 2022 maple syrup production numbers for the State. Production totaled 13,000 gallons in 2022, unchanged from the previous year. The number of taps, 77,000, and yield per tap, 0.169 gallons, were unchanged as well. On average, the maple syrup season opened on February 6 and closed on …