September 18, 2025CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) is urging livestock producers to take proactive steps as drought conditions continue to impact much of the state. To prevent long-term damage to pastureland, WVDA recommends confining cattle if feeding hay and reducing grazing pressure until rainfall improves conditions. Overgrazing during drought can weaken forage stands, making it …

August 7, 2025Carole Daniels – Randolph County Carole and her husband Ed own and operate Shady Grove Botanicals in Randolph County where they have been practicing sustainable forest farming since the 1990s. Their focus is on cultivating at-risk native medicinal herbs. Carole’s impact reaches far beyond her farm. In 2018, she and Ed began teaching youth how to grow medicinal …

April 29, 2025CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA), in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture-Forest Service (USDA-FS), will be conducting aerial treatment of approximately 17,211 acres for the purpose of reducing significant impacts to forested lands within West Virginia caused by the Lymantria dispar (gypsy moth). The WVDA will treat these acres under the …

April 17, 2025CHARLESTON, W.Va. – As of May 1, 2025, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) will lift the suspension on all poultry exhibitions, shows, swaps, meets, and poultry sales at flea markets or auction markets based on the following conditions being met: No HPAI detections in West Virginia commercial poultry or backyard flocks located near commercial premises during …

March 26, 2025Charleson, W.Va. – As the fair and festival season begins, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) reminds the public that all poultry exhibitions, shows, swaps, meets, and sales at flea markets or auction markets are suspended due to the ongoing threat of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). This decision follows an extended outbreak of HPAI cases in …