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Wheeling, W. Va., City Councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum talks to advocates at the 2023 Rural Policy Action Summit, Omaha, Neb. (Michael Chameides)

WV Leaders Talk Farm Bill at Rural Policy Summit

Rural West Virginia communities are struggling to recover from decades of disinvestment, and some are counting on the next Farm Bill to help propel …

West Virginia Agrarian Commons is fundraising to acquire farmland to preserve the Appalachia region's agrarian way of life. (Wikimedia Commons)

WV Group Aims to Acquire Former Coal Land for New Farmers

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- To help the next generation of farmers, a West Virginia community farm group is raising funds to acquire land for future growers …

The emerald ash borer beetle is one of a few

The Time's Right to Inspect Outdoors for Invasive Pests

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- While most people continue to stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says it's a good time …

Researchers say conservation provisions in the U.S. Farm Bill have helped stabilize some wild bird populations. (Pixabay)

Some Wild Birds Get Boost from Farm Bill

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – While the Farm Bill is crucial policy for agriculture, it's also quite literally for the birds. The "State of the Birds 20…

Many chickens that are sold at the local feed store come from large factory farms. (Pixabay)

Backyard Chickens Bring Salmonella Concerns

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Nearly a thousand people across the country have become ill this year from salmonella connected to backyard flocks of …

Bees are important pollinators for plants and flowers, but in the past year, populations nationwide have dropped by one-third. (Pixabay)

Pesticide Rules and Bee Health; Final Chance for Comments

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Today is the final day for the public to comment on an updated assessment of four pesticides that environmental and food-safety …

A new homesteading law for Appalachia could help bring agriculture and hope to the coalfields. (WV Division Of Tourism)

Appalachian Homestead Act Designed to Bring Hope to the Coalfields

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - Could homesteading, giving people free land for agricultural and other uses, bring some hope to central Appalachia? Jim …

A new report calls for restricting the use of antibiotics in factory-farmed animals to curb the global spread of infections. (Uberpurser/Wikimedia Commons)

Report: U.S. Should Use Fewer Antibiotics in Agriculture

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A new report calls for banning or restricting the use of antibiotics in farm animals to curb the global spread of …

Food activists such as Bradley Wilson fear a new bill intended to require that SNAP benefits only be used for more healthy options could have unintended consequences on places such as farmers' markets. (WVFOODLINK)

SNAP Bill Could Have Unintended Consequences on WV Farmers Markets

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A bill at the Legislature to require food benefits be used for healthy options could have unintended consequences - including …

The FDA is finalizing new food safety rules, and advocates say that's something to be thankful for. Credit: USDA

New Food Safety Rules: Something to be Thankful For?

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - The Food and Drug Administration is putting new food safety rules in place, and advocates of the change say that's something to …

A federal court has cleared the way for a six state plan to clean the Chesapeake Bay. Photo courtesy National Park Service.

Cleaning Up Farm Runoff Crucial to Chesapeake Bay

HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. – A federal court victory has cleared the way for what conservationists say needs to happen on farms within the Chesapeake …

West Virginia is meeting most of its commitments in cleaning up Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Conservation groups say future progress can come from farms. Photo by Kelly Donaldson and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

WV Making Progress On Bay & Waterways Cleanup Plan

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - West Virginia mostly is meeting its commitments to clean up Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, according to the Environmental …

PHOTO: West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Walt Helmick says a small program at the agency is helping veterans become beekeepers on old surface mine land. Photo by Dan Heyman.

Vets Raising Bees on Old Surface Mines

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - With a little help from the state, a few veterans have some old surface mines abuzz with a new kind of activity. A year-old …

PHOTO: A new rule clarifying where the Clean Water Act applies seems to be drawing a lot of support from farmers like Steph Larsen, seen here watering her sheep. Photo courtesy of Steph Larsen.

Support Grows for “Clearing the Waters” of the Clean Water Act

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A change in federal clean water rules appears to be popular with some major stakeholders, especially farmers, hunters and anglers…

This graph from the WalletHub analysis of what it terms state

WalletHub: WV "Wins" Under Obamacare

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A close analysis of which states will win or lose under the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, has found …

Public efforts like the 5,2,1,0 campaign are showing signs of having an impact on the diet of West Virginia children. GRAPHIC courtesy of Keys 4 Healthy Kids.

Progress on Children’s Diets in West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - One of the doctors heading up an effort to address childhood obesity in West Virginia says she's seeing some progress. Dr…

GRAPHIC Federal supports for farmers' markets can have a big impact at a tiny cost, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. Courtesy of the UCS.

Seeds of a Much Smarter Farm Policy Dying in Gridlock

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Advocates for tiny federal programs for farmers' markets say they could grow big results for West Virginia farmers…

PHOTO: Small and new farmers should benefit from the 2013 Farm Bill, according to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Photo, Rob South

Coalition Calls for 'Full and Fair' Farm Bill

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Time is running out for lawmakers in Washington to pass a national Farm Bill before the current bill expires at the end of …

Rural Affairs Executive Director Chuck Hassebrook says rural communities want and need economic help from the government. Photo by Joseph Massie

Survey: Rural Areas Feel Ignored

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - After a federal farm bill died in the U.S. House for the second time in two years, a new survey shows discontent in rural areas…

PHOTO: The Chesapeake Bay Trust has reached a $50 million milestone in grants awarded for education and projects aimed at improving the health of the bay. Photo courtesy of CBT

$50 Million Milestone for Chesapeake Bay

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A $50 million milestone is being marked this week. That's the total amount of grants awarded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust (…

Will Walmart Make Its Suppliers Stop Using Gestation Crates?

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - An animal-advocacy group says Walmart is quickly becoming the lone major corporation that still allows its pork suppliers to use …

New FDA Ban Aimed at Reducing Prevalence of "Super Bugs"

CHARLESTON, W. Va. – Farmers in West Virginia and around the country only have a couple more months to find alternatives to a common antibiotic …

CDC’s ‘Get Smart Week’ Aims to Outsmart Bacteria

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Some West Virginia consumers are questioning whether the bird on their holiday table might have helped spread drug resistant …

West Virginia Cooks Turn to Natural Turkey for Thanksgiving

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Many cooks in West Virginia are planning Thanksgiving meals this year with naturally-raised turkeys. That's because the FDA and …

Doctors: Superbugs from Factory Farms Dangerous

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Twenty thousand people died in a single year from drug-resistant staphylococcus (staph) infections, and researchers estimate …

Appalachian Beekeepers "Sweeten Up" Reclaimed Surface Mines

CHARLESTON, W.V. - Beekeepers and scientists are puzzled about the decline in the honeybee population, but one project has Appalachian coal companies …

Good News About Energy

CHARLESTON, W.V. - Rural states like West Virginia often have a lot of farm waste, and recent advances in understanding genetics should make it …

Agriculture Departments Want WV Farms to Thrive by Connecting to Consumers

CHARLESTON, WV - As the federal Food and Drug Administration begins rolling out $17 million in grants aimed at supporting younger farmers and …

Kiddie Pool Gardening To Battle Hunger

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - For generations, struggling families in Appalachia have supplemented their food budgets by growing their own veggies. Now a …

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WV: Sustainable Agriculture and Farming