Patriot Guardens
Expanding West Virginia ’ s Agricultural Opportunities
BO WRISTON
Nestled upon a wind-swept mountaintop-removal coal mining site in northern Nicholas County sits a unique and expansive agricultural property . Where large machinery once stripped away soil , fauna and topographical features to mine precious black gold , over 100 acres of reclaimed land now hosts a robust and active orchard with more than 25,000 maturing and producing apple and pear trees .
Eighty miles west of Muddlety in Dunbar , another unique site utilizes modern agricultural techniques , including hydroponics , aeroponics and vertical farming , to complement traditional in-ground and raised bed platforms that educate and demonstrate the possibilities of urban agriculture .
The Muddlety Apple Orchard and the Dunbar Urban Farm are just two ways the West Virginia Military Authority ’ s Patriot Guardens program is supporting agricultural growth in the Mountain State .
Created by the West Virginia National Guard ( WVNG ) in 2016 , Patriot Guardens is a statewide program that aligns landowners , operators , experts , resources and infrastructure to facilitate agricultural economic development and employment opportunities in West Virginia .
The program serves all West Virginia veterans and WVNG members , and although it primarily focuses on the veteran community , non-military affiliated citizens can benefit from Patriot Guardens as well . The program provides participants with classroom-based and hands-on agricultural and business-related educational opportunities — from hobbyists with a backyard garden to those operating active and growing agricultural-based businesses .
“ Patriot Guardens is a proactive and forward-leaning catalyst for agriculture in West Virginia ,” says Melissa Stewart , program director for Patriot Guardens . “ We serve as a liaison connecting resources from across the full spectrum of the agricultural industry , including academia , state and federal agency partners and the private sector , to provide opportunities to the military and veteran communities , promote healthy and sustainable agriculture and contribute to economic development initiatives throughout West Virginia .”
Developed to bolster apple production in West Virginia , the Muddlety Apple Orchard serves as a full-scale production orchard with a host of apple varieties being grown as well as an advanced research and analysis venue for researchers at the USDA Agricultural Research Service . In addition to apples and pears , the site operates more than 130 hives of honeybees to help pollinate the fruit trees .
“ By helping to establish commercial-scale apple orchards in West Virginia while also developing other high-value agricultural activities , including honey production , the Muddlety Property is showing the viability of large-scale and
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