Jeanne has also received a number of other
honors, including: WVU College of Agriculture,
Forestry and Family Resources 1995 Outstanding
Alumni Award; Ohio County 4-H Alumni Award;
West Virginia 4-H Hall of Fame; West Virginia
Agriculture and Forestry Hall of Fame and the
WVU Extension Service Outstanding Fundraising
Award. In 2005, Jeanne was recognized by
Governor Joe Manchin as one of the “History
Heroes” of West Virginia, for her live portrayals
of women significant to the state’s past.
Joseph “Joe” Harper of Seneca Rocks has
made substantial contributions to the sheep and
beef cattle industries and their organizations in
West Virginia and throughout the country.
Harper has been a member of and served
in pivotal roles in a number of organizations,
including the WV Sheep Industry Development
Association; West Virginia Cattlemen’s
Association; National Cattlemen’s Beef
Association; American Sheep Industry
Association (ASI); USDA Wildlife Services
Advisory Committee; West Virginia Shepherd’s
Federation and the American Lamb Board.
For two terms, Harper chaired the American
Farm Bureau Sheep Advisory Committee and
he conducted a speaking tour throughout Nova
Scotia on sheep management.
Harper’s father had a small country store in
Seneca Rocks. Today, Joe and Carolyn have
maintained its early 1900s style, but they have
Joe grew up on a family farm and is the eighth added a restaurant upstairs, where they serve up
generation in his family to own and operate the
to 95 lamb sandwiches a week during the summer
farm. As a youth, he was involved in 4-H and
tourist season. At the store, they also market
raised cattle and sheep. After graduating from
sheep skins and lamb skins from their flock and
Circleville High School, he attended WVU, where pelts of coyotes caught in their pastures.
he earned a B.S. and M.S in animal science. He
spent four and a half years working in the meat
In 2006, Joe was honored by his alma mater,
industry in the upper Mid-West before returning
West Virginia University, as a Distinguished
to the family farm in 1971.
Alumnus of the College of Agriculture, Forestry
and Consumer Sciences. In addition, the WVU
Since 1971, Harper has built a flock that
chapter of the Gamma Sigma Delta chose Joe
averages around 400 ewes, created and operated a to receive their award for Distinguished Service
lamb feedlot, became a wool buyer in the area and to West Virginia Agriculture in April 2006. In
utilized a number of innovations in marketing,
2010, Joe was enshrined into the West Virginia
breeding and predator control in his cattle and
Agriculture and Forestry Hall of Fame. He also
sheep operations. As a leader in West Virginia
received the McClure Silver Ram Award in 2010.
Farm Bureau, Joe led support for a self-help
Predator Control Program, which was approved
He has been a member of the West Virginia
by the WV Legislature to take effect in 2005. He
Farm Bureau (Pendleton County) for 43 years.
raises guard donkeys for his own use and sale to
In 2013 he was awarded the Pendleton County
other producers and also utilizes guard dogs with Farm Bureau Service Award, which recognizes
his flocks on mountain pastures.
Pendleton County Farm Bureau members who
have contributed to agriculture.
In addition to his sheep enterprises, Joe runs
500 head of feeder cattle each summer and bred
Congratulations to Joe and Jeanne!
heifer program. He led the development of a
market lamb show and sale at the Tri-County
Fair, which grew from nine to 40 to 90 to 130 to
nearly 200 lambs in its first five years under his
guidance. He and his wife, Carolyn, provided
lambs and taught young people how to feed and
groom their lambs through the 4-H Club system.
West Virginia Farm Bureau News 21