Young Farmer and Rancher Update
Susan Wilkins, YF&R Chair
steerable telescope.
A sunny Saturday farm tour
in Pocahontas County was
hosted by the Young Farmers
and Ranchers Committee on
May 31st. The tour began at
the Green Bank National Radio
Astronomy Observatory, home
of the world’s largest fully
The group’s first stop was at Allendale Nursery
where Charles “Bill” Young gave an informative
demonstration on tree grafting. Before leaving, Mr.
Young presented each participant with a Greasy
Pippin tree to take home. The Greasy Pippin was the
late Albert Wilfong’s favorite apple and the original
stock for the trees came from the Wilfong Farm.
A barbeque lunch was then served at the home of
Charles and Linda Wilfong. Over lunch, Mr. Wilfong
talked about his family’s farm and the group enjoyed
seeing cattle and sheep grazing in the meadows from
the front porch. After lunch, the tour continued to
Edray with a visit to Katahdin Farm where Dan and
Trudy Lewis run a you-pick blueberry operation. A
highlight of this stop was warm, blueberry buckle
baked by Mrs. Lewis.
The tour ended in the Little Levels at the Wilkins
Farm. Jack and Jonathan Wilkins talked about the
family’s cattle business and their efforts at brush
control, including dozer work and aerial spraying.
16 West Virginia Farm Bureau News
Bottom left: Cattle grazing at the Wilfong Farm;
Top right: Tree grafting demonstration; Below: A
future YF&R member enjoying blueberry buckle!