ake a drive down any country road
in West Virginia and you will see
it: A farmer working in the fields,
tending to his or her animals and making
a living off the land. In a state that seems
to be best known for its mountains, mining,
and manufacturing, farming often gets
overlooked as the industry that literally puts
food on our tables.
Farming is essential in West Virginia,
and it powers our economy. Think about
these statistics from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture: In 2012, West Virginia was
home to more than 21,000 farms. Of those,
93 percent were family-owned. Additionally,
94 percent of farms were smaller than
500 acres, with the average size being
approximately 168 acres.
endeavors and the sense of comradery that
filled the air.
It was also very encouraging to see our
State’s youth involved with Future Farmers
of America, 4-H clubs, and local farm
bureaus. The youth of our state are the
future of farming in West Virginia, and with
farmers getting older every year and more
dependent on outside income in order to
keep the family farm going, instilling in them
the pride of hard work is essential.
But farming is not for the weak of heart
or those hoping to get rich. In 2012, 94
percent of farms in West Virginia had less
than $50,000 in sales. Farming is about
family, history, and the unmatched sense
of self that comes from planting a seed and
being able to harvest it or watching a calf,
lamb, kid or chick grow. You know this, and
so do I.
Our office will do what we can to protect
current and future farmers, and ensure that
burdensome regulations from Washington,
D.C. do not make their jobs harder. As your
Attorney General, I want to hear about
regulations you encounter that make it
harder to raise livestock, work the fields,
or tend to your orchards. As mentioned
in a previous column, our office is very
concerned about the EPA’s proposed rule
that will clarify what streams and wetlands
will fall under Clean Water Act protection.
The rules are currently open for comment,
and I encourage each of you to educate
yourselves about the proposed rule and
what it could mean to your property.
But West Virginia farmers are facing
a challenge these days. According to the
USDA, the average age of a West Virginia
farm operator is nearly 60, and only 42
percent of farm operators have farming as
their primary occupation. The rest work
some other job to make ends meet.
In order for our nation and state to be
strong, we must be able to take care of
ourselves. And a big part of that revolves
around being able to feed ourselves and our
neighbors. Without farms, there would be
no food. And without you, and the hard work
you do, West Virginia would suffer.
That’s why celebrating our agricultural
heritage and successes are so important.
This summer, I had the opportunity to attend
many of the great fairs and festivals this
state has to offer, including fairs in Cabell,
Hampshire, Jefferson, and Putnam counties,
as well as the State Fair of West Virginia.
At each fair, I was inspired by the hard work
on display, the pride people showed in their
As we enter the harvest season, please
know our office has directed much of our
time and resources toward protecting and
fighting for West Virginia. Even though our
jobs may seem so different, our goals go
hand in hand: We all want to provide for and
protect the great state that we call home.
Patrick Morrisey is the Attorney General of West Virginia
West Virginia Farm Bureau News 9