In an effort to increase economic diversification for the region’s farmers, growers, and producers, Eastern created the Ag Action Council (AAC). The AAC focuses on empowering entrepreneurship in the community by directly working with the region’s farmers, growers, WVU extension agents, USDA, restaurants, retail and wholesale buyers, educators, and other agriculture-related entities. The AAC has initiated collaborative efforts to create greater income opportunities for regional foods.

The Ag Action Council grew in membership and activity, while there is a consistent council that meets, new members cycle into the group. The Ag Action Council is comprised of regional, farmers, entrepreneurs, WV Dept. of Agriculture, Students, educators, FFA Instructors, and business owners. The group brings together different areas of interest and opens up the discussion of what exactly is needed in the region. The basis for Eastern’s workshops and Agriculture programs are a direct result of input from the Ag Action Council.

To be added to the Ag Action Council email listserve, please email aginnovation@easternwv.edu.

Each year, Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College invites WV educators, students, and members of the agricultural community to join us on campus for the Ag Innovation Showcase and Potomac Highlands Agriculture Technology and Innovation Challenge!

Youth Day Information

The Ag Innovation Showcase gives middle and high school students the chance to network with specialists in the field and share their creative ideas related to solving challenges in agriculture. Up to $3,500 in cash prizes will be awarded the winning teams. Students are able to attend educational sessions presented by representatives from various organizations, including WVU Extension, the Farm Credit Knowledge Center, and other state, local, public, and private ag organizations and businesses.

This is a free event for WV educators and students!

Potomac Highlands Agriculture Technology & Innovation Student Challenge

The WV Ag Catalyst Team comprised of the WV Department of Education, WV Department of Agriculture, and Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College is proud to announce the Potomac Highlands Ag Technology and Innovation Challenge. The Challenge is a competition for students to develop solutions for issues faced in agriculture using innovation in the form of technology, problem-solving, and new application. The goal is to foster innovation and excitement among West Virginia’s youth and improve agricultural opportunities in West Virginia.

Student teams will prepare a three minute presentation or demonstration to discuss their concept. The presentation will be followed by a three minute Q&A session. Teams of up to four students can register to complete in either the middle or high school section. Only one team is permitted per school.

The innovation developed must pertain to one of the categories listed below. Innovation is defined as introducing a new idea, device, method – simply put the introduction to something new related to on-farm needs, an SAE or simulated workplace.

Ag Challenge Categories include:

1. Agribusiness Systems
2. Plant Systems
3. Animal Systems
4. Environmental and Natural Resources Management Systems
5. Power, Structural and Technical Systems
6. Food Products and Processing Systems

The challenge rubric can be viewed here.

Student teams must upload their presentation to a thumb drive and bring it with them to the competition.

Adult Day Information

The premier industry event proudly showcasing the breadth of agriculture in West Virginia's Potomac Highlands region.

This one-day farm show highlights the latest advancements in agricultural technology and will feature product demonstrations by leading agriculture companies, equipment dealers, mineral/feed dealers, chemical representatives, seed dealers, drones, a fencing demo and presentations by the WV Department of Agriculture.

Earn credits towards an Associate Degree in Business Management, with an emphasis in Agribusiness! The below courses are offered as electives with eligibility to transfer:

Agritourism Enterprise Management | TRT 281

You’ll have the chance to learn about holistic business planning and risk management concepts for agritourism and farm-based education operations. This course is designed for students and community partners to improve concepts and principles to better plan and manage agritourism ventures, their trends, and risk and crisis management.

Introduction to Agribusiness | BUS 230

Engage and learn about types of agribusiness models, what it takes to be a successful business planner, learn how to improve management with record keeping, financing, policies, and government services as well as commodity and international marketing.

Introduction to Agribusiness Entrepreneurship | BUS 232

Develop strengths in business and financial planning, learn about private, state, and federal programs for loan procurement, financial assistance and small business guidance. Learn insight from featured agriculturalists who have developed agricultural enterprises within the Potomac Highlands Region.

Introduction to Agribusiness Marketing | BUS 231

Learn how to analyze food marketing systems and be able to create your own business marketing plan for your enterprise. Additionally, you’ll learn how to build your brand and target audiences that provide return on investment within the production, consumption, retail and wholesale sectors.

Drones are everywhere in the agricultural landscape and are being used to determine plant health, inventory plants, collect farm asset information, assess crop damage and even determine areas of low soil moisture. This information is proving useful to agricultural professionals in the context of precision agriculture and farm management.

Eastern's Workforce Education Department has partnered with National Drone Services to provide training for first responders, the tourism and agriculture industry and public works departments.

In addition to flight training, workshop attendees will receive a broad foundation in best practices for UAS operations, Federal Aviation Administration regulatory guidance for law enforcement agencies and first responders, as well as the use of software tools for extracting actionable information for UAS operations.

If interested in a Drone Training Workshop, contact Trish Halterman at aginnovation@easternwv.edu or call (304) 434-8000 ext. 9609.

Click here to learn more.

This free training has been made possible by the West Virginia Community and Technical College System.

Bringing farm to table to West Virginia, the Eastern West Virginia Community & Technical College Foundation hosts an annual dinner fundraiser. The annual Farm to Table dinner celebrates the unique traditions surrounding food and agriculture in West Virginia from the production to the preparation to the stories surrounding it. The dinner is followed by an auction fundraiser featuring local artists and products.

The heritage of West Virginian food is both distinctly West Virginian and inextricably Appalachian. This event highlights the story of the local producers, the land, the food, and the culture of the Potomac Highlands. All proceeds from the Farm to Table Dinner benefit Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College Foundation, which supports the College through student scholarships, faculty development, and capital projects.

Download your free travel guide to local farm fresh products in the Potomac Highlands. 

The guide includes 106 local food producers across Grant, Pendleton, Tucker, Mineral, Hampshire and Hardy Counties. These agricultural operations offer a variety of experiences ranging from farm stays or bed and breakfast on the farm, to purchasing local foods, navigating corn mazes and seasonal on-farm activities, picking fruit and vegetables, feeding animals, and recreational activities on the farm.

Download your copy here.

This guide was created in collaboration with Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area, Highlands Creative Economy, Potomac Highlands Producers, Claude Worthington-Benedum Foundation, and the West Virginia Department of Agriculture.