Eastern West Virginia Community & Technical College is excited to announce the 2024 Farm Fellowship students who are currently participating in agribusiness internships. A grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds this program. The Farm Fellowship offers an in-depth intensive training experience that combines classroom training with hands-on practical experience and mentoring through on-farm apprenticeships and ‘learn to earn’ opportunities in up to four micro-credential certificate areas.
Fellows must:
- Complete the Farm Business Management Certificate.
- Conduct an assigned 40-hour agribusiness internship.
- Complete at least one of the three additional micro-credentials including: Agribusiness Diversification and Value Adding, Horticulture Management Systems Certificate, or Livestock Management Systems.
Fellows are provided agribusiness coaching support and mentorship. Successful fellows completing these requirements within the annual year will earn $700 and respective certifications. Accepted fellows were notified in December confirming their one-year program (1/1/2024 – 12/31/2024). This program runs annually and is limited to 15 fellows per year. Fellows for 2025 are being accepted, applications are due November 4, 2024.
Each fellow is paired with an agribusiness farm mentor for their 40-hour on-farm internship. Mentors must also apply by November 4, 2024. The mentors must attend a short orientation, schedule and supervise the 40-hour work experience, and complete a follow-up survey. For their time and program commitment, they will receive a $250.00 stipend.
Mentors selected for the 2024 cohort of farm fellows include: Sam Williams – South Branch Cattle and Meat Co., Old Fields, WV; Jerry & Melanie Ours – Grace Brooke Greenhouses, Maysville, WV; Glenn Delaplain, Seldom Seen Farms, Shanks, WV; Michelle Mack – Lone Wolf Apiary, Rio, WV; Marsha Waybright – Laurel River Club Bed & Breakfast, Bowden, WV; Barb DeSanctis – Silver Lake Farm, Augusta, WV; Eli Cook – Spring Valley Farm, Augusta, WV; Jerry Yates – WVU Reymann Memorial Farm, Wardensville, WV; Tony & Phil Eash – Triple E Farms, Romney, WV.
Our 2024 Farm Fellow students:
Farm Fellow: Brad Armstrong
Mentor: Marsha Waybright, Laurel River Club Bed & Breakfast in Bowden, WV
Armstrong is a Greenbrier County resident who has worked in agriculture and with the environment for most of his career. He states “I am passionate about agriculture and am at a place where I need support to turn my knowledge and skills into a sustainable business. I am ready to see something grow.” His vision is to start a retreat center/homestead property focusing on teaching regenerative, sustainable agriculture.
Farm Fellows: Sarah Beard
Mentors: Glenn Delaplain and Lisa Jenkins, Seldom Seen Farms in Shanks, WV.
Beard hails from Martinsburg where she and her husband have recently bought a farm and started raising cattle. She shares that “agriculture has become my passion since I left my 20-year career in federal contracting. I’m hoping to work with a farmer who raises quality livestock and offers educational/agritourism experiences as this is something I want to incorporate on our farm.”
Farm Fellow: Jim Dollinger
Mentors: Michelle Mack, Lone Wolf Apiary in Rio, WV.
Dollinger (along with his wife Kim, a 2023 Eastern farm fellow) owns and operates Dollinger Farm in Rio, WV, in addition to a full-time career with the WV Air Guard. He states “My father had a beef farm, but I didn’t get serious about farming until about 9 years ago. I recently began beekeeping and am interested in working with a seasoned beekeeper to learn how to manage and grow a bee operation.”
Farm Fellow: Brian Gardner
Mentor: Eli Cook, Spring Valley Farm in Augusta, WV.
Gardner, a Mineral County native, has recently decided to transition from a career in corporate law to agriculture. He has grown a small hobby farm into a local business. He states “My vision is to develop a food hub that would feature products from WV and the surrounding counties, however, I don’t have all the tools and skills to bring my vision to life. I’m hoping to maximize my educational impact through the Ag Workforce trainings and secure an internship with a local company. I love to learn!” Gardner was recently featured in the September 2024 issue of Allegheny Magazine’s “40 Under 40” edition, noting that he left the legal field for actual fields!
Farm Fellow: Don Johnson
Mentors: Ron Funk, Chestina Merriner, Josh Bobo, and Jerry Yates, WVU Reymann Memorial Farm in Wardensville, WV.
Johnson, a resident of Shenandoah County in Virginia, is a retired veteran with experience in farming who currently works with homeless veterans in Martinsburg. He’s had a lifelong dream to start his own farm. “My end goal is to start a farm with my family and then further, I hope to use that to help fellow veterans with PTSD by combining my agriculture experience with my mental health training.”
Farm Fellow: Heather Money
Mentors: Barb & Jim DeSanctis, Silver Lake Farm in Augusta, WV.
Money hails from Hampshire County. She grew up around farming and now owns and operates Margoah Farm in Capon Bridge, WV. She states “ Rabbits are our predominate focus, but I am hoping to learn more about animal husbandry outside of my current range of experience and in addition, gain a deeper understanding about production scale produce operations.”
Farm Fellow: Ashley Sanders
Mentor: Marsha Waybright, Laurel River Club Bed & Breakfast in Bowden, WV.
Sanders lives in Preston County. She grew up in farming, 4-H, and FFA. She currently assists with running her family-owned club lamb operation. She states “I have a deeply rooted passion for agriculture and am hoping to expand my knowledge to be able to grow our operation from sheep to other livestock and dive into crops as well.”
Farm Fellow: Emily See
Mentor: Sloan Williams and Sam Williams, South Branch Cattle & Meat Co. in Old Fields, WV.
See is a senior at Moorefield High School and has been around farming her whole life. She’s been very active in her local FFA chapter. Her family owns and operates a 5th generation livestock farm. She shares that she’s “hoping to learn more about other farms as well as ways to help my family’s farm which I plan to take the reins on to keep it running and then pass it on to my kids in the future.”
Farm Fellow: Megan Strabley
Mentor: Phil Eash, Tony Eash, Triple E Farms in Romney, WV.
Strabley, a Grant County resident, moved to West Virginia in 2020 and started farming 93 acres outside of Petersburg. She’s been involved in agriculture on and off since her teen years, but now wants to dive deeper into horticulture and livestock management. She states “I hope to learn how to run my garden and livestock more like a business and plan my future farm so each season is a step towards better production and healthier land for the coming years.”
Farm Fellow: Christopher White
Mentor: Phil Eash, Tony Eash, Triple E Farms in Romney, WV.
White is a resident of Hampshire County who has been around agriculture most of his life and is now involved in farming with his family. He shares, “Owning and managing a farm has been my life’s dream and a goal since I was a child. He’s hoping to learn about “business management specifically for agriculture proper care of the land to allow us to not only operate a successful farm now but for generations to come.”
Farm Fellow: RandiJo Wolford
Mentor: Melanie and Jerry Ours, Grace Brooke Greenhouse in Maysville, WV.
Wolford, a senior at Hampshire High, has grown up working on her family’s farm and has also been very active in FFA. She states “Agriculture has always been a topic I’m passionate about. I believe we can always learn more. This fellowship can help me reach my future goal of being an agriculture teacher.”
Eastern applauds the commitment of these students and the mentors working with them. For more information contact us at aginnovation@easternwv.edu.
EWVCTC,
om/09/09/2024
Contact:
Trent Montgomery, Marketing/Graphic Designer
Trent.Montgomery@easternwv.edu, 304-434-8000 ext. 9266
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