Registration is open for the fourth annual West Virginia Urban Agriculture Conference, to be held April 28-29, 2017, at Camp Virgil Tate in Charleston. The event will feature workshops on topics such as homesteading, urban growing, marketing, livestock, small fruit production, as well as a new track targeting veterans in agriculture.
“People who live in more urban areas of the region often feel like they can’t implement agricultural practices on what might be a small lot,” said Aimee Figgatt, district manager of Capitol Conservation District, one of the conference’s host agencies. “What we are showing with this conference is how you can indeed grow your own healthy foods in urban settings, whether you have a small space or a full-size farm.”
In addition to workshops, the event includes a local foods dinner, vendor exhibits and a keynote presentation by Dr. Morris Henderson of the 31st Street Baptist Church in Richmond, Va. The farmers market and garden launched by the church earned a designation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the nation’s first urban farm.
New to this year’s conference is a track dedicated to agricultural opportunities for veterans. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, more than 20 percent of young veterans are unemployed, and 45 percent of armed service members are from rural America.
“The statistics suggest that agriculture is a logical career choice for many of our veterans, and there is a growing movement both nationally and here in West Virginia to help our veteran population transition into agricultural careers,” said Melissa Stewart, assistant program director of West Virginia State University (WVSU) Extension Service, another host agency. “We will be showcasing how you can start small and grow into something much larger while reaping the economic and therapeutic benefits of agriculture.”
Sessions in the veteran track will showcase a variety of veteran-run farms and small-scale agricultural operations.
In addition to Capitol Conservation District and WVSU Extension Service, additional host agencies for the conference include West Virginia University Extension Service, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Conservation Service, and Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education.
Registration for the full conference costs $80. One-day registration is $45. A full schedule and online registration is available at urbanagwv.com.
Camp Virgil Tate is located at 1400 Camp Virgil Tate Road in Charleston.
