Drive around Jefferson County and you will see evidence of agricultural production. But, where can you buy locally-grown and made products? Later this month a new program launches to help make it easier to find and buy such products. Read the Full Story >>
agriculture
Small-Scale Agriculture Workshops
Shepherd University has partnered with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture Veterans & Heroes to Agriculture program to offer a monthly series of workshops that will focus on small-scale, intensive vegetable production techniques. Read the Full Story >>
Soul Food Farm Has Plans to Grow
rips with her students. In early 2021, when she heard the Prillaman family had plans to sell the farm and move to New Hampshire, Carley-Peña reached out to express an interest. “It really fell together,” she said, “there was an immediate connection. Read the Full Story >>
Connecting Solar In Jefferson County
The Observer spoke with several energy industry professionals with experience in the development and management of utility-scale energy projects to understand the general context for the types of large-scale solar projects being proposed for Jefferson County. We also researched the specific topography of the local power grid and land to understand both the potential and constraints for these types of solar projects in Jefferson County. Read the Full Story >>
Shop Local at the Shepherdstown Farmers Market
Shop local vendors for local produce, apples, plants, flowers, breads & baked goods, cheeses, yogurt, grass-fed beef, eggs, chicken, pork, local honey, beeswax candles, body care, bulbs, mushrooms, salsas & dips, maple syrup, vinegars, teas, spices and so much more! As the holidays approach, you’ll be wowed and delighted with the variety of gift-able offerings Read the Full Story >>
Sparking A Converstation: Local Farmers Discuss Large-Scale Solar Development
Pastoral landscapes may be easy on the eyes, but farming them is a hard life. Todd Hough of Oakwood Farm has been working the land since he was a child. He and his brother are the fourth generation to run the family farm in the Kabletown District of Jefferson County. Read the Full Story >>
Protected Farmland Expanding in Jefferson County
Six years ago, the Farmland Protection Board set a long-term goal of obtaining conservation easements on 20,000 acres -- representing roughly one-third of the total farmland in Jefferson County. Read the Full Story >>
Charles Town’s New Fresh Food Market
October 7 saw the launch of Bushel & Peck in the historic Charles Washington Hall, returning the site to a use it hasn’t enjoyed since the 19th and early 20th centuries. Read the Full Story >>
Whose Bees Are These?
Consider this: every third bite of food you take, a bee is responsible for it. The reasons are pretty cut and dry. Almost every crop grown for its fruits, nuts, seeds, fiber, and hay require insect pollination. And without a doubt, the undefeated world champions of pollination are bees. Read the Full Story >>