Mountaineer FarmTalk

This week our special guest will be Cliff Little, Agriculture Educator from Ohio State Extension to talk about "Poisonous Plants in Pastures and the Landscape”. Recognizing poisonous plants and properly managing animals, pastures and hay fields will help minimize the potential of poisoning animals.  Most poisonings occur in the early spring or during a drought when feed is short. Plants which anim...

This week our special guest will be WVU Extension retired Agronomy Specialist Dr. Ed Rayburn to talk about  "Drought Management for Livestock Farmers in West Virginia” The summer of 2024 has been exceptionally dry.  Pasture and hay production has been severely reduced by lack of rain fall and extreme heat.  Since 1900, West Virginia has experienced several noteworthy droughts, including 1904, 1930...

Growing tree fruits in the home orchard or landscape can be an interesting and satisfying hobby. Fruit trees do, however, require considerable care, and people who are not willing or able to devote some time to their home orchard probably will be disappointed in their harvests. When fruit trees are carefully selected, properly located, and well managed, they can enhance the home landscape and prov...

This week our special guest will be Dr. Matt Poore from North Carolina State Extension discussing the “Amazing Grazing Project”. Pasture management is extremely important to any livestock producer. Amazing Grazing is a pasture-based livestock educational initiative that began at North Carolina’s Center for Environmental Farming Systems and has developed into a statewide program through North Carol...

Nutrition is one of the keys to healthy livestock and extremely important before lambing and kidding season. Nearly 70% of fetal growth occurs during the last 4 to 6 weeks of pregnancy, while rumen capacity is decreasing. The result is the need for increased nutrition, usually from a more nutrient-dense diet. Extra nutrition is needed to support fetal growth, especially if there are multiple fetus...

This week our special guest will be Dean Kreager from Ohio State Extension to talk about "Getting Cows Bred Back”. Reproductive efficiency has long been recognized as the most economically important aspect of commercial beef production. Numerous research studies have shown that reproduction is several times more important than growth or carcass traits. Simply put, genetic superiority in any trait...

Grab your cookies and milk for tomorrow's episode of Mountaineer FarmTalk ! Oh and wear your ugly sweater too! We will be joined by Jeff Sokal, President & CEO of Mountaintop Beverage will stop by spill the secret of what his company can do for dairy producers in West Virginia and beyond!

This week our special guest will be Clif Little from The Ohio State University to talk about "Preparing for Winter with Livestock”. As winter is quickly approaching us, we want everyone to be prepared to care for their livestock. Livestock farmers should plan for adequate feed, making sure our animals have plenty of fresh water and access to dry areas that can block some wind. Preparation should b...

This week our special guests will the WV Women in Ag Team from WVU Extension discussing “The 2023 WV Women in Ag Conference” . Annie’s Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing educational programs designed to strengthen women’s roles in the modern farm enterprise. Working with partners across the United States, Annie’s Project helps female farmers build viable and sustainable far...

Proper postharvest handling of fresh market fruits and vegetables will allow you to sell high-quality products and extend the shelf life of your produce. The faster you get produce to the correct storage temperature, the longer it will last. You can help produce get to the appropriate storage temperature by removing the heat held by the product when it was growing in the field. Most fruits and veg...

Join us this Friday at 10 AM, as we will be joined by CFAES Center for Cooperatives . Together we will explore the ins and outs, does and don'ts of cooperatives.

This week our special guest will be Alison Martin from The Livestock Conservancy to talk about "Preserving Rare Breeds of Livestock”. The mission of the Livestock Conservancy is to protect America’s endangered livestock and poultry breeds from extinction. Many of America’s once-common farm animals face extinction if we do not take action now. Rare farm animals represent an irreplaceable piece of l...

This week our special guest will be Alan Franzluebbers, USDA Plant Science Research Ecologist to talk about "Improving Soil Health”. Soil health is important to farmers and gardeners alike because a healthy soil produces healthy plants. Healthy soil gives us clean air and water, bountiful crops and forests, productive grazing lands, diverse wildlife, and beautiful landscapes. Alan Franzluebbers wi...

This week Dr. Berry Crutchfield will talk about a new pest that has been found in West Virginia, the spotted Lantern fly, which attacks several host plants such as grapes, hops, and various fruit and timber trees. Native to Asia, this pest was first detected in 2019 near the town of Bunker Hill, WV in Berkeley county. The Eastern Panhandle is home to a profitable orchard industry, which could be a...

This week our special guests will be Lisa Bell and Hannah Fincham from WVU to talk about "Home Canning and Preserving”. This time of year, home gardeners are harvesting an abundance of vegetables to can and preserve to enjoy all winter. There are many reasons to can and preserve vegetables at home. First, it allows you to enjoy your vegetables even when they are out of season. You can also save mo...