Tag: Buffalo

These Sheep Have A Green Job: Eating The Grass At Toyota’s Solar Farm

Using sheep avoids the emissions of a commercial mower, as well as the hail of rocks and debris that could damage the panels and other equipment.

Toyota of West Virginia has found a creative way to keep the vegetation under control around its solar array in Putnam County.

Sheep eat the grass that grows under Toyota’s 2.6 megawatt solar farm next to its engine and transmission factory in Buffalo.

The 20 sheep graze from April to October, under the watchful eye of Pickles the dog.

The company had considered using goats to do the job, but they have destructive tendencies, including eating the wires and jumping on top of the panels.

Using sheep avoids the emissions of a commercial mower, as well as the hail of rocks and debris that could damage the panels and other equipment.

David Rosier, president of Toyota West Virginia, said the sheep belong to a local farmer. During the winter months, they will go back to the farm.

“We’ve been doing it for about two weeks, and we’re seeing great benefits so far,” Rosier said.

The five-acre solar array, the state’s largest, produces about 10 percent of the factory’s power.

August 16, 1851: Reformer Coin Harvey Born

Social reformer William Hope ‘‘Coin’’ Harvey was born at Buffalo in Putnam County on August 16, 1851. He was a teacher, lawyer, silver miner, politician, land speculator, geologist, and bestselling author.

Harvey attended Buffalo Academy and Marshall College (now Marshall University) before becoming a lawyer. He opened his first law practice in Huntington at age 19.

In 1883, Harvey went to Colorado and worked as a silver prospector and miner. He soon became an advocate for “free silver,” a populist cause that called for abandoning the gold standard and returning to the free coinage of silver. After 10 years in the West, he moved to Chicago, where he wrote the million-selling Coin’s Financial School, earning Harvey his nickname.

Harvey suggested many populist reforms, including the abolition of taxes, rent, interest, and profits. In 1900, he moved to Arkansas and began building an extensive retreat and vacation resort along with a huge pyramid where his ideas could be preserved. In 1932, he received more than 50,000 votes for president as a candidate of the Liberty Party.

William “Coin” Harvey died in 1936 at age 84.

February 23, 1884: Writer Mary Meek Atkeson Born in Putnam County

Writer Mary Meek Atkeson was born at Buffalo in Putnam County on February 23, 1884. She earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from West Virginia University. Her master’s thesis catalogued the works of 87 writers in what is now West Virginia dating back to colonial times. She later earned a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University and taught at WVU.

Atkeson was the daughter of Thomas Clark Atkeson, the first dean of WVU’s School of Agriculture. He passed along to her his love of agriculture and country life. The two coauthored the book Pioneering in West Virginia. Her love of farm life showed up in her own novels as well, including The Woman on the Farm and The Shining Hours. She also published four plays in a 1922 collection and wrote for a variety of publications, including Ladies’ Home Journal, McCall’s, The Country Gentleman, and Good Housekeeping.

In addition to her writing skills, Mary Meek Atkeson was well-respected throughout the region as an educator and an authority on country life and agriculture. She died in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1971 at age 87.

Reformer Coin Harvey Born: August 16, 1851

Social reformer William Hope ‘‘Coin’’ Harvey was born at Buffalo in Putnam County on August 16, 1851. He was a teacher, lawyer, silver miner, politician, land speculator, geologist, and bestselling author.

Harvey attended Buffalo Academy and Marshall College (now Marshall University) before becoming a lawyer. He opened his first law practice in Huntington at age 19.

In 1883, Harvey went to Colorado and worked as a silver prospector and miner. He soon became an advocate for “free silver,” a populist cause that called for abandoning the gold standard and returning to the free coinage of silver. After 10 years in the West, he moved to Chicago, where he wrote the million-selling Coin’s Financial School, earning Harvey his nickname.

Harvey suggested many populist reforms, including the abolition of taxes, rent, interest, and profits. In 1900, he moved to Arkansas and began building an extensive retreat and vacation resort along with a huge pyramid where his ideas could be preserved. In 1932, he received more than 50,000 votes for president as a candidate of the Liberty Party.

William “Coin” Harvey died in 1936 at age 84.

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