West Virginia State University Extension Service Story Archives

Video Classes To Help Employers With Safety Requirements

Employers who want to make sure their businesses are complying with Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements will be able to take courses being offered by West Virginia University Extension.

An introductory course for small business and a record keeeping course will be offered virtually next month. Advance registration is required. The introductory course costs $225 and will be Feb. 28, and the record keeping course costs $150 and will be Feb. 7.

“Most employers with 20 or more employees are required to submit OSHA Form 300A by March 2, so we are pleased to offer these courses ahead of that deadline,” said Amanda Mason, WVU Extension Safety and Health Extension specialist and course instructor.

To register, visit WVU Extension Safety and Health Extension’s website under OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Training Institute Education Center. Email OSHAOutreach@mail.wvu.edu for information about eligibility, payment and registration.

Workshop Offered on Raising Fish, Vegetables Together

A free workshop is being offered next week on aquaponic growing, a method that allows fish and vegetables to be raised together in a closed system.

West Virginia State University Extension Service is hosting the workshop from 10 a.m. to noon on Feb. 25 at the Buffalo High School Greenhouse in Buffalo.

Extension Agent John Bombardiere will lead the session. He said in a news release the program will cover construction, operation and maintenance of small-scale indoor aquaponics systems. It will also address fish and plant selection; management, design, components and costs; and potential market outlets for producers.

To register, contact Extension Agent Brad Cochran at bcochran2@wvstateu.edu or (304) 204-4021.

State Farmers Invited to Meeting with Ag Officials

Agriculture officials are inviting West Virginia farmers to discuss programs and services available to them.

The West Virginia State University Extension Service says in a news release that the meet-and-greet is set for Monday at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in the Putnam County community of Eleanor.

Several agencies within the U.S. Department of Agriculture are participating, along with the state Department of Agriculture.

University Extension Agent Brad Cochran says the session could help farmers learn more about programs that could help them become more profitable and productive.

WVSU Extension Service Hosts Meet-And-Greet

State agriculture representative’s spokes with farmers Wednesday at a Meet-and-Greet in Institute. The discussion was meant to help the farmers with any issues.

The West Virginia State University Extension Service hosted the Meet-and-Greet to help local farmers touch base with different government agencies that could help them. Participating agencies included the USDA, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Capitol Conservation District, West Virginia AgrAbility and the West Virginia Department of Agriculture.

West Virginia State University Extension Agent Brad Cochran said there are important opportunities out there for small farmers.

“West Virginia farmers are very much small farmers and they’ve never really participated in USDA programs,” Cochran said. “Sometimes they have that fear of going into the office and signing up and learning about this stuff.”

Cochran said it’s important to get farmers in the same room with the different agencies like USDA which offers funding opportunities and the state’s Department of Agriculture which can help to market small businesses.

Downtown Fayetteville to Connect to New River Gorge With Trail

The Federal Lands Access Program has awarded a $230,000 grant for a hiking and biking trail that will link downtown Fayetteville to trails in the New River Gorge National River.

Work on the 4-mile trail is expected to begin in 2017.

West Virginia State University Extension Service agent Adam Hodges tells The Charleston Gazette-Mail that the project’s timeline assumes Congress will continue to fund the lands access program at existing levels.

Hodges says some sections of the trail will be on streets and roads. The off-road section will run from downtown Fayetteville to Fayetteville High School through land owned by Cascade Properties.

The trail will connect with the trail system at Fayetteville Town Park, which links with seven trails in the national park.