US Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced on Dec. 22 that West Virginia University (WVU) livestock systems management project would receive nearly $4.8 million in funding from the US Department of Agriculture.

In their statement, the senators said the allocated funds would provide financial and technical assistance to Appalachian farmers and agricultural producers to adopt.

“Farmers and agricultural producers are important contributors to West Virginia’s economy, and this grant funding from USDA provides resources for them to succeed today and in the future,” Senator Capito said. “West Virginia University is a great place to lead this project, and I’m proud to have helped secure this funding that will allow them to support our next generation of agricultural leaders in West Virginia.”

Other parts of the project include land management plans, prescribed grazing, bale grazing, native grass and silvopasture establishment, incorporation of legumes and non-leguminous forbs and use of traditional and novel soil amendments.

“There is a growing trend among consumers to better understand where and how their food is raised,” said Brian Wickline, Monroe County extension agent for agriculture and natural resources at WVU extension. “One phase of the GRASS project will be to explore the feasibility of a market for grass-based, local Appalachian meat products, while at the same time implementing practices that enhance soil health and carbon storage in our livestock producers’ operations. If successful, this will be another step toward the goal of making West Virginia livestock operations sustainable and profitable for the next generation.”

WVU shared that it partnered with Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, West Virginia State University, the West Virginia Conservation Agency (WVCA), the Soil and Water Conservation Division of Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation (VaDCR-SWCD) and Hickory Nut Gap (HNG) for this project.

The funding is part of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, which received another investment in early December.