ISSUED: 18 February 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Shepherd University will host a meeting of the West Virginia Ag Action Council (WVAAC) on Monday, March 9, from 6-8 p.m. in the Student Center Cumberland Room. WVAAC raises awareness of agricultural issues important to producers in the Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands. The meetings provide a platform to voice opinions on actions needed and potential solutions to problems. The meeting is open to the public, and all growers and producers, agribusiness ventures, and educators are encouraged to attend.
Dr. Peter Vila, associate professor of environmental and physical sciences and director of Shepherd’s Veterans to Agriculture Program, recently joined WVAAC. Vila said being a member will help Shepherd’s agriculture program keep up with production and legislative issues that farmers face in the Eastern Panhandle region.
“It will directly impact what seminars we offer and what we focus on in our agriculture program,” Vila said. “It’s good to keep a pulse on what is happening with state, regional, and local issues.”
The WVAAC helps coordinate technical assistance, facilitates collaboration between producers and markets in different areas, and offers training and education. The steering committee is made up of members from Shepherd University, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, West Virginia University Extension Service, Blue Ridge Community and Technical College, and Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College.
For more information about the meeting, contact Vila at pvila@shepherd.edu.
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