Roane County Agriculture & Natural Resources
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Lawn, Gardening & Pests
Get a yard that feels and looks like home. Get a bountiful harvest. Grow your own and sow something beautiful. WVU Extension has lawn, gardening and pests information you can use.
Roane County Master Gardeners
Roane County has an active Master Gardener program. The Roane County Master Gardeners Association has devoted many hours to developing community garden projects, beautifying local areas with landscaping projects, and educating community members to promote best practices with gardening. Master Gardener training is conducted several times a year by Roane County Extension Agent, Brandy Brabham. For more information on Master Gardener classes, contact Brandy Brabham at 304-927-0975.
This Month in the Garden Calendar
Candy Roaster – the Impressive Winter Squash
The Candy Roaster, also referred to as a Permelon or Pink Banana, is a winter squash that remains a staple in many Appalachian gardens. This heirloom is part of the Cucurbita maxima family and has a history as impressive as its flavor. Candy Roasters were cultivated by the Cherokee people in the 1800s, who in turn shared their seeds with those who settled in Appalachia.
The Candy Roaster comes in multiple varieties, hence the multiple names. Candy Roasters cross pollinate easily, leading to more than 40 known varieties and several hybrids that carry the Candy Roaster name. This winter squash can grow in a tubular, round, teardrop or squat shape. Depending on the variety, the harvested crop may come in pink, blue or gray.
Lawn, Gardening & Pests News for Roane County
Join the Winter/Spring 2025 Master Gardener Training
WVU Extension Master Gardener training, which used to be offered through in-person courses organized by WVU Extension offices around the state, will once again be available online via Zoom sessions.
WVU Extension will continue offering online Master Gardener training classes for late winter/spring 2025 term, beginning on January 9 through May 15. Classes will be held every Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m.
AgAlert! Boxwood Blight
Boxwood blight is a fungal disease that affects one of West Virginia's most popular landscape shrubs.
Boxwood blights are a fungal disease that can be fatal if no measures are taken to manage the disease at the early stage of infection and symptom appearance. There are two different fungal pathogens involved with blights – Volutella buxi and Calonectria pseudonaviculata.
Join the Winter/Spring 2024 Master Gardener Training
WVU Extension Master Gardener training, which used to be offered through in-person courses organized by WVU Extension offices around the state, will once again be available online via Zoom sessions.
WVU Extension will continue offering online Master Gardener training classes for late winter/spring 2024 term, beginning on January 11 through May 2. Classes will be held every Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m.
Agriculture
Practical economic strategies. Investments in local growers. Farming like our future depends on it. WVU Extension offers timely, research-based agriculture information you can put into practice.
Beekeepers
Roane County is a member of the West Central Beekeepers Association. The WCBA works to educate beekeepers in best practices and promote beekeeping in west central West Virginia. The WCBA meets the fourth Saturday of each month and alternates its meeting location between Roane and Calhoun counties. For more information about the West Central Beekeepers Association, contact President Dale Cunningham at 304-354-6916 or Secretary Sharon Christ at 304-927-1775.
Farm to School
Farm to School is broadly defined as a program that connects schools (K-12) and local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing agriculture, health and nutrition education opportunities, and supporting local and regional farmers. Farm to school programs can include: buying and featuring farm fresh foods in classrooms and cafeterias, adopting nutrition and agriculture-based curriculum, and providing experiential learning opportunities through farm visits, gardening and recycling programs. In West Virginia, community-minded organizations are working together to develop systems to help growers raise and sell local agricultural products to county schools.
Agriculture Field Day
The Agriculture Field Day is an annual event that brings all Roane County third graders together for a day-long educational program at a local, working farm. Youth participants learn about the daily farm operation while interacting with a variety of farm animals such as cattle, swine, sheep, goats, miniature donkeys, and chickens. Youth also learn about farm, tractor, and ATV safety and soil and water conservation. The project is a collaborative effort between the WVU Roane County Extension Service, local schools, the Roane County FFA chapter and the Roane County Farm Bureau.
Mid-Ohio Valley Growers Association
The Mid-Ohio Valley Growers Association is a network of farmers and producers from a seven-county region in West Virginia, including, but not limited to, Calhoun, Clay, Jackson, Ritchie, Roane, Wirt and Wood Counties. This Association is working together with area service providers including the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department and the WVU Extension Service, to sustain agriculture in the region, and get fresh, high-nutrient produce into the hands of Mid-Ohio Valley residents.
The Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department and WVU Extension are natural partners in this endeavor. Both organizations believe in preventative health, and in community residents, especially youth, having access to affordable, tasty, fresh produce as a key building block for health. This initiative also offers opportunities to promote a sense of community and economic development through agricultural marketing opportunities.
Lawn, Gardening & Pests News of Interest to Roane County
AgAlert! Boxwood Blight
Boxwood blight is a fungal disease that affects one of West Virginia's most popular landscape shrubs.
Boxwood blights are a fungal disease that can be fatal if no measures are taken to manage the disease at the early stage of infection and symptom appearance. There are two different fungal pathogens involved with blights – Volutella buxi and Calonectria pseudonaviculata.
AgAlert! Herbicide Contaminated Compost
Compost has traditionally been used by growers not only for supplying nutrients to the soil and plant but also due to its multiple beneficial attributes, such as balancing pH, enhancing water holding capacity, and boosting soil structure and beneficial microbial populations to improve overall soil quality for plant growth and development. Compost can hold nutrients for a longer time and deliver to plants when needed. Nutrients found in compost are released slowly as the compost decomposes, reducing nutrient loss through prevention of off-site movement. Despite all these benefits, herbicide contaminated composts can do lots of harm to plants, especially to those belonging to the family Solanaceae, which includes tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Plant distortion due to growth regulator type herbicide is shown in Figure 1.
AgAlert! Cucurbit Downy Mildew
Cucurbit downy mildew (CDM) has now been found in Monongalia County, West Virginia, as well as neighboring states – Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Maryland. For the latest information, visit the CDM regional map at https://cdm.ipmpipe.org/.
Cucurbit downy mildew (CDM) is a destructive disease that can affect most members of the gourd family or Cucurbitaceae, such as cucumber, cantaloupe, pumpkin, squash, watermelon and zucchini. However, cucumbers are the worst affected cucurbit that can be completely killed in two weeks from the onset of the disease.
Symptoms of the disease may vary slightly from species to species, but in general, it causes angular chlorotic lesions on the foliage. These lesions appear angular because they are bound by leaf veins. During humid conditions, the lower surface of the leaf is covered with a downy, pale gray to blackish mildew.
Agriculture News for Roane County
Upcoming EPA changes and how they will affect pesticide use in agriculture
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) governs the registration, distribution, sale and use of pesticides in the U.S. FIFRA gives to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to regulate pesticide enforcement. However, the EPA must meet obligations under other acts, including the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (Figure 1).
The ESA is overseen by the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The ESA establishes protections for fish, wildlife and plants that are listed as threatened or endangered and provides for adding and removing species from the list of threatened and endangered species, and preparing and implementing plans for their recovery. The ESA also provides for interagency cooperation and for issuing permits for otherwise prohibited activities, provides for cooperation with states and implements the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.
Lease Recommendations for Land Owner & Tenants
Ben Goff, WVU Extension Agent in Mason and Putnam counties, offers recommendations for landowners and tenants who want to prepare for the upcoming farming season and work to minimize their respective risks.
Goff covers a variety of tips for farmers and landowners regarding farm leases, including:
Mid-Ohio Valley Fall 2021 Beef Quality Assurance Trainings
The fall 2021 WVU Extension BQA trainings will focus on topics including:
Natural Resources
Land you can take pride in. Nature you can appreciate. Keep wild and wonderful just that. WVU Extension has natural resources information from trusted experts.
Natural Resources News for Roane County
Register for White Oak in West Virginia Webinar
Join us as we dive into the opportunities and challenges related to sustaining and harvesting white oak trees in West Virginia.
Tuesday, February 2
Register for West Virginia Woodland Stewards Seminar
Join us as we dive into a variety of educational topics and learn more about how we can be better stewards of West Virginia's woodlands.
Tuesday, February 9