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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Lyrasis IVIembers and Sloan Foundation http://www.archive.org/details/farmsforests721cost Farms and Forests r* TT7': yi^c ^)CfestViiginiaUniversily ocr 2? 2000 EVANSOALE LISB^RY College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station By Jack Coster Bulletin 721 1999/2000 Acknowledgments Severalpeople intheWestVirginiaUniversityCollege ofAgriculture, ForestryandConsumer Sciences have hadarole inpreparingthisdocument. BartonBaker, directoroftheDivisionof Plant andSoil Science; Dale Colyer, interimassociatedirectoroftheWest Virginia Agricultural andForestryExperiment Station;JosephMcNeel, directoroftheDivisionof Forestry;JohnWarren, directoroftheDivision ofAnimal andVeterinary Sciences; andJanice Yeager, directoroftheDivision ofFamily andConsumerSciences all havebeenactive contributors. Farm andforest managersRobertDriscole, WdliamJones, DavidLeach, Edward Pell, GeorgeRuckle, andJerryYates providedinformation onuse ofproperties. Facultyofthe collegeprovidedinformation ontheiruses ofthefarms andforestsfor research andteaching. Mary Head, Keith Inskeep, andWilliamThayne, members ofthe college's publications committee, reviewedthe manuscript making important suggestions for improvement. Special reviews were done by AlfredBarr, Kenneth Carvell, and ErnestNesius. These professors emeriti have ahistorical view onthefarms andforeststhat was helpful in documentingprevioususes. Ernest Nesius's book, TJjeFirst 100years.A Historyofthe West VirginiaAgriculturalandForestryExperimentStation, was avaluable source ofinformation on historyofthe experiment station'sfarms and forests. Jack E. Coster AssociateDirector West VirginiaAgriculturalandForestryExperimentStation WestVirginiaUniversityis anEqual Opportunity/AffirmativeActionInstitution. The Universitydoes not discriminate onthebasis ofrace, sex, age, disability, veteranstatus, religion, sexual orientation, color, ornational origin inthe administration ofany ofits educational programs or activities, orwith respectto admission oremployment. Further, faculty, staff, students, and applicants areprotectedfrom retaliationforfilingcomplaints or assistingin an investigationunderthe University's Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Plan. Inquiries regardingthe University's non-discriminationpolicy maybe directedtothe director, AffirmativeAction Office/Equal Employment OpportunityPrograms, WestVirginia University. Office of the President West Virginia Higher Education Governance Cecil H. Underwood, Governor DavidR. Ice, SecretaryofEducationandtheArts CharlesW. Manning, Chancellor, UniversitySystemofWest Virginia Table of Contents Introduction i ResearchandTeachingFacihties 2 MorgantownAreaFarms andForests 2 AgronomyFarm 2 Animal Sciences Farm 3 HorticuhureFarm 4 Reedsville Farm 5 UniversityForest 5 UniversityFarmWoods 7 OutlyingFarms andForests 7 KearneysvilleTree Fruit ResearchandEducation Center 7 ReymannMemorialFarm g Tygart ValleyForest 9 WillowBendDemonstration Farm 9 ResearchPublications - iq Land Uses -^q CommunityBenefits j^]^ MeetingCommunity Concerns ^^2 IssuesImpactingtheFarms andForests 12, Contmuedpressurefromuniversityandnon-universitypartiesfornon-academic or non-agriculturaluses ofMorgantownfarmsandforests 13 Development ofnatural gas deposits atthe UniversityForest 14 ProposedWestRunBypass I4 Retainingthe amount ofpropertynecessaryto meet future needs 14 MeetingFutureNeeds 24 Future researchfocuses ^5 Futurefacilityneeds 25 FarmMasterPlan 26 Conclusion 17 AppendixI. ResearchPublications 28 AppendixII. LandUses ofWVUFarms andForests 19 Introduction The West VirginiaUniversityCollege ofAgriculture, Forestryand ConsumerSciences isthe oldest collegeatWVU. Infact, whenthedoortowhatis nowWVUwas openedin 1867,the nameofthe institutionwastheWestVirginiaAgricultural College. In responsetothe 1862 Morrill Land-Grant CollegeAct, thepurpose ofthe Collegewasto establishplaces oflearning in orderto instruct citizens in "such branches oflearningasare relatedto agricultureandthe mechanic arts." In 1887, President GroverClevelandsignedthe Hatch Act, which authorizedthe establishmentofAgriculturalExperiment Stationsineachstate. In 1888 theWestVirginia Agricultural Experiment StationwasauthorizedbytheBoardofRegentsandin 1889the stationwaslocatedatWVU. Overthe nextseveralyears itsstaffwasincreasedtosixscientists. Theexperiment station's firstfarm waspurchasedin 1895 withfundsappropriatedbythe WVU state legislature. Thefarmwas 81 acres insize andlocatedadjacenttothe original campus nearthe current Mountainlaironthe downtowncampus. It was sold in 1899 and a90 acrefarmwas purchased. Known astheDairyFarm, thissecondfarm is still inusebythe experimentstation today, although itsbarn wasdestroyedby anarsonist in 1974. The farmhouse onthis site istodayknownastheBicentennial House, butfor manyyears itwas calledtheDean'sHousebecause itwas"the residence ofthecollege's deans. WVU Farm acreageforteachingand research nearthe campuswas expandedconsiderably in 1915 whenthe City ofMorgantown andMonongaliaCountyprovidedthe experimentstation with $75,000forpurchase of687 acres. These landscomprisethecore ofthepresent-day poultry, horticulture and animal sciencefarms at Morgantown. In lateryears, additional researchandteachingfarms andforestswere acquiredbytheexperimentstation, resultingin theproperties asthey aretoday. WVU The missionofthe College ofAgriculture, Forestryand ConsumerSciences andthe West VirginiaAgricultural and ForestryExperiment Stationis ". toprovide high qualityundergraduateandgraduate education, conduct basic and . . appliedresearch, engageinothercreative andscholarlyactivities, andperformpublic outreachandservice. Thefuturepresentstremendousscientific, economicandsocial challenges as a result ofthe globalization oftheeconomy, increasingpopulationand the growingimportance ofenvironmental andconsumerissues. Societyexpects increasedbenefitsfromitspublic-supportedinstitutions. Collegeadministrators, faculty, staff, andstudentsareresponsivetotheseexpectationsthrough interdisciplinaryprogramsdesignedto impart knowledge, promoteleadership, build problem-solvingteams, addresscritical issues andenrichthe lives ofcitizens ofWest Virginia, while protectingthe environmentin whichwelive. Theseprograms range fromlocalto international inscope andpromotethewiseuseofnatural, renewable, andhumanresources." Suitablefarm andforest areas, withlong-term dedicationto teaching, research, andoutreach programs, arecentraltothe ability ofthecollegeandtheexperimentstationto accomplish this mission. Knowledge ofthe land'sprioruse andtreatmentis oftenvitaltosubsequent research orto principles beingtaught ordemonstrated. Farms andforestsare, in effect, outdoorlaboratories and are as essential as otherteachingor research laboratories. Research activities arecarriedout oncampus and at severalfacilities andcenterslocated throughoutthestate. Amongthesesites aresevenfarms andthreeforests. Workatthesefarms andforests isnot limitedto researchbut includessignificant amounts ofinstructionand numerousservice andoutreach activities. Management ofthese operations is challenging, especiallysincethere are almost 2,700acres of farmlandand9,200 acres offorests (seeLandUses). Theirlocations rangefromtheeastern panhandletothe southernborderofthestate. Thevariouslocationsprovideexcellent diversity ofsoilandclimaticconditions, asituationessentialforresearch inthestatedueto its heterogenous nature. The Morgantownareaincludesfourofthefarms (AgronomyFarm, HorticultureFarm, Animal SciencesFarm, ReedsvilleFarm) andtwo oftheforests (UniversityFarmWoodlot, UniversityForest). Thisdocumentprovides anoverview ofthefarms andforeststhatsupporttheteaching, research, andserviceprogramsatWVU, anddescribestheircentral roleincurrentandfuture WVU programs oftheWestVirginiaAgricultural andForestryExperimentStationandthe College ofAgriculture, Forestryand Consumer Sciences. Students, faculty, university administrators, andthe publicshouldfindthe informationuseful inunderstandingthe historical, current, andfuturecontributions ofthefarms andforeststothe needs ofthe Mountain State. Research and Teaching Facilities Morgantown Area Farms and Forests: Agronomy Farm. TheAgronomyFarmis locatedaboutthree milesfromthe Evansdale CampusatMorgantown andcomprises 175 acres. Thirty acres ofwoodlandare onthe farm. The original agronomy farmwas acquired in 1915 with funds contributedbythe Cityof MorgantownandMonongaliaCounty. The experiment stationtradedacreagefromthis original agronomyfarmto Morgantown in 1946to buildan airport, receivingthe county farm in return. In 1959, the airportwas expanded, and 85 additional acres ofagronomyfarm atthe airport siteweretradedforwhat is nowtheAgronomyFarmnearCanyonRoad. Facilities atthefarm includethe manager's residence, a 1,360squarefoot state-of-the-art pesticidestorage andhandlingfacility,twostorage buildingsfor machinery and general storagetotaling6,500squarefeet, a6,000squarefoot office andshop building, anda 1000 bushel capacitycornstoragecrib. Thefarm has implementedadetailedsoil conservationplan that includes contourstrips, drop boxes, diversionditches andgrasswaterways. Research Activities: Researchprojects onthisproperty includestudies offoragecrop genetics andbreedingto improveyieldandquality, biological control ofmultiflora rose, mites affectingplants andhoneybees, controlofnon-pointsourcepollutionfrom landapplication ofwastes andfieldcropvarietytesting. Additional researchfocuses on standlongevity, wasteproducts applicationrates,tillage systems, acidmine drainage, sludge and oil degradationinsoil. TeachingActivities:Becausethisfarmis nearcampus, facultiesfromprograms throughoutthe collegeuse it as an outdoorlaboratory, workingwithstudents enrolled in20 different courses. Amongtheprograms areAgronomy, Recreation, Parks and TourismResources, Agricultural andEnvironmental Education, Animal and VeterinarySciences, EnvironmentalProtection, EntomologyandLandscape Architecture. Facultiesfrom otherUniversityprogramsalsousethefacilityforboth teachingand research. Service Activities: This acreage serves as asiteforFieldDays andas ashowplacefor visitors. It also serves as asiteforlandjudgingcompetitions. TheUniversity Cross- countryandTrackteamsusethefarmforactivities relatedtotheirprograms. Animal Sciences Farm. TheAnimal SciencesFarmislocatedonthe outskirts of Morgantown and isthe largest ofthefarmproperties at935 acres. Thepresent-dayfarm consists ofpart ofthe original 1895 dairyfarm, part ofthepropertybought in 1915 and land acquiredin 1941 with funds appropriatedbythestate. Thisfarmhasseveralstructures, includingalivestockpavilion, 23,100squarefeet offacilities forthedairyoperations, 16,250squarefeet ofbuildingssupportingthelivestockwork, 14,100 squarefeet ofstate-of-the-artfacilitiesforpoultry research, and 11,700squarefeet ofspacein theFoodAnimalResearchFacilitythatwas completedin 1992 with $1.5 million of appropriatedUniversity buildingfunds. In 1999,theexperiment station'sfirst ruffedgrouse researchhouse andaquaculture holdingfacilitieswere constructed onthefarm. Duringatypicalyear, thisfarm houses 140HolsteinandAyrshiredairyanimals, 60Angus andHerefordbeefcattle, 60 hogs, 170sheep, 800chickens, 50turkeys, and 100 ruffedgrouse. Overthepasttwo decades, thefacilities attheAnimal SciencesFarm have beenupdatedand operations have been centralized forefficiency. Examples ofcentralization include moving the operations ofthe olddairyunit afterthe 1974fire, andallMorgantownoperationsofthe poultryunit, totheAnimal SciencesFarm. Part ofthe OldDairyFarmareaisusedbythe university'sPhysicalPlantforgrowingsodandornamentalplantsusedinmaintainingthe campusgrounds. In 1999, thesite ofthe originalpoultryfarmoperations nearMonongalia GeneralHospitalwas chosenforconstruction oftheLibraryArchivesBuildingandasthe futuresite ofthe UniversityResearchPark. Research Activities: Studies oftemporal changes in ovarianfunctions ofdomestic ruminants andpigs, environmental andeconomicimpacts ofnutrientflowsindairy foragesystems, muscle growthregulation,processedmusclefoods, tissuecomplications inbroiler-breederchickens andshiftingbreedingtimeforeweflocksto increasefarm income areconductedonthis farm. Severaladditional projectsutilizethe beefcattle, dairycattle, sheep andswine available atthisfacility. TheFoodAnimalResearch Facilitysupports research byprofessors inMedical Physiology, Biology and Surgeryas well asthose inthe College ofAgriculture, Forestry and ConsumerSciences. Teaching Activities: ThereisextensiveuseoftheAnimal SciencesFarmfor educational purposes. Studentsenrolledin39 coursesutilizethefarm. Witha decreasingpercentage ofanimalsciencestudentscomingfromfarmbackgrounds,the experience gainedfromworkingundersupervisionwiththe animalsbecomesvery importanttothe students. Collegeprograms includingAnimal andVeterinary Sciences, Recreation, Parks andTourismResources, Agronomy, Agricultural and Environmental Education, EnvironmentalProtection, EntomologyandLandscape Architectureusethe Animal SciencesFarm. Insome oftheseprograms, professors involvestudentsfromdifferent majorsinfieldlaboratorywork. Professorsfromthe Department ofBiology andfromtheDepartments ofSurgery andEmergency MedicineutilizetheanimalsandtheFoodAnimal ResearchFacilityforstudent instruction. About 20graduatestudents do research onthisfarmeachyear. Service Activities: Theproximity ofthefarm andthewidevariety and range ofages ofthe animals housedtheremakeit appropriateforeducationaltours bydozens of groups ofdifferent ages and origins. Amongthe groupsserved aresome7,000 elementarystudents fromthreestateswho come annuallyfor "KiddieDays." Young people come on grouptours. High school studentscomefor CareerDevelopment EventsandFFAcompetitions, 4-Hjudgingcontests. ScienceFieldDays andthe Governor'sHonorAcademy. College-agestudents comeforregional andstate competitions, includingland, animal andsoiljudgingcompetitions. TheWest Run Watershed Committee, theUSDA/NRCS, WVUParent'sAssociation, Mountaineer Kennel Club, National Livestock Graders, Monongalia Cattleman's Association, West VirginiaCountyAgentsandtheFruit GrowersAssociation are amongthe organizationsthat haveusedthesefarmfacilitiesformeetings. Acompostingfacilityonthefarmserves not onlythe nutrient management needs associated withwastes generatedbythe livestockonthefarm, but also processes allthe leaves andgrass collectedonthe campus andasignificantportionofthewoodchips resultingfromtree trimmingandpowerlinemaintenance inthecityandcampus area. Mulch andfertilizerfrom thefacility is usedforgrounds maintenance operationsonthecampus. Horticulture Farm. The HorticultureFarm, at Morgantown, borders Chestnut RidgeRoad, Route705, andthe OldDairyFarm. This 65-acresite was acquired in 1949through agiftto the college. Plantings ofapples, grapes, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, and strawberries are onthefarm. Buildingsonthisfarminclude a2,300squarefootcombination office, shop, andstoragebuilding, alivestock-handlingfacilityusedbyAnimalSciences, anda 5,300squarefoot barnformachinestorage. Thefarm haswell maintained roads andwater