Volume 11, Issue 03 - Summer 1997

EXTENSION

Communities work to retain businesses • Bv JERRY KEsSEL

When Scott Loveridge took

leave without pay in January 1996

to sell his house in Minnesota, he

]"'eft Morgantown with a home

work assignment: Write a commu

nity manual on how to implement

Business Retention and Expan

sion (BR&E) programs.

Loveridge, division director for

the West Virginia University

Extension Service Community

and Economic Development Unit,

also directs the West Virginia

BR&E Program. Over the past

six years, he has done extensive

evaluation research on the

program's impact. The

findings have led to a

number of changes in the

approaches

BR&E professionals and commu

nity leaders use.

"We had shown that this

program could be successful in

West Virginia," Loveridge said.

"Eric Thompson's work with the

program generated some real

success stories."

For example, in Logan County,

the task force learned that a wood

products company was planning

to leave because it didn't have

enough electricity. So, the leaders

contacted the utility company,

which ran another line to the firm.

Not only did the company stay,

keeping 50 jobs, it also added

25 new jobs.

"One thing we see over and

over in the results of a business

survey conducted by a local

BR&E task force is that West

Virginia workers lack math

skills," Loveridge said. "When

we can involve the local educa

tional institutions in helping to

continued on Page 3

We are pleased to deliver the

second of our three annual Extension

Vision publications for 1997. Still in

my first year with the WVU Exten

sion Service (and a new West

Virginian to boot!), I have continued

to be quite astounded by two condi

tions: (I) the dazzling variety and

enormous volume of substantive

impacts that WVU Extension agents

and specialists have on the day-to

day lives of individuals, communi

ties, and for-profit, nonprofit, and

membership organizations throughout

our state; and (2) how little our

fellow citizens and leaders across the

state and within our own university

community know about the programs

and services the Extension Service

provides.

Well, shame on us; we aim to

better inform in the future. This

publication is one of many ways we

will be reporting to you about how

this unique partnership between

county, state, university, and federal

government - the National Exten

sion Service System - is meeting

our needs in West Virginia and

other states.

Did you know that the essential

idea of "university extension"

2

remains intact and every bit as viable

and as targeted to the public interest

as it did more than 80 years ago when

this national system was founded?

• . . • to aid in diffusing among the people of the United States useful and pradlcal information . .. . "

-Smith-Lever Act of 1914 creating the Cooperative Extension Service

Does this still sound important

today? In West Virginia, we are

focusing on providing programs and

services that respond to three major

areas of need that you have indicated

to us. They are: (I) enhancing

community capacity for economic

viability, (2) strengthening families,

and (3) helping youth have

productive futures.

"The success of the land· grant tradition lies In Its combination of high-quality, affordable education, worldclass research, and public service; In its practical real· life orientation; and In Its deep sense of responsibility for the society that supports H. As we face the future, that tradition can serve as our guide."

-Returning to Our Roots: The Student Experience by the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities.

Over the remainder of 1997 and in

the next year, we also will be working

to move toward a WVU-wide,

statewide system of extension,

outreach, and public service pro

grams that meet local needs, are

readily available throughout the state,

and include our traditional partners

and many new ones. We are making

steady headway toward better

supporting our county-based exten

sion staff and better coordinating

West Virginia University's many

outreach services.

The stories that follow are simply

examples of the literally thousands of

ways in which your state's flagship

land-grant university and its Exten

sion Service are meeting your needs

now and anticipating your needs in

the new century. Sample these

services ... and call your local

County Extension Office for informa

tion about more services or to simply

let us know specific areas in which

you need our assistance.

Lawrence S. Cote Associate Provost & Director

Extension 5ervice is to form

learning partnerships with the

people of West VIrginia to enable

them to improve their lives and

communities. To these partnerships,

we bring useful research- and

experience-based knowledge that

facilitates critical thinking and sklll

development.

Extension Vision: Summer 1 997

continued from Page 1

implement the survey and look at

the results, there is a much better

chance that the community will be

able to respond to problems.

Economic developers who work

by themselves don't have much

influence on what gets taught in

schools, but what gets taught in

schools has a dramatic effect on

economic development."

The task force in Taylor

County noticed that math skills

needed a boost. They responded

by creating a business and educa

tion partnership with the area

Regional Educational Services

Agency (RESA) to help busi

nesses upgrade their workers'

math skills. The first to partici

pate was the Mountain State

Greenhouse in Flemington.

Workers who completed the math

course got a raise. The company

benefited because workers were

better able to correctly apply

chemicals, saving the

company money.

Production worker Nancy

Bray, now in her 11th year at the

greenhouse, believes the math

class was helpful. "I didn't like

the fractions," she said with a

laugh, "and it had been a while

since I'd been a student, but then I

didn't like fractions when I had

them in school."

The task force also assisted a

prefabricated home manufacturing

company that was going to move

to Winchester, Va. Bruce Miller,

executive director of the Taylor

County Economic Development

Authority, explained, "The

Extension Vision: Summer 1997

Greenhouse production worker Nancy Bray prepares to mix fertilizer for bedding plants. She participated in the BR&E-arranged math class and found it helpful in her job assignments.

Knee-deep in baskets of impatiens at Mountain State Greenhouse in Flemington, a BR&E participant, are, left to right, Heidi Warner, general manager; Deanna Felton, head grower; Bruce Miller, executive director of the Taylor County Economic Development Authority; and Ronnie Helmondollar, extension agent in Taylor County.

3

company was getting ready to

expand and thought there was no place to go here."

Instead, the task force inter

vened, saving 50 jobs in Taylor

County. And, the company added

a new line of products, creating 25 additional jobs.

Another product line-trusses for buildings-will create addi

tional jobs at the company.

The firm's retention and

expansion presents other opportunities for economic growth,

according to Miller. This spring

he was actively recruiting a door

manufacturer to locate in

the county.

Ronnie Helmondollar, exten

sion agent in Taylor County,

noted that the economic develop

ment authority was a major

partner within the task force.

"Information about the BR&E

program is available through

extension agents, Chambers of

Commerce, the Association of

Counties, and civic groups,

among others," Loveridge said.

BR&E involves research

"The BR&E program involves

active research; we talk to leaders,

draw lessons from what's worked in their communities, and trans

late those lessons into programs,"

he said.

The fee averages about $1,000,

he continued. Nationwide, fees

range from zero to $15,000 per

program, depending on the

various interacting groups.

Studies show that 49 percent to

80 percent of all new jobs are

created by existing firms rather

than through attracting new

businesses to community.

BR&E is a community pro

gram involving a local network

for development, which brings a

variety of people together. It's

also an educational program for

community members about the

needs businesses have and how to

address those needs. After the

BR&E program is over, the

network can continue and the

group may work on an

action plan.

"When Eric left, we needed to

find an effective way to reach out

to local people about this style of

BR&E program," Loveridge said.

"The result was my homework

assignment." Implementing Local

Business Retention and Expansion

Programs by Scott Loveridge and

The program encompasses four phases:

and concerns of businesses, and provides firms information on state and federal assistance.

3. Survey results are tabulated at WVU by Alison Hanham, specialist in socioeconomic data, who also does the preliminary analysis; a draft report is prepared, which includes data analysis and recommendations for economic development. The task force prepares final report.

I. Leaders are trained and volunteers are

trained to conduct business visita

tions.

2. Local task force reviews survey results, responds to immediate needs

4. Based on findings, the community develops economic development plan and implements recommendations.

George Morse was published this

spring by the Northeast Regional

Center for Rural Development.

Prior to publication, the

manual was used at a training

seminar in Blacksburg, Va., that

attracted economic developers

from West Virginia, Virginia, four other states, Canada, and Norway.

When the editor sent a draft

version out for peer review, word

spread. Similar seminars using

the manual are planned later this

year in New Mexico, Minnesota,

Nebraska, and Georgia.

The manual recommends a

leadership team approach with

four people in charge of specific

components. Loveridge conducts

a four-session training program,

mostly via telephone conference

calls. Local folks are trained via

videotapes to visit businesses and

to interview owners, using a

survey tailored to West Virginia

communities. The local task force

chooses the "have to visit"

businesses, and the rest are

selected randomly.

At times, the results may seem

less tangible. Task force members

in Harrisville learned that local

firms were losing business and

missing shipments because the

road into town was poorly

marked. Firms had been com

plaining for years. So the Ritchie

County BR&E team, working


Neva Workman, whose greenhouse production duties include moving plants onto carts and then to retailers' vehicles, uses her updated math skills in the

mixing of sprays she applies to the plants when she's not carting them.

with state government, got some

signs erected. "It's a little thing,

but it can make a big difference in

businesses' attitude about stay

ing," Loveridge said.

Ritchie has long-term plans,

too: looking into regulatory

problems that concern some

businesses.

"While immediate success

stories are important, the true

impacts of BR&E come later,"

Loveridge emphasized. "The

program serves to educate a wide

cross section of the community

about the problems faced by local

businesses, and helps to create a

local response network to address

those issues."

•

Copies of Implementing Local Business Retention anti Expansion Visitation Programs can be ordered for $35 from:

Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development Pennsylvania State University 7 Armsby Building University Park PA 16802-5600

Phone: (8 14) 863-4656

5

Researchers study mound ant remedies • Bv JERRY KEsSEL

Almost anyone can make a

mountain out of a molehill, but it

takes a colony of Allegheny

mound ants to make mountainous

land virtually useless.

Because Allegheny mound ants

are found on nearly all Grant

County farms, numerous requests

for recommendations to control

the ants in pastures prompted

WVU Extension Ser-

vice Agent Brad D. Smith to

probe for answers.

Cattle grazing on the infested

pastures steer clear of the

mounds. They are wary of the

ants' bites when the mounds are

disturbed.

"Wild turkeys, however, will

forage in the mounds looking for

ant larvae," Smith said.

The Allegheny mound ant calls

more than pastures home. The

pest also builds its mounds in

forested areas and lawns. Earlier

research by others documented

that the ants can be a serious pest

of young pines in the eastern and

northeastern states. They may

destroy all vegetation, except

large trees, within an area of 40

feet to 50 feet from large mounds.

The ants kill small trees,

shrubs, and other plants in the

immediate vicinity of their nests

by injecting formic acid into

tissues of the plants.

In West Virginia the Allegheny

mound ant is considered a serious

pest in Christmas tree plantations,

where as many as 75 to 200

mounds have occurred on three to

four acres. When high-value trees

such as grand fir are killed, the

dollars lost can be substantial.

Ants hibernate in the mound

tunnelways below the soil surface.

To construct a new mound, a few

worker ants will begin excavation

of soil into irregular heaps. When

the cone-shaped mounds reach a

diameter of 8 inches to 13 inches,

the workers will escort a queen

from an existing mound to estab

lish a new colony. The workers

also may relocate eggs, larvae,

and pupae to the new mound.

Foraging for two types of food

begins when the colony becomes

active in the spring, usually late

March or early April. Attacking

worker ants dismember beetles,

sowbugs, spiders, small caterpillar

larvae, and other arthropods they

can subdue. Also, they seek

honeydew produced by sap-

sucking insects such as aphids,

scales, and treehoppers.

To develop recommendations

to control the Allegheny mound

ant, Smith enlisted the expertise

of many individuals, including

John F. Baniecki, extension

specialist in plant pathology and

entomology; Joseph W. Weaver,

WVU associate professor of

entomology; other WVU Ento

mology Department personnel;

and extension agents and farmers

from the area who had been

dealing with this pest for

many years.

Control measures not identified

One stumbling block involved

the various pesticides labeled for

use in controlling the ants in lawn,

landscape, and forest situations.

The problem, Smith recognized,

was no one seemed to have a

good understanding of the effec

tiveness of these products on the

Allegheny mound ants.

Control recommendations for

the ants in pastures were not

identified.

Without insecticides labeled or

registered for control of the ants

specifically in pastures, it was

impossible for landowners to

control the mound ants in pasture

situations in an environmentally


acceptable and legal

manner.

Thus, the problem of

controlling the

Allegheny

mound ants

became not

only a manage

ment concern but an

environmental concern

as well.

Not surprisingly, the research

project identified additional

questions about the Allegheny

mound ant and its control. None

theless, the project identified

undetected," Smith

said. "During the first trials and

subsequent ones, this occurred.

"Where the ant has been

treatment methods and products to established for years, and colonies

use in controlling the ants.

The recommendations are

available from WVU Extension

Service county offices in a fact

sheet titled "The Allegheny

Mound Ant and Its Control."

When trials began in 1992,

Smith encountered another

barrier. Many mounds were in

places inaccessible to vehicles.

Because the seven insecticides

selected for the trials were mixed

to a given concentration with

water, it was impractical to carry

large quantities of water several

hundred yards up a steep hill.

"While all obvious colonies in

an area may be treated, other

small, new colonies can go

Looks can be deceiving. Undisturbed mounds are

alive with ant colonies roaming interior

tunnelways.

in surrounding areas are not

treated," Smith said, "landowners

may need to conduct annual

examinations and treat areas

where control is desired if they

intend to keep the ant in check."

As a result of Smith's research,

landowners in the mountainous

counties of eastern West Virginia

who are plagued by the Allegheny

mound ant colonies have remedies

that are environmentally safe.

They also have found that

control of the Allegheny mound

ant can lead to increased income

from the land, increased property

values, or increased opportunities

to more fully enjoy recreational

activities.

•

7

WVU helps producers manage fowl waste • Bv GRAcE TRUMAN

Chicken, turkey, and eggs are

nutritious food choices. It's

ironic, therefore, that the industry

that produces them is being

accused of endangering

public health.

At issue are not the foods

themselves but the waste created

in raising them. But, is it really

waste?

Farmers look at poultry

manure and used litter as valuable

resources that enrich soil, supple

ment livestock feed, and keep

8

pastures lush and green. To

environmentalists, these sub

stances are pollutants that can

threaten drinking water safety,

recreation, and the health of

millions of people. The battle lines are forming,

and the poultry producers of West

Virginia's Eastern Panhandle are

standing right in the line of fire.

"All the fingers are pointing at

poultry farmers. It's unfortunate

because so many other things

going on are being ignored," says

Rodney Branson, a Hardy County

turkey and beef producer.

Branson serves as co-chairman

of the West Virginia Poultry Water

Quality Advisory Committee. His

farm sits near Lost River, one of

dozens of waterways collectively

called the Potomac headwaters,

which flow into the Potomac

River and, eventually, the Chesa

peake Bay.

Concern over the region's

water quality has been growing,

particularly in light of recent

warnings from federal agencies.

The U.S. Department of Agricul

ture noted in June 1996 the "high

potential" for contraction of

waterborne illnesses in the

Potomac headwaters "because of

the widespread presence of

bacteria throughout the watershed

and heavy dependence on the

streams for drinking water and for water contact recreation." U.S.

Geological Survey researchers

found that high bacterial counts

correlated with the density of

poultry houses and cattle feedlots.

This spring, the nation's largest

river conservation group, Ameri

can Rivers, named the Potomac

on its list of the 10 most endan

gered rivers in North America.

Farmers contend that other

factors besides poultry production

have more of a negative impact on

water quality. How about faulty

private septic systems, inadequate

municipal sewage treatment, and

Extension Vision : Summer 1997

overpopulation of geese, deer,

raccoon, and other wildlife, just to

name a few?

Just how polluted the waters

are and how much of the contami

nation can be blamed on poultry

operations are questions still unanswered. Meanwhile, poultry

farmers, stung by criticism they

feel is undeserved, are working

with West Virginia University

extension educators and state and

federal agricultural officials to

comply with water protection

guidelines. At the same time,

increased federal funding is

reducing the farmers' costs to

invest in facilities and equipment

for proper waste handling and

storage.

WVU is collaborating with

other agencies to accelerate and

refine testing programs to monitor

water quality in the Potomac

headwaters. Significant help is

coming from researchers in the

environmental technology divi

sion of the National Research Center for Coal and Energy, based

at WVU. That unit has volun

teered to help develop the proto

cols for a new water testing

program that will be administered

by the state Department of Agriculture at its new laboratory

complex in Moorefield. That

facility is scheduled to become

operational this fall. The WVU

College of Agriculture, Forestry,

and Consumer Sciences also is

supporting educational efforts to

help poultry farmers implement

waste management programs.

Growing pains Poultry has long been impor

tant in this rural area, which

includes the West Virginia coun

ties of Grant, Hampshire, Hardy,

Mineral, and Pendleton. It is also

an industry that has grown more

than 200 percent in the last

decade, thanks largely to the

expansion of processing opera

tions in Moorefield, the Hardy

County seat, and in surrounding

areas. Today, the industry pro

duces almost 90 million birds a

year-and more than 140,000

tons of waste.

The farmers work within a

"vertically integrated" agricultural

production system. That means

that poultry corporations, includ

ing Wampler, Rocco, and Perdue,

contract with local farmers to

raise chickens and turkeys pre

cisely to their specifications.

Individual producers number 340

to 360, many of whom raise

poultry within a diversified farm

operation, according to Casey

Ritz, poultry specialist with the

West Virginia University Exten

sion Service. Dr. Ritz estimates

the annual production value of the

area poultry industry at about

$210 million.

Extension Specialist Tom Basden, right, and Gretchen Riley, left, a WVU environmental protection student, advise Hardy County broiler producer George Leatherman on his farm's nutrient management plan.

Poultry and sheep farmer Johnny Taylor of Old Fields consults Extension Agent David Workman, right, on best management practices for his operation.


The corporations call most of

the shots because they own the processing plants, the hatcheries,

the feed mills-even the birds

themselves. They deliver the

chicks to the farmers, who feed

them to the prescribed weight,

then tum them back to the corpo

rations for slaughcer and

processing.

The farmers own the sprawl

ing, tightly controlled poultry

houses, which hold as many as

27,000 birds at a time. Each

facility represents an investment

of as much as $200,000; financing

the construction crimps profits for

at least the first 10 years that it is

muse.

"The profit margin is so thin

that a big jump in feed costs or a

disease problem can mean the

difference between making and

losing money," Ritz observed.

Protecting resources Extension agents and special

ists have traditionally worked

closely with farmers wanting to

improve their operations. With

the rapid expansion of the poultry

industry, these educators have

focused their efforts on promoting

voluntary land stewardship and

water quality protection.

Extension Crop Management

Specialist Tom Basden is based at

the Potomac Interagency Water

Quality Office in Moorefield. He

and Ritz are among the technical

advisers to the West Virginia

Poultry Water Quality Advisory

Committee, which is composed of

farmers, county commission

10

Enclosed liHer sheds, such as this one at Sonny Taylor's CoHage Hill Farm near Petersburg, helps prevent runoff and protect from nutrient loss.

representatives, and Soil Conser

vation District supervisors.

Basden helps farmers to

develop and write nutrient man

agement plans, which are indi

vidualized systems of best man

agement practices (BMPs) to

encourage plant growth and

minimize adverse impacts on

surface and groundwater. These

plans address the most critical

farm nutrient problems through

measures to manage fertilizers

and animal wastes and reduce soil

erosion. They also provide for the

safe disposal or use of all of the

litter and manure produced at each

poultry facility.

"Poultry litter has always been

looked at as a resource by produc

ers. They're not just dumping this

stuff; they are using the nutrients

to improve the productivity of

their farm," Basden said.

Brad Smith, WVU Extension

agent in Grant County, concurred.

"The nutrient composition in

poultry litter is fairly high, and

this is a much cheaper source than

conventional fertilizer. The

biggest expense is in hauling and handling it," he said.

Nutrient management plans are

field-specific, basing recommen

dations on the expected crop and expected yield for each site. The

farmer uses data from annual

production estimates, litter

nutrient analysis, and soil testing

to determine how much poultry

waste can be safely applied to

crop and pasture land to enrich the

soil. What's left can be hauled to

other farms for use in their

operations.

Basden provides nutrient

management training for conser

vation agency officials and others

who work with farmers. He also

supervises college student interns

who spend the summer months

tending demonstration plots,

presenting educational programs,

and supporting interagency efforts.

Gretchen Riley was raised on a

farm in Old Fields (Hardy

County). Now a senior majoring

in environmental protection at the

WVU College of Agriculture,


WVU Extension Poultry Specialist Casey Ritz, left, and producer George Leatherman confer outside of a broiler house at Leatherman's farm.

Forestry, and Consumer Sciences,

she enjoys working with area

farmers to help them develop

nutrient management plans.

"Most producers I've worked

with have been very receptive, as

long as they know that this is

something that will benefit them,"

she observed.

Riley helped her stepfather,

Hardy County broiler producer

George Leatherman, prepare a

nutrient management plan for his

farm last year. Leatherman says

he will continue to follow and

refine the plan, based on soil test

results and other information.

The effort is worthwhile, he feels,

as it will yield both environmental

and economic benefits.

"As far as economics go, we

want to know what we have here

and what we need to buy. We can

save by buying less commercial

fertilizer, especially phosphorus

but also nitrogen. I think most of

us producers are pleasantly

surprised by the amount of

potential savings," he said.


Regular testing of cropland

soils and poultry litter and manure

has allowed area farmers to

reduce annual applications of

nitrogen by 524,700 pounds and

phosphorus by 265,700 pounds.

These excess nutrients did not

enter the ecosystem and saved

farmers a total of $600,000 over

the last four years.

Alternative uses and hauling

litter out of the watershed are

other initiatives promoted by the

Potomac Interagency Water

Quality Office. A toll-free

marketing hot line (1-888-

3LITTER) helps match poultry

producers with other agricultural

users of litter. Since its startup in

July 1996, this brokerage service

has facilitated the movement of

4,000 tons of litter out of the

watershed.

"Most of the litter distributed

through the hot line has been

going to corn producers in Berkeley and Jefferson counties, to

Preston County, and to grassland

counties in central West Virginia,"

Basden reported. "Farmers in

Ohio, Virginia, and North Caro

lina have purchased it as well."

Repeat calls to the hotline by

these buyers indicate the useful

ness of poultry litter as a fertilizer

and a feed supplement for cattle,

Basden added. "We have a group

of repeat buyers looking for litter

through our database. People do

not buy a product a second time if

it fails to satisfy."

Collaborative efforts also have

produced a poultry litter compost

demonstration site initiated in

1996. The composter uses litter

mixed with wood product waste

to produce valuable soil amend

ments. The agencies also have

promoted and demonstrated

composting of dead birds to

replace the once common method

of disposal in burial pits.

Composting is now the predomi

nant mortality management

method for area poultry farmers. David Workman, WVU

Extension agent in Hardy County,

says that most poultry farmers are

receptive to these new initiatives

and are doing what they can to

protect water quality. "A few mismanage, but most do not," he

observed. "Putting nutrients

through cattle, poultry, and other

intensive livestock operations

creates an imbalance of resources.

The farmers are adopting the

practices to put those nutrients

back into a balanced state. Water

quality improvement is just one of

the benefits."

• 11

The proof's in the beans-Green bean plants show the beneficial effects of using compost in a demonstration garden at Jackson's Mill 4-H Conference Center. From leh, Extension agents Ron Swope of Marion County and Jennifer Ours of Upshur County tend the thriving section where compost was added to the soil, while Bruce Loyd of Lewis County and Clint Hickman of Harrison County inspect a

control section where no compost was used. Yield data is being compiled to see whether actual yields are increased by the addition of compost. The garden is part of the WVU Extension Service's Residential Composting Demonstration Site. Visitors to the Mill can stop by the site, which boasts about 15 test compost piles and provides information on different composting techniques •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Lawrence S. Cote Associate Provost for Extension & Public Service; Director, Cooperative Extension Service P.O. Box 6031, Knapp Hall Morgantown, WV 26505-6031

Nonprofit Organization U.S . Postage PAID Morgantown, WV

Permit No. 34

Helping you put knowledge to work t.S97-042

Volume 11, Issue 03 - Summer 1997

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Transcript of Volume 11, Issue 03 - Summer 1997