Published: March 10, 2008 11:55 am      

Hardy extension agent assists poultry program

MOOREFIELD - Last year, the Hardy County Commission cut the county's West Virginia University Extension Service office budget request by $20,000, from $99,913 to $79,913.

In an effort to make up the shortfall, Hardy County Extension Agent Dave Workman said he was able to work as a coordinator with the state poultry program.

"That has filled the financial gap and we'll be reassessing that in the coming months," Workman said during the commission's recent meeting.

He said that move allowed the extension office to keep its staffing pattern, including three agents.

"Ironically, given the situation with the poultry growers and issues in the poultry industry, it has really worked out better," he said.

County Commissioner Roger Champ, who also serves on the extension service committee, Stanley Moyer and JR Keplinger agreed with that assessment, noting the poultry industry in the county has had a need for Workman's services due to increasing costs and other issues.

"And we want to thank you for your efforts over the last year," said Moyer.

Keplinger added he wanted to thank Workman "for helping" the local growers. "They have had to deal with a lot of increased fuel and energy issues," he said.

Workman said they will continue to feel the pinch of these increasing costs for the next several years.

He added that working with the poultry industry offered some opportunities as well. He said that efforts are under way with West Virginia University to establish a premium turkey research center on the state farm at Wardensville.

"That is one of the bright spots in the poultry industry but the challenges are not likely to change," he said.

Moyer questioned whether the United States is likely to see energy prices overall go up the way they have in Europe.

Workman said the U.S. has had a national policy in effect since World War II to maintain an affordable nutritious food supply for the country.

"And even though the resources to maintain that supply have gone up, our food is still the cheapest in the world," he said.

Even as much as today's lifestyles cause people to eat out, "they spend less than 10 percent of their disposable income on food."

He added if people were eating at home, it would be considerably less.

Workman said exports are also a significant factor for local growers.

"That was proved with the bout of avian influenza," he said, noting that quite a number of boats with poultry products headed overseas were turned back within 24 hours of the discovery of the disease on a poultry farm in the region.

Workman and Extension Service Committee member John Davis presented the extension office's annual budget request.

Workman said in presenting the $101,687 request that he was hopeful the commissioners would reinstate the $20,000 that was reduced from their budget request last year.

"The increase over last year's request is for contractual services and salaries," he said. "We've tried to hold the line on everything else."

Champ said the commissioners are hopeful there will be fewer budgetary issues this year than they had last year and the request would be taken under serious consideration for this year's budget.

The commissioners emphasized the need to support agriculture programs because they are a large part of the economy of the county.

Contact Mona Ridder at mridder@times-news.com.