FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia group is raising money in hopes of purchasing land for a community farm.
Agrarian Trust Director Ian McSweeney told West Virginia News Service that the national organization is working with the West Virginia Agrarian Commons to buy an 82-acre farm in Fayette County with a 99-year lease.
The cooperative farm would lower costs to make it easier for new growers to enter agriculture production, he said.
Many new farmers take on so much debt, they can’t afford to use sustainable farming practices, said Susanna Wheeler, board president of the West Virginia Agrarian Commons.
The group said after it buys the Fayette County farm, it will become the New Roots Community Farm and will expand food access across the region.
