By Patrick Hurston
Over 100 people gathered at the North Fork Ruritan Club on Sunday, October 5, for the Potomac Valley Conservation District’s (PVCD) annual awards luncheon, an event that celebrated the region’s deep agricultural roots and the people, both young and old, who continue to shape its future. Guests enjoyed a hearty buffet meal before Chairperson Charlotte Hoover and Supervisor Lois Carr kicked off the afternoon’s recognitions.
This year’s program placed special emphasis on the Century Farm Awards, recognizing families who have farmed the same tract of land for a century or more, a testament to the longstanding agricultural traditions of the Potomac Valley. In some cases, the farms have remained in the same hands for 150 years (Sesquicentennial) and even 200 years (Bicentennial).
The only Bicentennial Award was presented to the Nelson family of Pendleton County, whose Legacy Nelson Land dates to 1793 when the original 169 acres were land-granted to John Nelson Sr. The property has remained in family hands for more than two centuries, with generations continuing the grazing and livestock operations that define its history. The current owner, Lorella Lee Nelson-Mitchell raised sheep and cattle on the property until 2003, and it is still in operation.
Doug and Cindy Crites and David and Allie Rohrbaugh were recognized with a Bicentennial Award for their Rock Island Farm in Hardy County, established in 1868 and still producing Charolais cattle and crops on the same land their ancestors purchased more than 150 years ago.
Also honored with a Bicentennial Award were John and Helen Heavner of Pendleton County, whose Heavner Farm has stood since 1872 and now spans several hundred acres of cropland and pasture. Today the farm currently has 200 head of cattle; 570 acres of corn; 70 acres of wheat; and 200 acres of hay.
Two more Hardy County operations joined the distinguished list with Century Awards: Amy Crites Kile and her husband Allan for the Little Em Cattle Company, established in 1924 and known for its purebred Charolais herd, and the McCauley Black Acre Farm, founded in 1881 and still operated today as a cattle farm by Steve McCauley.
Hoover congratulated all the winners, acknowledging that the families represent the heart of farming in the Potomac Valley and help showcase how vital agriculture is to the area’s land and way of life.
The PVCD also presented Conservation Farm Awards, which recognize exemplary conservation practices and stewardship of natural resources. The Traditional Conservation Farm Award went to Joe Alexander and family, while Hope Yankee and her family’s Wilding Woolly Farm received the Non-Traditional Farm Award. Both operations will represent the Potomac Valley in the upcoming state-level competition in Flatwoods later this fall.
Youth achievements were also recognized. Several Envirothon teams received awards, including students from Hampshire High, East Hardy High School, and Moorefield High School, whose team placed sixth in statewide competition. Moorefield advisor Gretchen Cremann was honored as the 2025 West Virginia Envirothon Adviser of the Year.
Grant recipients were also recognized for their community outreach projects. Missy Whetzel, a Petersburg High School teacher and FFA adviser, was applauded for her $8,800 grant from the West Virginia Conservation District focused on reintroducing agriculture to your backyard, with an emphasis on processing poultry at home. Gini LaMaster was also recognized for securing two grants totaling $20,000 for her sustainable and small-scale climate smart agricultural programs in partnership with Powder Keg Farms.
Finally, longtime district supervisors were also recognized for their years of service, including David Parker and Lois Carr (five years), Frank Weese (ten years), and George Leatherman and Ronald Miller (fifteen years).
As the event concluded, and door prizes were handed out, Hoover expressed appreciation to the farmers, students, and volunteers who sustain conservation work across the district’s five counties of Grant, Pendleton, Mineral, Hampshire, and Hardy.
“Every one of you plays a part in protecting the land we all depend on,” she said. “That’s something worth celebrating.”
