West Virginia and the Farm Bill 2.0

## How the Farm Bill 2.0 affects West VirginiaWest Virginia has small-scale agriculture dominated by cattle, poultry, and hay. Mountain forestry is significant. Sen. Capito (R-WV) is on the Senate Ag Committee. ## West Virginia agriculture at a glance | Metric | Value | |---|---| | Farms | 21,000 | | Farmland | 3.6 million acres | | Top crops | Cattle, Poultry, Hay, Apples | | SNAP recipients | 260,000 | | Ag rank | Smaller ag state | ## Key programs for West Virginia producers The most relevant Farm Bill 2.0 programs for West Virginia:

• EQIP
• FCEP
• Crop Insurance
• Forestry programs

## What's specifically changing for West Virginia

1. Forest Conservation Easement Program: West Virginia forests.
2. Cattle: Prop 12 preemption.
3. Coal community transition: Title VI rural development relevant.
4. Apple growers: specialty crop framework.

## Top resources for West Virginia producers - **West Virginia Department of Agriculture**: primary state-level point of contact for many federal programs. - **West Virginia State University Extension**: local research, conservation planning, technical assistance. - **West Virginia Farm Bureau Federation**: advocacy and producer information. - **West Virginia FSA County Offices**: direct USDA loan applications, ARC/PLC enrollment, CRP. - **NRCS West Virginia State Office**: EQIP, CSP, ACEP, conservation planning. ## How West Virginia should think about the Farm Bill 2.0 If you're a producer in West Virginia, the most important thing to track is the **interaction between this bill and H.R. 1** (the 2025 reconciliation law). Most commodity policy is locked in by H.R. 1; the 2026 farm bill adds incremental changes on top. For most West Virginia operations, the highest-impact changes are likely to be: - **Title II conservation reshuffling**: if you use EQIP heavily, expect tighter funding - **Title VI REAP expansion**: if you're a co-op or in renewable energy - **Title XI crop insurance** for veterans, expanded eligibility and subsidy - **Title XII Prop 12 preemption**: if you're in livestock ## Related - [Full Farm Bill 2.0 Summary](/full-bill-summary/) - [What's New vs the 2018 Farm Bill](/whats-new-vs-2018/) - [Program Finder](/program-finder/) - [Browse all states](/states/)