West Virginia Celebrates Agriculture Day at State Capitol

Local food producers connect with lawmakers during legislative session

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Dozens of vendors and organizations gathered at the West Virginia Capitol on Wednesday to spotlight the impact of agriculture and farming across the state, while connecting with lawmakers during the 2026 legislative session. The event allowed participants to connect with different organizations and businesses, including Mountain Juice Company, a local food producer that stresses the importance of locally grown food.

Why it matters

The event highlights the growing importance of local food production and value-added agriculture in West Virginia, as the state looks to support small businesses and entrepreneurship in the food and farming sectors.

The details

The Agriculture Day event featured representatives from dozens of organizations, like the West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition and the Department of Agriculture. Participants were able to connect with lawmakers and showcase their locally-produced food and agricultural products.

  • The event took place on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at the West Virginia Capitol.

The players

Mountain Juice Company

A local food producer that stresses the importance of locally grown products and value-added processing.

West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition

An organization that advocates for the state's food and farming sectors.

West Virginia Department of Agriculture

The state agency responsible for supporting and regulating the agriculture industry in West Virginia.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“It's really been amplified, the importance of value-added foods and entrepreneurship. Whether we dehydrate or cold press, or whatever we do with these different West Virginia-grown products, we make them and sell them for retail.”

— Lisa Smith, Co-Founder and Owner, Mountain Juice Company (wowktv.com)

The takeaway

The Agriculture Day event underscores West Virginia's growing focus on supporting local food producers, value-added agriculture, and small business entrepreneurship in the farming and food sectors as part of the state's economic development strategy.