About
The Patriot Apple project, begun in 2016, was
developed as a catalyst to bolster West Virginia rural economies by helping to not
only re-establish apple orchards, but also develop other high-value agricultural
industries.
Mission
This project is leveraging the availability of large tracts of land and water on reclaimed mine sites and the expertise and knowledge of federal and state researchers within WV to provide economic development and opportunity for West Virginia residents, particularly in the southern part of the state. A Honey Bee program has been established to
assist with pollination. An apple
Orchard requires two hives per acre for pollination. Patriot Apple currently
has 420 active hives throughout the state.
History
The first established orchard was an
experimental site designed to carry out research on the performance of apples
and other fruit trees on the mine soils. This work continues to be conducted in
cooperation with researchers at WVU and the USDA Agricultural Research Service.
A little over 3,000 apple trees were planted in May 2016.
Program Point of Contact
Mr. Travis Stone
Email: travis.a.stone4.nfg@army.mil
Phone: 304-561-6695
