MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A West Virginia University extension dean will soon become a member of the West Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Hall of Fame.
Jennifer Ours Williams studied animal and veterinary science and earned a master’s degree in agricultural education from West Virginia University. Now Associate Dean for Programs and Partnerships, she has received numerous awards, including the Susan Dew Hoff Award from the West Virginia Women’s Commission.
Yet Williams’ passion for agriculture is rooted in his upbringing on a family farm in Hardy County. Our Valley View Poultry Farm now operates the farm, in which operators maintain 400 acres of corn and soybeans, as well as one million birds.
“I had two wonderful parents who were hard working and loved the farm and passed that love on to me,” she told MetroNews affiliate WAJR-AM.
Bear Williams described West Virginia as a diverse agricultural state with untapped potential. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that West Virginia has 3.5 million acres of farmland.
“I think West Virginia is ripe with opportunities to grow our agricultural economy and thrive,” she said.
“We need the next generation of individuals to pick up that mantle and carry it forward to produce food and love the land and feed the world.”
Our Williams will be inducted at a banquet on July 23 at West Virginia University’s Jackson Mill campus. Other class members include Bill Ingram from Tyler County, Tom McConnell from Preston County and Juergen Wildman from Monongalia County.
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