Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Wagner-Peyser Program (Employment Services)
All Program-Specific Requirements provided for the WIOA core programs in this section must be addressed for either a Unified or Combined State Plan.
e. 1. Assessment of Need
Provide an assessment of the unique needs of farmworkers in the area based on past and projected agricultural and farmworker activity in the State. Such needs may include but are not limited to: employment, training, and housing.
Current Narrative:
West Virginia continues to have 95% or more of all farms located within the state designated as small family farms. In 20 14 there were approximately 22,100 family–owned and operated farms totaling 3.62 acres with an average of 164 acres per farm. As a result of farm activities around the state, more than $560 million worth of crops and livestock were produced. Various state agencies are joining forces to teach citizens to utilize more of the state’s available land, to grow and sustain crops, to feed families and increase production for specialty crops that will lead to an increase in local and state revenue. There has been a noticeable increase in farm–to–school related programs, local community gardening projects, enhanced collaboration between colleges/universities and community groups such as volunteer organizations, churches, etc.