# 2026-10-19 Agritourism Taskforce Meeting


**Body:** Jefferson County WV
**Date:** October 20, 2026
**Jurisdiction:** SLED

**Tags:** Grants & Funding


The Jefferson County, West Virginia, Agritourism Task Force meeting (metadata date: October 20, 2026; the title references October 19) reviewed its minutes and discussed feedback from local farmers on marketing, workforce, infrastructure costs, regulatory barriers, farm preservation, and connections between producers, restaurants, retailers, and institutions. Members discussed expanding farmer listening sessions and the farm crawl, and expressed interest in partnering with the state Department of Agriculture on a local-restaurants program featuring West Virginia-grown products. The Department offered information about its promotional programs and potential resources for farmers; it also noted that a proposed emergency fund was being considered in its FY2028 budget, with approval not yet known.

The task force discussed creating an agricultural stakeholder survey, with members to submit suggested questions by October 30 so it could be distributed in November and results presented at the December meeting. No contract awards, purchasing decisions, or specific spending approvals were identified. Members also raised the need to gather information on grants and financial assistance available to farmers.

**Source:** Jefferson County WV