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West Virginia is more than coal mines, timber operations and chemical plants. We are a state of farms, too -- feeding our families, neighbors and communities for generations. But until recently, the Mountain State included the only land-grant school in the country not to have a school of agriculture.
Fortunately, West Virginia State University no longer bears that distinction.
This week, officials gathered in Institute, W.Va., to celebrate lawmakers' passage of a bill that will provide $50 million to build a new lab that will then hold the state Agriculture Department lab.
According to a report by WV MetroNews, WVSU President Ericke Cage talked during the celebration about the need to focus on agriculture and food security.
"West Virginia State University is prepared to help meet those challenges and I believe this project represents a win-win for West Virginia," Cage said.
In working with the state Department of Agriculture, the school will be able to give students training that combines 134 years of academic experience with the real-world problems tackled at the Department of Agriculture.
"This is really a good idea being able to partner the school with the labs so the students can come through and be part of the laboratory -- a team -- this is what we've been designing for all along," State Sen. President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, said during the ceremony, according to MetroNews.
It sounds as though good news for WVSU will be good news for the state, and perhaps the world. Congratulations, on what promises to be the start of a beautiful partnership.