Awards presented by Little Kanawha Conservation District
Photo Provided The Riggs Farm in Wirt County has been named the Co-Operator of the Year by the Little Kanaha Conservation District. Unwanted and invasive growth has been cleared and about 200 chestnut, paw paw, dogwood and red bud trees have been planted.
Photo Provided The Townsend Farm in Belleville has been named a Sesquicentennial Farm and the Wood County Co-Operator of the Year for 2026 by the Little Kanaha Conservation District. Members of the family are, from left, first row, Eberly Townsend, 2, Eli Townsend, 5 and Hallie Townsend, 6. Back row, Katie Townsend, Keith Townsend, Kevin Townsend, Sheila Townsend and Kyle Townsend.
Photo Provided The Townsend Farm in Wood County/
Photo Provided The Riggs Farm in Wirt County has been named the Co-Operator of the Year by the Little Kanaha Conservation District. Unwanted and invasive growth has been cleared and about 200 chestnut, paw paw, dogwood and red bud trees have been planted.
Photo Provided The Townsend Farm in Belleville has been named a Sesquicentennial Farm and the Wood County Co-Operator of the Year for 2026 by the Little Kanaha Conservation District. Members of the family are, from left, first row, Eberly Townsend, 2, Eli Townsend, 5 and Hallie Townsend, 6. Back row, Katie Townsend, Keith Townsend, Kevin Townsend, Sheila Townsend and Kyle Townsend.
Photo Provided The Townsend Farm in Wood County/
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PARKERSBURG - Farms in the five-county purview of the Little Kanawha Conservation District have been honored by the agency.
The district, with its mission to encourage the protection and conservation of soil, land, water and other resources, each year recognizes farms in its service area of Calhoun, Ritchie, Roane, Wirt and Wood counties.
In Wood County, the Townsend Farm in Belleville was recognized as a Sesquicentennial Farm and the Wood County Co-Operator of the Year. The history of the farm goes back to 1876 when Wrath "Rath" Pryor built his homestead on the South Fork of Lee Creek.
Generations of the family have operated the farm since then.
"Each person has farmed and we're still farming today," Sheila Townsend, who with her husband Kevin own the farm, said.
The family manages 131 acres of the original farm and raise beef cattle, market hogs, hay, corn, and soybeans. A dairy barn built in 1951 by Cecil Townsend still stands and has been converted to hog production.
A recognition banquet was held earlier this month for farms receiving honors this year.
In Wirt County, the Riggs Farm operated by John and Stacey Riggs was named the Wirt County Co-Operator for 2026. The 200-acre family-owned, regenerative farm actively promotes sustainable and chemical-free agriculture.
The family has done wonders to restore the land from unwanted and invasive brush, Rose Ann Bush, who represents Wirt County in the district, said.
"He's done an amazing job cleaning that up," she said.
The family has planted more than 200 trees including chestnut, pap paw, dogwood and chestnut, Bush said.
The Helmick Farm in Calhoun County was named the Co-Operator of the Year for the county. The farm, located in Orma and operated by Denver and Adam Helmick, was recognized for the responsible land management and their positive impact on the natural resources of Calhoun County.
The Garrison Farm in Wood County was named a Century Farm.
The farm traces its roots to Nov. 8, 1890, when Harry Dexter Garrison moved his family from Newport, Ohio, to Waverly where he bought 45 acres of land. Garrison wanted to be closer to his work building oil rigs.
He worked in the oil fields in the day and his farm in the evening. A barn that was used for making storage barrels remains in use to this day.
Also in Wood County, the Ewing Farm on Ewing Ridge Road in Waverly was named a Sesquicentennial Farm recognizing 150 years. The farm's founding is traced to Oct. 19, 1864, when Lloyd Ewing acquired the original 31 acres.
The farm, which remains in the family, produced cattle and tobacco. Among the original structures remaining to this day is the first family home that has been converted into a barn.
Herb and Michele Ewing, the current owners, are the fourth generation to work the farm that is now more than 130 acres. The Ewings raise beef cattle and sell feeder calves from their herd.
The DePue Farm in Roane County was named a Century Farm. The original 1,500 acres were acquired in 1830 by John Boggs, a wealthy man from Virginia. The farm produced cattle and hay.
The sixth generation of the family under Bryan F. DePue II runs the farm today. At 200 acres divided among family members with 74 acres still from the original tract, cattle and hay continue to be raised and produced. Structures that remain include a Civil War-era barn and a 1900s farmhouse.
The Parsons Farm in Gandeeville was Co-Operator of the Year in Roane County. The farm illustrates responsible land stewardship, conservation and the wise use of natural resources.
The farm of about 200 acres has 25 head of Lim-Flex cattle and six beehives and about 300 rolls of hay are produced each year through the farm’s grassland program. The family also has utilized conservation programs, implemented recommended practices and has committed to maintaining the productivity and long-term health of the land.
The Co-Operator of the Year in Ritchie County is the Nelson Family Farm in Cairo that is operated by Denver and Kay Nelson. The Nelsons participate in the Conservation District's agricultural enhancement programs, including the Lime Cost Share initiative, Water System Development and Pasture Division Fencing.