West Virginia Department of Agriculture

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West Virginia Department of Agriculture
Seal of West Virginia Department of Agriculture.jpg
West Virginia Department of Agriculture
Agency overview
Jurisdiction State of West Virginia
Headquarters1900 Kanawha Boulevard E,
Charleston, West Virginia, U.S. [1]
38°20′16″N81°36′52″W / 38.337875°N 81.614500°W / 38.337875; -81.614500
Agency executive
Website www.agriculture.wv.gov

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture is a government agency of the U.S. state of West Virginia.

Contents

History

The Department of Agriculture was founded in 1891 as the West Virginia State Board of Agriculture. In 1911, the West Virginia Legislature created the modern department. [2]

Organization

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture is managed by the agriculture commissioner, an elected official operating independently of the governor's authority.

Kent Leonhardt has served as the commissioner of the department since January 2017.

List of Commissioners

No.NameTook officeLeft officeParty
1Howard E. WilliamsMarch 4, 1913 [3] March 3, 1917 [3] Republican
2James H. StewartMarch 4, 1917 [3] March 3, 1925 [3] Republican
3John W. SmithMarch 4, 1925 [3] January 10, 1931 [3] Republican
4 Howard M. Gore February 4, 1931 [3] March 3, 1933 [3] Republican
5James B. McLaughlinMarch 4, 1933 [3] November 20, 1955 [4] Democratic
6John T. JohnsonDecember 14, 1955 [4] 1965 Democratic
7 Gus R. Douglass 1965 [5] 1989 [5] Democratic
8 Cleve Benedict 1989 [6] 1993 Republican
9 Gus R. Douglass 1993 [5] 2013 [5] Democratic
10 Walt Helmick 20132017 Democratic
11 Kent Leonhardt 2017Incumbent Republican

References

  1. ↑ "Agency".
  2. ↑ "Divisions". West Virginia Department of Agriculture. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Commissioner of Agriculture" (PDF). West Virginia Blue Book. 1940. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Commissioner of Agriculture" (PDF). West Virginia Blue Book. 2011. p. 333. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Gus Douglass, Longtime W. VA. Commissioner dies". Lancaster Farming. March 28, 2015. p. A5. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Cleve Benedict" (PDF). West Virginia Blue Book. p. 20. Retrieved September 9, 2025.


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