FieldWatch Welcomes 23rd State: West Virginia
FieldWatch, Inc., a non-profit company that promotes communication and stewardship among crop producers, beekeepers and pesticide applicators, announces that West Virginia has joined as the 23rd member state.
West Virginia joins FieldWatch along with 22 other states, one Canadian province, and the District of Columbia. The membership will enable West Virginia’s beekeepers, growers of specialty, organic and conventional crops, to use secure, easy-to-use online registries to identify and map the locations of apiaries and crop fields which pesticide applicators should avoid. The free and voluntary registries BeeCheck™ and DriftWatch™ will be available to all West Virginia producers. FieldCheck® is the online and mobile portal that pesticide applicators can use to improve decision-making and avoid damage from spray drift to sensitive areas.
“The goal is to get beekeepers and producers registered through FieldWatch so applicators can get accurate information before spraying,” said Curt Hadley, Business Development Manager, FieldWatch. “This model has been proven to build good stewardship and communication in agriculture.”
West Virginia’s membership decision was especially driven by the needs of beekeepers who wanted to register the locations of their apiaries. “The future of agriculture is integrating technology with best practices and the knowledge that has been passed down through the generations,” said Kent Leonhardt, Commissioner of Agriculture, West Virginia. “Giving our West Virginia beekeepers online tools is another way to modernize agriculture in the Mountain State. I am thankful for this partnership with FieldWatch, Inc.”