West Virginia Success Story

Turning To the Sun for the Answer

Program: Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA)

Overview: The Kittle farm is located in Marshall County just outside of Cameron WV. The farm consists of 114 acres and is adjacent to another 90-acre farm the Kittles recently purchased. In a normal grazing season, the Kittles graze around 40 head of cattle on their home farm with a goal of building a second herd of the same size on the new farm. The Kittles wanted to increase the utilization of forage resources on their farms by increasing the amount of rotational grazing. This was not attainable because of limited access to water resources on their farms.

Accomplishments: A solar powered watering system was installed which allows the Kettle’s to pump water from existing water sources  to a storage tank on top of the hill or at an elevation higher than where their cattle were grazing. From there, the water is gravity fed through an industrial grade water hose to cattle in nearby paddocks. The system was designed and installed to be portable so that it may be moved from one area to another. This allows the system to be broken down into manageable parts for storage during freezing weather.

Program Benefits to Landowner: The Kittles have benefited from having access to water in all their paddocks. This allows the Kittles to extend their grazing system up to four months. The Kittles where able to continue grazing their cattle through the drought of 2002 by grazing their cattle on fields that were previously cut for hay and partially grazed.

Program Benefits to Community: The Northern Panhandle Conservation District is an active supporter of new technologies in agriculture. When the Kittles requested assistance from the local NRCS Field Office, the district proposed that the Kittles’ solar watering system be a demonstration project. The conservation district purchased the solar pumping system, the storage tank, and 850 feet of the industrial water hose. The Kittles supplied the mounting supplies for the solar components, the trailer for the storage tank, and the labor to install and maintain the system. In exchange for the district purchasing part of the components, the Kittles agreed to be a demonstration farm for five years, after which the district will turn over ownership of their part of the system. The solar watering system is used to provide training to both federal and state employees. The system has been the focal point of field days and pasture walks, designed to benefit the public by informing them on the use of new technology in agricultural operations for conserving natural resources.

Contact:
Matthew Gadd, Grassland Technician
(304) 242-0576 extension 113

Wheeling Service Center
132 Peters Run Road
Wheeling, WV 26003
Phone (304) 242-0576 Fax (304) 242-7039

	A solar powered watering system allows pumping water from existing water sources to a storage tank on top of the hill.
	The water is gravity feed through an industrial grade water hose to cattle in nearby paddocks.

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