Stories of coalfield strikes, rich coal barons, trapped miners and black lung disease form the basis of what Americans know about West Virginia’s coal industry. Mercer County, one of the leading coal producers in the state, preserves its rich mining and railroad history throughout its Coal Heritage Trail.
     West Virginia’s agriculture industry is often overshadowed by this mining legacy and its group of hardworking miners. This view reminds us of frequent roadside sights of the state’s picturesque farmland. Tucked among the hills and valleys, nowhere else is agriculture controlled so much by topography. Isolated farms make the most of this rugged terrain, raising mainstays of cattle, poultry, and apples.
     Dodging the shadows of Elgood Mountain and accented with a split rail fence, this Mercer County farm evokes an romantic idea of a simpler life. Here in southern West Virginia, extensive cash crop farming is far from the norm. Averaging only 160 acres, nearly 97 percent of these farms are owned by their occupants. Always an independent and self-sufficient group, the state’s farmers struggle to stay above poverty levels.