Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $300,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for West Virginia University (WVU). The funding will support critical research into preventing cross-contamination in locally-grown produce, which will help expand sustainable and safe fresh produce supply chains throughout the state.

“West Virginia’s farmers, ranchers and rural development professionals provide nutritious, locally-grown food for our communities and play a critical role in our state’s economy,” said Senator Manchin. “I’m pleased USDA is supporting this critical research at WVU to investigate the most effective ways to prevent cross-contamination in local agricultural products, which will strengthen fresh produce supply chains and bolster food safety throughout the state. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for resources to support West Virginia’s agricultural producers and ensure every family across the Mountain State has access to healthy, affordable food.”

The funding announced today was made possible through USDA’s Critical Agricultural Research and Extension (CARE) program. The project, “Applying Triple-Wash and Nanotechnology to Mitigate Microbial Cross-Contamination on Locally-Grown Produce through Integrated Research and Extension Activities,” will investigate the most effective strategies for West Virginia’s local produce growers to prevent cross-contamination for multiple produce commodities.