Cottage Hill Farm in West Virginia: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Cottage Hill Farm near Petersburg in Grant County, West Virginia, is a 1,000-acre purebred Hereford cow-calf and broiler farm owned by W.C. "Sonny" and Carole Taylor. It won a 2024 West Virginia Conservation Farm of the Year award in the traditional category and earlier earned an international Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award in 2007.
| Location | Petersburg, Grant County, West Virginia (Potomac Valley Conservation District) |
|---|---|
| Founded | Founding date not published in the source used |
| Sectors | Purebred Hereford cow-calf; six broiler houses; no-till and cover-crop conservation |
| Scale | 1,000 acres, a purebred Hereford cow-calf herd and six broiler houses (West Virginia Conservation Agency) |
| Why it is elite | 2024 West Virginia Conservation Farm of the Year (traditional category); 2007 international Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award |
| Ownership | Sonny and Carole Taylor |
| Official website | West Virginia Conservation Agency 2024 Conservation Farm of the Year announcement (no official farm site found) |
History of Cottage Hill Farm
The West Virginia Conservation Agency reports that W.C. Taylor served for more than 40 years as a district supervisor on the Potomac Valley Conservation District, and his wife Carole received a 2019 West Virginia Women in Agriculture award. Their farm earned an international Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award in 2007, and in 2024 it was named one of two Potomac Valley winners of the state's Conservation Farm of the Year awards.
The Taylors have also hosted research and field days with West Virginia University Extension, which means other producers have come to see the practices in action. The source used here does not state when the family first farmed the land.
What Cottage Hill Farm Grows and Raises
Cottage Hill Farm runs a purebred Hereford cow-calf operation and six broiler houses on 1,000 acres in the Allegheny Mountain region of Grant County. Poultry is the largest animal sector in West Virginia: the state agriculture department reports commercial poultry valued at $389.2 million in 2024, and the Potomac Valley counties are a hub of the broiler industry.
The conservation practices listed by the Conservation Agency are no-till planting, cover crops, nutrient management, prescribed and rotational grazing, contour strips, littershed waste storage, critical area planting and energy-efficient poultry houses. Together they protect streams and soil in the Potomac headwaters while keeping both livestock and poultry productive.
How Cottage Hill Farm Makes Money
Purebred Hereford cattle
The cow-calf operation uses purebred Herefords. The sources used here do not describe how calves or breeding stock are sold, so no sales channel is claimed.
Broiler production
Six broiler houses give the farm a steady poultry income stream. Energy-efficient houses lower heating and cooling costs, which matters in a mountain climate.
Awards and field days
The 2024 award carried $1,000 and the use of a tractor, according to the Conservation Agency, and field days with WVU Extension build the farm's reputation. These are recognition rather than major revenue.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Cottage Hill Farm
Pair cattle and poultry with a waste plan. Poultry litter is a fertilizer asset when stored and applied under a nutrient management plan, and a litter storage structure keeps nutrients on the land rather than in the creek.
Practices pay twice. Rotational grazing, cover crops and contour strips protect streams and also improve the grass and cropland that feed the herd. A multi-decade commitment to the conservation district gave the Taylors both a network and a record to show.
A farm with purebred Herefords on one side and six broiler houses on the other has clearly decided that nobody should be bored in Grant County. Readers of farm.FM for farm satire, farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes can picture the cattle looking down their white faces at the chickens. Sonny and Carole Taylor, with decades of conservation service, are the sort of people any farm would be proud to claim.
Readers who want the full experience can pair the jokes with Tractor Tunes, the country music for farmers that farm.FM, the nation's first satirical farm site, plays between stories. This author page is a fine starting point.
How to Contact Cottage Hill Farm
Website: https://wvca.us/news/newsPage.cfm?id=41196
No official farm website, address, phone or email was found in the sources used. Reach the farm through the Potomac Valley Conservation District or WVU Extension, and do not visit without an invitation.
Cottage Hill Farm Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- West Virginia Conservation Agency news release - 2024 Conservation Farm of the Year winners including Cottage Hill Farm
- West Virginia Department of Agriculture annual report 2025 - Poultry and cattle figures for the state
- Moorefield Examiner - Potomac Valley Conservation District awards coverage
- USDA FSA West Virginia - Farm loans and programs for West Virginia producers
- USDA NASS 2022 Census, West Virginia - State farm numbers and sales
Cottage Hill Farm FAQ
Where is Cottage Hill Farm?
It is near Petersburg in Grant County, West Virginia.
How big is Cottage Hill Farm?
The Conservation Agency lists 1,000 acres, with a purebred Hereford cow-calf herd and six broiler houses.
What award did it win?
A 2024 West Virginia Conservation Farm of the Year award, traditional category, and a 2007 international Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award.
What conservation practices does it use?
No-till, cover crops, nutrient management, rotational grazing, contour strips, littershed storage and energy-efficient poultry houses.
Cottage Hill Farm shows how a West Virginia cattle and poultry farm can earn state and international honors through steady conservation. Use the West Virginia farms guide and the other profiles to compare orchards, beef and poultry operations across the state.