By unanimous approval of its voting membership, at meeting duly assembled in Morgantown, Monongalia county on April 24, 2010, the Constitution Party of West Virginia has adopted its platform position on Agriculture.
Agriculture can and should be an important part of West Virginia’s economy. In a letter to George Washington during the Constitutional Convention, Thomas Jefferson said, “Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness.” And, John Taylor of Caroline believed agriculture “the guardian of liberty, as well as the mother of wealth. So long as the principles of our government are uncorrupted, and the sovereignty of majorities remains, she must occupy the highest political station, and owe to society the most sacred political duty.” However, largely because of government interference, we feel that the full potential of West Virginia’s agricultural resources has not been developed.
The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) is a tyrannical system of federal control over the food supply and over the property of our farmers which will impose burdensome reporting requirements, expenses, and fines. We therefore call for an end to West Virginia’s participation in this program as well as an end to the acceptance of any federal money for the purpose of implementing it.
Likewise, farm subsidies have a corrupting influence on the agricultural free market; we thus call for an end to them as well. West Virginia has a long and proud tradition of well managed agribusiness without the need for government intervention. Because of their many commercial uses, the unlimited cultivation of all traditional crops and fuel producing plants should be unregulated and uninfringed. Agriculture is a resilient and adaptive industry. We therefore reject transforming its agenda to meet so called “global challenges” and are opposed to artificial market manipulation via any sort of wage or price controls.
Farmers should be free to sell their products, including meat, milk, and traditionally processed foods, to the public without government involvement. However, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) present a threat to food safety and create the potential for contamination of the gene pool of other agricultural crops and livestock that are grown or raised in proximity. Therefore, we advocate a law that prohibits the cultivation or production of GMO crops, seeds, or livestock. We envision a revitalized agricultural economy for West Virginia supported by local farmers’ markets and organic methods which will allow consumers the opportunity to purchase high-quality natural West Virginia edibles instead of over-processed and less healthy factory-farmed foods.
Finally, conservation easements present potential serious and confusing complications to basic private property rights and are thus viewed by us with caution. We do recognize the problem which deer pose to our state not only in crop damage, but to motorists as well, and thus recommend reducing the nuisance population thereof through expansion of landowner hunting. Venison and other wild game are excellent sources of nutrition for our populace, the harvesting of which should be encouraged.

By unanimous vote of its Executive Committee, the Constitution Party of West Virginia has approved and adopted the Preamble, Core Beliefs, and National Platform positions to its specific state platform. Additionally, original drafts of the Community Decency, Illegal Immigration, Sanctity of Life and Second Amendment positions were also adopted at this meeting which was duly assembled at Alpine Lake, Terra Alta, Preston County on September 23, 2006.
Preamble
Conscious of Providence and solicitous of the blessings of Almighty God and His Son Jesus Christ, the Constitution Party of West Virginia embraces and advances the following statement of positions to restore and protect Constitutional government, preserve the continuity of our civilization, and defend the sovereignty of our State thus guarding liberty under law for ourselves and our posterity.
Core Beliefs
We affirm the Christian character and heritage(1) of our State, and the Bible as the basis of morality on which the legitimacy of our laws rest.
We affirm the fundamental principles of American republicanism as originally set forth in the draft version of the Virginia Declaration of Rights(2) and reiterated in the Declaration of Independence, constituting the basis and foundation of government.
We believe in the sovereignty, freedom and independence of the several States and affirm the principles asserted in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798/1799.(3)
The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the land;(4) its provisions, along with those of this State, are operative alike in a period of war as in time of peace, and any departure therefrom, or violation thereof, under the plea of necessity, or any other plea, is subversive to good government and tends to anarchy and despotism.(5)
The government of the United States is a government of enumerated powers, and all powers not delegated to it, nor prohibited to the States, are reserved to the States or to the people thereof. Among the powers so reserved to the States is the exclusive regulation of their own internal government and police; and it is the high and solemn duty of constitutional government to guard and protect the people of the several States from all encroachments upon the rights so reserved.(6)
National Platform
The Constitution Party of West Virginia recognizes the platform of the national Constitution Party(7) as the statement of principles and positions for our candidates for federal office and for areas where a state position has not yet been developed. Where the state and national party platforms differ, the following West Virginia state platform shall take precedence:
FOOTNOTES:
1) America’s Christian Heritage Week – www.achw.org
2) Virginia Declaration of Rights, draft version – http://www.lva.virginia.gov/lib-edu/education/bor/draftvdr.htm
3)      Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798/1799 – http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/virres.asp
4)      U.S. Constitution, Article VI, Section 2 – http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_A6.html
5)      West Virginia Constitution, Article I, Section 3 – http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/WV_CON.cfm#articleI
6)      U.S. Constitution, Amendment X – http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_Am10.html
7)      Platform of the National Constitution Party – http://constitutionparty.com/party_platform.php