The 66th annual Farmer’s Day celebration will be held the weekend of June 4-6 in Union. King and Queen for this year are Noel Boggess and Dr. Linda Richards Boggess, DVM, of Ballard. Noel is a lifelong farmer and resident of Monroe County, and Linda moved here in 1993 after she graduated from vet school. She established Tri-County Vet, a mixed-animal practice located in Peterstown, in 1997.
Noel always wanted to be a dairy farmer and earned a B.S. in Animal Science from WVU before returning home to start a dairy operation with his twin brother, Neal, in 1981. The brothers ran a 250-cow dairy operation until last year and are now raising approximately 200 Holstein dairy heifers as well as 125 acres of corn for silage, and 150 acres of hay. Neal is a long-time Farm Bureau member.
The Boggess Dairy, Inc. won numerous awards with a 28,000-pound herd average and was twice named County and Area Conservation Farm winners by the West Virginia Conservation Agency.
Linda grew up in Vienna, Virginia and attended veterinary school at Virginia Tech, graduating in 1993. She came to Monroe County after graduation to work at Valley Vet Clinic near Pickaway and met Noel a couple of years later when she made a farm call at the Boggess Dairy. They were married in 1996, and Linda opened Tri-County Vet the following year.
Noel and Linda have three children. Rhiannon, 24, is a graduate of James Monroe High School and currently serving in the U.S Army, based in Hawaii. Elliot, 22, graduated from Jefferson Christian Academy in Ripplemead, Virginia, and is serving in the U.S. Air Force, based in Idaho. Both Rhiannon and Elliot intend to make a career in the military.
Their youngest son, Luke, graduates from Jefferson Christian Academy this year, and leaves for basic training with the WV Army National Guard shortly after graduation. Luke also works on the family farm and intends to pursue a business degree.
Their children have been the center of their lives, and they have very mixed emotions as the older two move into new careers, and Luke leaves for National Guard training.
Linda and Noel purchased the 100-acre Pendry Farm near Ballard about 17 years ago, where they maintain a 25-cow beef herd, two Jersey cows, and several horses. They also own a 250-acre farm in Giles County, which they use for hiking, hunting, and four-wheeling, and lease for cattle.
The couple attends Cashmere Baptist Church. Both are outdoors people who love to hike, and while their respective careers leave little time for hobbies, Noel is an avid hunter and Linda loves to garden, both flowers and vegetables.
Noel notes that he is very thankful to be living in Monroe County with its great people, clean water, and clean air, and Linda adds that she is thankful to be brought here by the grace of God, and very appreciative of how she has been accepted into the local community.
