RICHMOND, VA, On June 28, 2024 - Governor Glenn Youngkin has announced grant awards totaling more than $280,000 to support and strengthen local food and farming operations in ten Virginia counties and cities. The announcement was made today during Virginia Agriculture Week to further highlight the industry’s role in stimulating economic development and helping to address food insecurity in the state.

“I’m pleased to support the crucial work in our local farming communities’ through the AFID program, and Virginia Agriculture Week is the perfect time to celebrate these projects,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “Partnering with local governments allows us to come together to identify and address critical needs in our local food systems and grow agriculture, the largest private industry in the Commonwealth.”

“The food and agriculture sector offers key solutions for increasing access to nutritious foods and is a central component for eliminating hunger in Virginia. In addition to improving local food accessibility, these grant awards strengthen each locality’s ability to attract and support small and mid-scale agricultural operations,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr.

The Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund Infrastructure Grant Program awards competitive matching grants to fund strategic infrastructure investments for small-scale farmers and food producers to grow and improve their operations. This round of funding includes producers in meat processing, dairy processing, canning, honey production, and farmer’s markets. The following projects are receiving funding in this round of the AFID Infrastructure Grant Program:

Washington County, $50,000

The grant will assist Anderson and Sons Meat Processing, a USDA-inspected, multi-species harvest and processing plant, purchase new equipment to expand capacity and potentially double production.

Shenandoah County, $12,300

The grant will aid Corner Market Farm to Table in building a new farmer’s market pavilion that will provide additional space to serve small agricultural businesses and host educational agricultural events. Corner Market Farm to Table, an extension of a multi-generational family farm, currently works with over 40 local Virginia producers.

Smyth County, $20,000

The grant will support the expansion and increased processing capacity of Waller Dairy, a first-generation, Grade A dairy farm.

Prince Edward County, $28,000

The funding will support Prince Edward Cannery and Virginia Food Works’ upgrade and modernization of essential food processing equipment within the shared-use facility. Virginia Food Works, a local non-profit, assists farmers and small-scale food entrepreneurs in producing added value products from homegrown fruits and vegetables.

Louisa County, $17,650

Funding will be used to improve freezer and refrigerator capacity for Century Farm Market, which connects consumers with locally raised and grown products in Louisa and Lake Anna area.

Albemarle County and Fluvanna County, $26,000

The grant will aid Siller Pollinator Company, LLC, in creating a mobile honey processing facility to support local beekeepers in producing value-added beekeeping products, such as creamed honey, infused honey, and wax products.

Franklin County, $50,000

The grant will fund essential equipment upgrades and facility repairs at Callaway Community Cannery and Glade Hill Community Cannery.

City of Buena Vista, $50,000

The grant will fund equipment purchases for the Virginia Innovation Accelerator Commercial Kitchen, which is a new shared-use kitchen facility that will serve as a business incubator focused on agricultural innovation. The project is in partnership with the Advancement Foundation and will allow small to mid-sized agricultural producers in the southern Shenandoah Valley to create and sustain their value-added product companies.

In addition to announcing infrastructure grant awards, Governor Youngkin announced an AFID Planning Grant award of $30,000 to Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax. The two jurisdictions have partnered with the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD) to create the Urban Ag Roadmap Work Group, to develop a plan that identifies and mitigates barriers to food system resilience through urban agriculture. Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax are providing $8,500 and $7,000, respectively, in local funding to match the grant. The NVSWCD provided an in-kind match of $14,500 to support this project.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services administers the AFID Infrastructure Grant Program and the AFID Planning Grant Program. The next semi-annual infrastructure grant round will be open for applications on October 1 through November 15, 2024, while planning grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Additional information about the AFID Infrastructure Grant Program is available at www.vdacs.virginia.gov/agriculture-afid-infrastructure-grants.shtml. Additional information on the AFID Planning Grant Program is available at www.vdacs.virginia.gov/agriculture-afid-planning-grants.shtml.