Governor Glenn Youngkin yesterday announced 12 infrastructure grant awards, totaling more than $497,000, to support local food production and agricultural facilities in the state. Administered by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the infrastructure grant program is part of the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) fund.
“I’m pleased to make this announcement during Virginia Agriculture Week as these projects leverage and support the crucial work in our local farming communities,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “Infrastructure projects such as these provide an opportunity for state and local governments to use agriculture to address critical needs in local food systems and support Virginia’s largest private industry, agriculture.”
“I am pleased that we could use AFID infrastructure grants to help strengthen a locality’s ability to attract and support small and mid-scale agricultural operations, spur economic development and create new jobs, and as a powerful tool to eliminate hunger in our communities,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr.
The AFID infrastructure program awards reimbursable grants primarily for capital projects at new and existing food hubs, farmers’ markets, commercial kitchens and other value-added facilities such as those used for processing and packaging meats, dairy products, produce, or other Virginia agricultural products. Additional information about the AFID Infrastructure Grant Program is available at www.vdacs.virginia.gov/agriculture-afid-infrastructure-grants.shtml.
The following is a list of the 12 projects that were awarded AFID infrastructure grants today:
Town of Pulaski, $50,000
Funding will help create a new home for The Marketplace, Pulaski’s long-standing farmers market. The new permanent, open-air marketplace structure will be built on Main Street, providing a centralized space for local agricultural producers to connect with customers.
City of Roanoke, $50,000
Grant funds will support the fabrication and installation of new awnings on the Historic Roanoke City Market. Once complete, the new awnings will provide reliable shelter for vendors to function at full capacity and increase availability for additional vendors to fill all 42 market stalls.
Town of Tazewell, $28,244
Funding will aid in the construction of a new farmers market pavilion on the Clinch River in North Tazewell, Virginia. The Clinch River Pavilion will become the permanent location of the Tazewell Farmers Market Association and will provide market vendors protection from the variable Southwest Virginia weather.
Fluvanna County, $7,374
Grant funding will support the purchase of essential commercial equipment and the installation of a dedicated electrical circuit, to expand the functionality of the Fluvanna County Commercial Kitchen. These upgrades will remove key operational barriers, expand the kitchen’s user base, and generate long-term economic impact by supporting the growth of small food-based businesses in Fluvanna County.
Town of Crewe, $50,000
The grant will support the renovation and equipment buildout of a 6,000 sq. ft. commercial facility in downtown Crewe, to transform it into an expanded permanent, community-centered food hub. This project will directly strengthen the regional agricultural economy by expanding local market access, improving food security in a food desert, and creating long-term infrastructure to support the aggregation, storage, processing, and distribution of farm products from small-scale producers in Nottoway County and surrounding areas.
Spotsylvania County, $50,000
The county will use this grant funding to subsidize the construction of an abattoir and related facilities, which will create jobs and provide a source of local meat products to the community. This facility will also provide an outlet for local producers of sheep, goats, cattle, and poultry to market their product rather than take livestock to auctions which are almost exclusively out of the county.
Town of New Market, $45,100
Grant funding will aid in renovating a vacant, unutilized kitchen into a shared-use, certified, commercial-grade commissary kitchen. The facility will provide vital infrastructure for the processing of meats, dairy products, produce, and many other local food products.
Pulaski County, $19,540
To respond to increasing local demand for high-quality, locally sourced meats, Mountain View Farm will use the funding to expand its on-farm meat processing capabilities. This expansion will allow the farm to offer customized and value-added meat products.
City of Charlottesville, $50,000
Grant funding will aid in the purchase of the initial packaging and distribution products needed for the new phase of the Beacon Kitchen. Grant funds will be used to purchase equipment such as juicers, labelers, printers, baggers, food processors, tray sealers, cappers, fillers, shrink wrappers and dehydrators for this shared-use commercial kitchen.
City of Winchester, $47,900
The Winchester Economic Development Authority will use the funding to construct a new commissary kitchen to support local food entrepreneurs who currently lack access to commercial kitchen space. The project will strengthen the local food system and create new opportunities for value-added Virginia agricultural products.
Shenandoah County, $50,000
Funding will support the renovation of an existing space into a new commercial kitchen in the town of New Market. The project will provide a larger space for multiple vendors and a new roaster to support the continued growth of Crazy Fox Coffee.
Cumberland County, $49,546
Grant funding will help that county purchase refrigerated cases for the new Cumberland County Grocery Store. In addition to hiring 15 people, the new store will feature locally grown produce, meats, seafood, dry goods, as well as in-house prepared food, and a dining area.