sustainable-agriculture

Virginia’s AFID Infrastructure Grant Program: Fall Applications Now Open

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Virginia’s small-scale farmers and local food producers have a new opportunity to strengthen their operations through the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Infrastructure Grant program. The fall application period opened on October 1 and runs through October 31, 2025, at 5 p.m.

Supporting Local Food Systems

Since its creation in 2021, the AFID Infrastructure Grant program has been a vital resource for communities looking to invest in their local agricultural infrastructure. Administered by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), the program focuses on supporting locally identified investments that help small farmers and food producers scale their businesses while benefiting the broader community.

What Projects Qualify?

To be eligible for funding, projects must directly support local food production and forestry while demonstrating clear community-wide benefits. The program prioritizes infrastructure investments in:

  • Food hubs (new and existing facilities)
  • Farmers markets
  • Commercial kitchens
  • Value-added processing facilities for meats, dairy, produce, and other Virginia-grown products
  • Packaging and processing infrastructure

Grant funds are intended primarily for capital expenditures, with a maximum award of $50,000 per project.

Who Can Apply?

Applications must come from a political subdivision of the Commonwealth, including:

  • Counties
  • Cities
  • Towns
  • Industrial and economic development authorities
  • Planning district commissions

However, localities are strongly encouraged to collaborate with small farmers, food producers, local food systems advocates, and other stakeholders interested in building robust local food and farming infrastructure. This collaborative approach ensures that funded projects truly meet the needs of the communities they serve.

Matching Requirements

This competitive grant program requires an equal cash match from the applying locality. Recognizing the challenges faced by some communities, the program offers reduced matching requirements for economically distressed localities, making the grants more accessible across Virginia.

Application Timeline

The AFID Infrastructure Grant program operates on a bi-annual cycle with two funding rounds each fiscal year:

  • Fall Round: Applications due October 31; awards announced by December 31
  • Spring Round: Awards announced by June 30

With the fall deadline rapidly approaching, interested localities should begin coordinating with local agricultural stakeholders now to develop strong applications that showcase community need and impact.

Why This Matters

Virginia’s agricultural sector continues to be a cornerstone of the state’s economy and rural communities. By investing in infrastructure that helps small producers access processing facilities, reach customers through farmers markets, and add value to their products, the AFID program strengthens the entire local food system. These investments create jobs, keep food dollars circulating in local economies, and ensure that Virginia-grown products can reach consumers more efficiently.

Get Started

For more information about the AFID Infrastructure Grant program, eligibility requirements, or the application process, contact:

Joyce Blankenship
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Phone: 804.786.1906
Email: joyce.blankenship@vdacs.virginia.gov

Don’t miss this opportunity to invest in your community’s agricultural future. The October 31 deadline will be here before you know it.

Specialty Crop Block Grant Funding for Virginia Announced

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More than $557,600 in federal Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funding has been awarded to eight agricultural projects in Virginia to help promote and enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops grown in the state. 

“I applaud each of these awardees for their ingenuity and innovation in research and development initiatives that enhance the competitiveness of Virginia’s specialty crops. Not only will these projects help boost economic development in the Commonwealth, but they will enhance and expand new market opportunities for agricultural producers,” said Gov. Glenn Youngkin.  

The purpose of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, by funding research and development initiatives that are developing improvements for the sector. Agricultural associations, industry and producer groups, localities, community-based organizations, educational institutions, and non-profits are eligible for this grant opportunity. The competitive grant process established by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) gave priority to projects that included the following activities: 

  • Assist farmers transitioning into specialty, high-value agricultural initiatives that address the eligible specialty crops. 
  • Increase net farm income through high-value or value-added enterprises. 
  • Find new ways to market or add value to specialty agricultural products. 
  • Develop pilot and demonstration programs in specialty agriculture that have the potential for transferability within rural Virginia. 

“By supporting strategic research that helps to increase success for Virginia producers, these grant awards help to further our efforts of encouraging economic growth in rural areas through the use of agriculture,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr. “Congratulations to each of the awardees for their innovative research and programs that will help improve the competitiveness of Virginia’s specialty crops, strengthen food safety and resiliency, and help our producers access new markets. 

Specialty crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture. Among this round of specialty crop grant awards are projects that advance research with different crop varieties and disease management, while also improving economic resilience, food safety, and market access. For more information, please visit the Virginia’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program website. 

During this grant round, the following recipients and projects received funding: 

Increasing access to diverse markets for specialty crop farmers with pathways to food safety training and certification 
Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD), Duffield, Va., Robin Robbins 
ASD and its partners will conduct food safety classroom training, provide individual technical assistance, and conduct mock audits to increase the competitiveness of Virginia specialty crop producers. This effort will help producers reduce food safety risks, while expanding their knowledge and business model by enabling them to access new markets. 

New disease management approaches to improve the quality of fresh market snap beans 
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center (AREC) Painter, Va., Dr. Douglas Higgins  
Research will determine the prominence of fungal pathogens, Alternaria alternata and Plectosporium tabacinum, in Virginia snap beans and determine their resistance to strobilurin type fungicides. The goal of this research is to provide new disease management approaches to improve snap bean pod quality.  

New blackberry varieties: Yield, post-harvest traits, and antioxidant capacity determination 
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va., Dr. Dennis Cladis 
Researchers will evaluate the yield, post-harvest traits, and antioxidant content of new and established Virginia blackberry cultivars. This project will enhance the competitiveness of Virginia blackberries by identifying cultivars that maximize yields for growers while also producing a high antioxidant content which optimizes the health benefits for consumers. 

Protecting Virginia vegetable crops from pests through novel biofumigation approaches 
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va., Dr. Steven Rideout 
As many specialty crop producers are interested in biofumigation with brassica crop covers, Virginia Tech researchers, in cooperation with Virginia Cooperative Extension, will conduct research to explore the usefulness of BioFence applications (granular, irrigation, and foliar) for disease control and the safety of produce produced using these tactics.  

Do floating row cover types influence yield and disease carry over potential in strawberry crop? 
Virginia Tech, Hampton Roads AREC, Virginia Beach, Va., Dr. Jayesh Samtani 
Led by Virginia Tech’s Hampton Roads AREC, in partnership with the Southern Piedmont AREC and Virginia Seafood AREC, researchers will study row cover usage to assist growers in managing diseases and improving crop yield with the increase in climate change and temperature fluctuations. 

Profitable faba bean production and marketing in Central and Southeastern Virginia 
Virginia State University, Petersburg, Va., Dr. Shahram Torabian 
The Virginia State University Agricultural Research Station will explore profitable strategies for faba bean production and marketing in Central and Southeastern Virginia.  

Assessing and mitigating food safety risks associated with using freeze dryers to enhance competitiveness of value-added specialty crops 
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va., Dr. Alexis Hamilton 
Virginia Tech will help specialty crop producers safely produce freeze-dried products by assessing the impact of pre-processing acid rinses on the activation of Salmonella enterica prior to freeze-drying.  

Farm2Food Accelerator: Energizing growth for Virginia’s small-scale specialty crop producers 
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) Foundation, Arlington, Va., Chris Jones 
NASDA Foundation will adapt the Farm2Food Accelerator curriculum to serve Virginia’s specialty crop producers launching/refining food/beverage value-added products to reduce food waste and improve economic resilience, food safety, and market access. 

Expansion of High-Tech Indoor Farm in Prince William County 

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Gov. Glenn Youngkin signs CEA legislation and announces expansion of high-tech indoor farm in Prince William County on June 6, 2024. Photo by Christian Martinez, Office of Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Beanstalk Farms Inc. will build its second indoor farm and distribution facility in the Freedom I-66 Industrial Business Park in Manassas. The project includes 18 new jobs and a capital investment of $4.1 million. Beanstalk Farms expects to produce 2.1 million pounds annually of leafy greens and fresh-cut herbs. 

Following the announcement of the expansion, Gov. Youngkin signed House Bill 1429 and Senate Bill 483, which clarifies that the existing classification of farm machinery includes CEA machinery, allowing localities to exempt equipment from personal property taxes, or adopt a reduced tax rate. The same exemption provisions already exist for traditional agricultural operations. The legislation was patroned by Senator Lashrecse Aird, Senate District 13, and Delegate Amy Laufer, House District 55. This is the second year that Youngkin has signed agricultural technology tax exemption legislation. In 2023, legislation was signed to exempt items used in the construction of controlled environment agriculture facilities from sales taxes. 

“Congratulations to Beanstalk Farms for their investment in this community and in Virginia. I am pleased that the Commonwealth’s pro-business climate and partnerships continue to be a factor in securing and scaling up projects such as this,” said Gov. Glenn Youngkin. “The legislation I signed today reinforces Virginia’s position as a top state for the controlled environment agriculture industry.”

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services worked with Prince William County, the Prince William County Department of Economic Development and Tourism and the Industrial Development Authority of the County of Prince William to secure this new expansion project. Youngkin approved a $100,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund, which Prince William County will match with local funds.  

“This is a great day for the future of controlled environment agriculture in Virginia. We are providing support for Beanstalk Farms expansion, encouraging investment in Prince William County, and creating high paying jobs to this area through the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund grant award. In addition, Governor Youngkin is helping to spur growth in this industry by expanding tax relief through the approval of the agricultural sales tax exemption legislation last year and his signature today on the tangible personal property tax relief legislation,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr. 

New Funding Opportunity for Climate-Smart Agriculture Practices

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The Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture is a pilot program that will incentivize farmers and ranchers to adopt climate-smart agriculture practices that will maintain and improve agricultural productivity, benefit the producer, and improve climate resilience. 

Under the three-year pilot program, The Alliance and its partners will help producers in Virginia prove the value of paying farmers and ranchers $100 per acre or animal unit for stewardship practices that deliver public value through carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas reduction, improved soil health, water quality, water conservation, and other environmental services. Direct payments will be issued by Virginia Tech.

Participating Districts: 

  • Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District (757) 645-4895 OR samantha.pereira@colonialswcd.org: Charles City, James City, New Kent, York and City of Williamsburg. For the Alliance grant, Colonial has an expanded service area of: Caroline, Chesterfield, Essex, Gloucester, Hanover, Henrico, Isle of Wight, King & Queen, King William, Mathews, Middlesex, Prince George, Surry and City of Suffolk
  • Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District (434) 975-0224 ext 112 OR agriculture@tjswcd.org: Louisa, Fluvanna, Nelson, Albemarle and City of
    Charlottesville

Eligibility:

  • Farm located within an eligible county shown above
  • Verified Farm Service Agency (FSA) Number
  • Two-acre minimum
  • Land can not be enrolled in another state or federal conservation program in the same practice on the same acres

Applications opening on February 15-March 15. Looking for more information?
Join in to our Alliance Virtual Information Session on Monday, February 5 at 5:30pm! Register HERE!

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