USDA Rural Development Celebrates a Proud Legacy of Value Added Agricultural Enterprises in Virginia - Value Added Grant Program Opens in May

Proud parents often mark the milestones in their children's lives through scrapbooks, trophy walls and height marks on door frames. USDA Rural Development has created an extended family of Virginia farmers and growers through the Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG) Program and has been tracking their successes for more than 20 years now.

These grants help operations across the commonwealth expand their market opportunities by developing and packaging new products for farmers market, online and direct farm sales. The maximum award for working capital grants is $250,000 with up to $75,000 available for planning projects. 

Virginia has consistently ranked among the top states for numbers of awards and total funding provided. We experienced banner years in 2015 and 2016, awarding 29 and 19 projects respectively. Those numbers put us first and second in the nation in those years for total grants and number one for funding (more than $3 million). The grand total for state awards now stands at $23.2 million. “While most of our programs are only available in areas designated as rural, VAPG applicants can be located anywhere in the state,” said Perry Hickman, USDA Rural Development Virginia State Director. “They don’t have to meet income requirements or be considered beginning farmers. We’re actually looking for operations that already have an established track record of success.”

USDA Rural Development believes that it “takes a village” to support successful business enterprises. We have established a strong partnership with the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture, Innovation and Sustainability (VA FAIRS) to help producers identify and pursue new markets. VA FAIRS offers rural business and enterprise development services for creating plans and securing financing and grants.

Laurette Tucker spearheads the Virginia program, nurturing a “family” of grant recipients that have become our best VAPG advertisement. Over the past 20-plus years, 22 repeat customers received funding for two or more projects. Participants include beef and pork producers, dairies, fruit and vegetable operations and vineyards. In fact, Virginia Rural Development has really been in the giving “spirit” when it comes to supporting the state’s wineries, breweries and distilleries with 38 awards since 2005 to expand capacity of these operations and market associated products and venues.

The agency has also helped numerous minority and women-owned businesses in the commonwealth achieve their visions of success. Funds have been provided to help family-owned enterprises like Goldman Farms develop packaging and marketing materials to expand the customer base for their produce. A FY22 grant awarded to Green Hills Garden & Nursery will support packaging of raw tea leaves for sale to retail customers through a company website and wholesale accounts.

USDA is making $31 million in grant funding available nationwide in FY 2023. Electronic applications will be accepted via Grants.gov until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 11, 2023. Complete paper applications for Virginia projects may be submitted to the State Office in Richmond by close of business on May 16, 2023. Envelopes must be postmarked and mailed, shipped or sent overnight, hand carried or emailed by this date.

Interested producers should reach out to Laurette Tucker at (434) 439-3588 or laurette.tucker@usda.gov to discuss their proposed projects and begin assembling the required documentation. Funding priority will be given to beginning farmers who are military veterans or socially disadvantaged individuals, small and mid-sized farms and farmer cooperatives. Additional information is available on page 16396 of the March 17 Federal Register or by contacting your local USDA Rural Development office.

Goochland Day 2023

Saturday, May 20, 2023 

Goochland Day is a family fun community event for everyone! It starts with a parade down River Road West through the heart of Goochland. Then spend the rest of the day exploring the festival with various vendors, fun activities for children, and tasting local craft beverages! 

Spring 7 Lady Vineyards Wine Dinner

Enjoy a chef curated wine pairing dinner at Dover Hall! 

Cocktail hour will begin at 6pm and guests will have the opportunity to tour the Entrance Level of Dover Hall. At 7pm, everyone will be invited to the Ballroom for a thoughtful five course dinner created by Executive Chef, Leah Randolph, each paired with 7LV wines presented by Sommelier Chad Hornik.

ATTIRE - Business or Smart Casual

Ticket price includes dinner and wine pairings. Cash/credit bar will be available for beer/wine/liquor/non-alcoholic beverage purchases. Purchase tickets here. 

Business Spotlight!
Each month we will spotlight a Goochland business! 

ChiknEgg Kitchen

The United States Department of Agricultural (USDA) recently featured ChiknEgg Kitchen, a Goochland incubator kitchen, in a case study regarding shared commercial kitchen space. As a developing and dynamic sector of local and regional food systems, shared kitchens provide a valuable resource to communities seeking to address potential barriers to business development, including access to facilities and capital. Shared kitchen space allows start up food entrepreneurs a less costly option than finding, outfitting, and permitting their own kitchen. 

Chiknegg is both a shared kitchen and kitchen incubator. As a licensed commercial shared kitchen that is certified for food production, the kitchen “incubates, hatches, and nurtures food businesses” by providing consultation, training, and commercial kitchen space for food entrepreneurs. 

Read the entire study here and find ChiknEgg Kitchen on the web for more information!

Preserving our Roots:
Agri-Businesses in Goochland

Biosolids - What is it and Why Farmers use it

Article submitted by Nicole Shuman, Goochland Extension Agent

With the warm weather on its way, you may have noticed something popping up on county roadsides along with the daffodils: Biosolids Application Site signs.  Biosolids are the product of sewage sludge that has undergone treatment.  The sewage itself could have originated in any number of places: municipal wastewater treatment plants, portable toilets, or septic pump outs.  In Virginia, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) regulates biosolids’ use and treatment, which kills pathogens and ensures that metal concentrations are below established limits.  Biosolids are then applied to soil, which, because of its physical and biological properties, is an excellent filter for all sorts of substances, including any contaminants that may remain in the biosolids.  Biosolids do sometimes smell when applied, but usually not for long, especially if there is rain.   

Sewage sludge isn’t something that most people like to think about, and you might be wondering why farmers would choose to fertilize their fields this way.  The short answer is inorganic fertilizer prices, which are easily 50% to 100% higher than they have been over the past 10 years.  For many agricultural producers, biosolids are simply the economic option for their operation.  Biosolids are also a public service of sorts.  When crops or animals are harvested or sold for slaughter, they represent a net export of nutrients away from the farm.  Some of those nutrients end up in humans, and a lot of them end up in human waste.  Applying biosolids to farmland is a lot like recycling--it helps close the loop.  Otherwise the waste—and the nutrients—would have to be incinerated or placed in a landfill.