Governor
Bob McDonnell has announced the recipients of the initial round of fiscal year
2014 planning grants from the planning grants program of the Governor’s
Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund (AFID). The AFID
planning grants program was developed to encourage local governments and
regional organizations to think strategically about how they can better support
and integrate agriculture and forestry-based industries into their community’s
overall economic development efforts.
“At
the state level, we’ve had great success incorporating the Commonwealth’s two
largest industries, agriculture and forestry, and their $70 billion overall
impact on our economy into our economic development agenda,” said Governor
McDonnell. “Creating a program that incentivizes communities to plan for how
they can best grow and support these industries in their business community is
a natural continuation of a strategy that is proven to benefit Virginians and
create jobs.”
The
communities and regions receiving AFID planning grants will match each dollar
awarded with a dollar of local funds, including certain types of allowed
in-kind contributions. The program also requires the active participation of a
board, committee or working group representing the relevant agriculture and
forestry interests in the locality.
“Applicants
were given flexibility to pursue the type of project that made the most sense
for their region or locality, whether it was taking advantage of an existing
asset, as Roanoke County is doing with their study of Virginia Tech’s Catawba Sustainability
Center or exploring the creation of a new asset, as Albemarle County is doing
with their Virginia Wine Heritage Center Study,” said Todd Haymore, Secretary
of Agriculture and Forestry. “By actively involving the agriculture and
forestry community into the planning process we are helping communities grow a
long standing component of their economic infrastructure while providing new
opportunities to our farm and timber producers.”
The
AFID planning grants program guidelines were first announced by Governor
McDonnell on November 27, 2012. Fiscal year 2013 awards were announced
May 8, 2013 and awarded $249,000 to eleven projects covering thirty-one
localities. With this announcement, the AFID planning grants program has
committed $309,500 to fourteen projects covering thirty-eight localities.
Applicants demonstrating a clear need, a solution to be undertaken, and strong
support from local government and the agriculture and forestry community
received the highest marks during the review process. For the remainder
of fiscal year 2014, requests from the AFID planning grants fund, which has
$189,500 in uncommitted funds, will be accepted, reviewed, and awarded on a
rolling basis until the fund is exhausted.
Details
on the grant awards are below. Localities interested in applying may visit http://vdacs.virginia.gov/agribusiness/planning.shtml
for more information.
According
to a 2013 economic impact study by the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service
at the University of Virginia, agriculture and forestry are two of Virginia's
largest industries, with a combined economic impact of $70 billion annually.
Agriculture generates more than $52 billion per annum, while forestry induces
over $17 billion. The industries also provide more than 400,000 jobs in the
Commonwealth.
Governor’s
Agricultural and Forestry Industries’ Fiscal Year 2014
Planning
Grant Recipients and Projects
Project
Title: Feasibility Study to Establish Virginia Wine Heritage Center in
Albemarle County
Applicant:
Albemarle County
Award:
$20,000
Summary:
Albemarle County is partnering with the Charlottesville/Albemarle Convention
and Visitors Bureau, Thomas Jefferson Foundation/Monticello, and Piedmont
Virginia Community College, to bring in an expert consultant to examine the
feasibility of establishing a Virginia Wine Heritage Center in Albemarle
County. The study will look at critical partnerships, facility attributes
and location, funding needs, and the appropriate business model.
Project
Title: Building Agricultural and Forestry-based Businesses in The Foothills
Applicant:
Rappahannock-Rapidan Region-Planning District (RRPDC); includes Culpepper, Orange,
Madison, Fauquier, and Rappahannock counties
Award:
$33,000
Summary:
The project is an effort to increase support and preservation of the region’s
agricultural and forestry based industries by implementing specific strategies
designed to raise awareness of these industries, increase the purchases of
regional ag and forestry products, and sustain the future of agriculture and
forestry in region. Deliverables include a regional agro-artisan trail,
directory, brand, annual conference, marketing effort, and completion of
regional green infrastructure maps and data with agricultural soils and water
quality.
Project
Title: Linking the Virginia Tech Catawba Sustainability Center to the Local
Food System
Applicant:
Roanoke County
Award:
$7,500
Summary:
The Virginia Tech Catawba Sustainability Center is a 377 acre historic dairy
farm located in Roanoke County that was donated by the former Catawba
Sanitarium to Virginia Tech. In recent years, Roanoke County has helped
fund the activities of the center and searched for ways to help the center
contribute to region’s economy. Roanoke County and staff at the Sustainability
Center, will work with Virginia Tech’s Office of Economic Development to
explore strategies to increase the connectivity of the Catawba Sustainability
Center to the regional food system.
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