Governor Terry McAuliffe announced the award of three planning grants from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund.
The Commonwealth awarded a total of $64,000 to projects by Floyd County and the New River Valley Regional Commission to support the growth of agricultural and forestry industries in the Commonwealth. The AFID planning grant program encourages local governments to promote agriculture and forestry and incorporate the needs of these industries into their overall economic development strategies.
“Continuing to support Virginia’s diverse agricultural and forestry sectors is a key part of my plan to build the new Virginia Economy,” said Governor McAuliffe. “Local and regional efforts to study and support these industries in Virginia, like those being undertaken by Floyd County and the New River Valley Regional Commission, should be recognized as vital parts of Virginia’s larger economic development efforts. We will continue to identify and support initiatives that strengthen agriculture and forestry for localities and regions, which will ultimately bolster one of the largest industries central to the overall success of our economy.”
“I applaud Floyd County and the New River Valley Regional Commission for their strong commitment to Virginia’s agricultural and forestry industries, and we are pleased to give them the tools to help them support those industries,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Basil Gooden. “Floyd County’s comprehensive approach to building entrepreneurial capacity from producer to customer will have lasting impacts on the area’s agriculture and forestry industries. I applaud Augusta, Halifax, Loudoun and Rockingham Counties for partnering with the New River Valley Regional Commission to study the economic impact of agritourism, an important and growing sector of Virginia’s agricultural economy. I am also excited that the AFID program can be part of the efforts to create the Old School Food Center at Prices Fork. These three initiatives all support Virginia’s agriculture and forestry industry sectors, and are a part of furthering the Governor’s plan to build a new Virginia economy.”
The AFID planning grant program has awarded $754,650 in AFID Planning Grant funds to 37 projects covering 57 unique localities across the Commonwealth. The planning grants are part of the Governor’s AFID program, an economic development tool for agriculture and forestry value-added or processing projects. AFID planning grants are available for political subdivisions of the Commonwealth who have expressed interest in growing or developing their agriculture and forestry industries by strategically targeting practices or integrating practices that add value to Virginia grown agriculture and forestry products.
From the Augusta Free Press: https://augustafreepress.com/mcauliffe-announces-agriculture-forestry-industries-development-planning-grants/