In late November 2016, the Governor’s Office announced the first recipients of grant awards from a new program within the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). The Virginia Farm Business Development (VFBD) Program offers a reimbursement grant designed to help farms and small agribusinesses engage in business planning, market research, succession planning, and other related activities. Under the new program, it is expected that VDACS will award approximately 30 grants each year of up to $5,000 to farms or small agribusinesses with fewer than 20 employees that have been in operation for at least three years.
A program factsheet, guidelines, and application are available at:
https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/agriculture-virginia-farm-business-development-program%20.shtml