Ag. complex

Wytheville, VA

Appalachian Agricultural Exposition Center is a facility dedicated to agricultural development and expositions. The project is still organizing and securing local support to further their efforts.

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Initial development efforts
• Strategic Planning

Producer food marketing cooperative

Charlottesville, VA

Charlottesville Food Hub is a brick and mortar food hub that focuses on the formation of other local food hubs. Because Charlottesville is on the forefront of the “local food” trend, they have a distinct advantage in attracting investors.

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Organizational Efforts
• Initial Planning
• Internet Marketing Plan
• Website Organization

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Grant Assistance

www.cobblercellars.com

Glenmary Gardens is a 100% family owned business located near Bristol, Virginia. The business has been operating for two years and is focused on the production of berries and fruits. Sales are made through pick-your-own and also to local retail stores. In addition, the berries and fruits are processed into jams, jellies, ice cream, fruit syrups and baked goods. Glenmary Gardens’ owners are planning on extending the production area and reorganizing their business structure.

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Grant Application
• Strategic Planning

Facebook Page

Cheese and milk products

Berryville, VA

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Grant Assistance

www.holsteinworld.com/harvue/

Small scale winery

Climax, VA

Homeplace Vineyard is a family-owned business located in the southern part of Virginia. Homeplace Farm has been in the family for four generations, and while traditionally a tobacco farm, they planted their first grapes in 2005. Homeplace Vineyard’s main goal is to add value to the business by crushing, processing and bottling its own wine using the grapes grown on the farm. The owners are committed to continue the family tradition on the land by producing fine wines, and in addition, hope to supply their quality wines to high-end hotels and restaurants.

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Feasibility Study
• Business/Marketing Plan
• Assistance in the creation of a Branding Strategy
• Assistance with application for a Working Capital VAPG

www.thehomeplacevineyard.com

LuLu’s Local Food, originally Fall Line Farms, was created in 2009, and has developed into a local food hub. As a food hub, LuLu’s Local Food’s purpose is to create a channel that connects producers with consumers. This connection gives consumers access to locally grown fresh products, and the opportunity for small and medium-sized producers to participate in value added food distribution. Using an online “Order and Pay” format, LuLu’s Local Food is trying to create a system in which producers all over America will have access to the benefits of food hubs.

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Strategic Planning Sessions
• Business Plan
• Development of Software Program
• Initial funding efforts
• Promotion Plan
• Internet Marketing efforts

www.luluslocalfood.com

Artisanal cheese

Stuarts Draft, VA

Main Street/ Homestead Cheese’s goal is to produce its own range of fresh and hard cheeses for sale at farmers markets, retailers, distributors, restaurants and other points of sale. The business’s creamery will have the capacity to produce 100,000 cheeses per year. However, in the first years, Main Street/Homestead Chesses will limit the amount of cheese produced. It will operate with minimal staff, limited equipment and it will continue to sell milk to the cooperative as it has already done in the past.

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Grant Assistance
• Market Plan
• Feasibility Study
• Business Plan

Produce and berries

Bealeton, VA

Adding sparkling wine

Spotsylvania, VA

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Value added planning grant

Ag. Complex and Showring

Chatham, VA

Olde Dominion is an Agricultural Complex in Southern Virginia formed for the purpose of supporting local agriculture in the area. The location consists of educational facilities, a location for major community events and sales, and an office complex for farm associations in Virginia.

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Strategic Planning
• Business Plan development
• Grant Assistance
• Legal Organizational Assistance

www.oldeagfoundation.org

Bio-fuels from switch grass & woody material

Chatham, VA

Piedmont Bioproducts produces bio-fuels from switch grass and woody material. Its goal is to remain economically feasible while using renewable and environmentally friendly fuels that help not only the business, but the community as well. The group works in cooperation with its established biomass feedstock supplier. The project has been evolving quickly and is ready for initial commercialization.

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Assistance with investor identification
• Assistance in Grants Funds acquirement
• Business/Marketing Plan

www.piedmontbioproducts.com

Water marketing cooperative

King and Queen County, VA

Rappahannock Indian Tribe Group is focused on developing plans for a water marketing cooperative and the construction and operation of a water bottling facility in King and Queen County. Even though there are already well established groups in the area, Rappahannock Indian Tribe Group has been working to analyze the feasibility and market potential of this venture.

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Preliminary Financial Model
• Initial Efforts
• RBEG from USDA Rural Development
• Offered Financial Support – Development of Water Quality Study

Family-run winery

La Crosse, VA

Rosemont Winery is a boutique winery that has been in the family for generations. It is located on a 450 acre parcel of land in Southern Virginia, close to South Hill. The winery began operations in 2008 with the building of a tasting room and processing facility for the wines. The goal of the business is to expand by increasing their wine production for direct marketing in Virginia.

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Feasibility Study
• Business Plan
• Assistance with Working Capital VAPG Application

http://rosemontofvirginia.com

Beef Marketing Cooperative

Harrisonburg, VA

Shenandoah Valley Beef is a meat processing group in the Shenandoah Valley. Their main goals are to increase income through the production and marketing of high quality cattle and beef, as well as find different ways to market products more directly to end-consumers in a consistent and timely manner. The group believes in a differentiation strategy for the business; by offering an exclusive product with a high desirable taste that comes directly from a local producer, they believe consumers will be willing to pay a premium.

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Organizational efforts
• Product Sales Planning
• Strategic Planning Process
• VAPG Grant Application
• Feasibility Study
• Producer Survey

http://shenandoahvalleybeefcooperative.blogspot.com/

Natural beef cooperative

Hillsville, VA

Smyth/Grayson Meats Cooperative is a producer owned business that was originally funded by a VAPG. The farms are located in Southwest Virginia, where almost 50% of the land is devoted to agriculture. The group is engaged in the production of pasture raised cattle and recently in starting to market beef products directly to retailers. They are seeking a way to preserve family farms, the area’s natural resources and their rural way of life by improving the quality of the regional economy, community and environment.

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Feasibility Study
• Strategic Planning
• Legal organizational Assessment
• Grant Assistance
• Business Plan

www.graysonnatural.com

Virgilina Distillery Company focuses on the production of artisan alcoholic beverages through distilling corn alcohol and using water from its own property. Its sustainable growth approach is based on starting the business slowly; they plan to produce limited amounts of spirits during the first few years in order to gain experience as well as a better awareness of the market’s needs and tastes. 

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Strategic Planning sessions
• Assistance in Decision Making process
• Assistance with a VAPG application
• Feasibility Study

Aquaculture seller/buyer cooperative

Farmville, VA

Virginia Aquaculture Cooperative was created for the purpose of bringing together small-scale and new producers in Southern Virginia. The cooperative believes that the location, a 20 county region in the south central area of the state, is ideally suited given its climate, topography and presence of existing farm ponds and greenhouses. The initiative would lower the cost associated with aqua-farming and provide the benefits of shared resources. In addition, marketing potential and production would be increased for all members because they would be able to fill large scale demand.

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Preliminary Feasibility Study
• Organizational Assistance
• Strategic Planning
• Grant Assistance 

Cooperative planning

Richmond, VA

Virginia Wineries Association was created in 1983 with the purpose of unifying ideas and resources to benefit and strength the wine industry in Virginia. In addition, the Association wants to create a cooperative to sell wine to the state of Virginia. The Association intends to ensure high quality wine production among its members, and increase the member’s market share for Virginia wine.

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Strategic Planning
• Initial Background work

www.vawine.org

Mead from honey

Chatham, VA

White Oak Mountain is a family owned business located in Pittsylvania County in the state of Virginia. Originally a tobacco farm, the business started to diversify its activities in 2005. Recently, the business has been focusing on honey production to be processed into mead or honey wine. The mead is produced in an artisanal way and the natural conditions in the area are considered as being favorable to the production of a high quality product.

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Value added planning grant

Bottling pasteurized milk

Bridgewater, VA

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Grant Assistance

MountainRose Winery

MountainRose Vineyards is a multigenerational family business seeking to grow. The owners started producing grapes to sell in 1997 and by 2003, they were growing and selling 6 varieties of grapes locally. The winery aimed to increase its profits by 200 percent and expand its business in a sustainable way through offering apple products, producing premium quality wines and managing a boutique winery.

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Value Added Producer Grant
• Feasibility Study

Case Study

www.mountainrosevineyard.com/

Highlands Agriculture Center

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Grant Assistance
• Design Assistance

Narmada Winery

Croftburn Farm

Croftburn Farm  is a family owned business engaged in a small scale grass-fed beef marketing venture. The farm is located near Culpeper, Virginia, and has been raising beef, sheep and a number of grains and forage crops since 1930. The business has been striving to diversify and appeal to a wider purchasing audience by introducing new products such as new types of lamb sausage, beef jerky and meat sticks.

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Preliminary Feasibility Study

Vanderhyde Dairy, Inc.

Vanderhyde Dairy, Inc.  is a growing business that represents a three generation 1,100 head dairy operation in Pittsylvania County in Virginia State.  Its expansion includes 600 new heifers from five months to twenty-two months in age. One of Vanderhyde Dairy, Inc. projects is to look into methane digestion as a new source of income.

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Feasibility Study
• Business Plan

Cumberland Co. Anaerobic Digester Cooperative

Assistance/contribution(s) to the project:

• Grant Assistance