VDACS celebrates 10th anniversary of AFID program; more than $12M awarded since inception

BURNT CHIMNEY, Va. (WDBJ) - Governor Glenn Youngkin issued a proclamation Tuesday, December 6, recognizing the 10th anniversary of the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund (AFID).

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services held an event at Homestead Creamery to mark the occasion. In December 2012, Homestead Creamery was the first to receive an AFID grant, allowing the company to undergo a major expansion. Since then, the program has awarded more than $12 million to help new and expanding agriculture and forestry-based businesses in the Commonwealth.

During Tuesday’s event, several speakers highlighted the history of the program and the impact it’s making.

“From a $10,000 small meat processing facility all the way to a half-a-million-dollar indoor growing facility, it covers the whole spectrum of agriculture, it covers the whole state of Virginia, and it’s the hallmark of what agriculture and forestry really are to the Commonwealth,” said Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matt Lohr.

The AFID program receives about $1 million a year from the state. Governor Glenn Youngkin announced he hopes to double the AFID grant moving forward. He’ll deliver his budget to the money committees December 15.