Farm Bureau members in Virginia don’t all live or work on farms, but they’ve helped touch agricultural businesses from Wise to Warsaw.

Your Farm Bureau membership supports the work of the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture, Innovation and Rural Sustainability, a nonprofit organization based at Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. The foundation’s mission is to assist rural agricultural enterprises, and since its founding in 2004 it has worked with more than 100 producers who wanted to start a new business, expand an existing one or become more competitive.

“Agriculture is constantly changing, and enterprises that used to sustain a farm are not necessarily viable anymore,” said Chris Cook, VA FAIRS executive director. “Producers need to look at innovative opportunities, and we can help turn their idea into a new business venture.”

VA FAIRS offers technical assistance to individuals, agricultural cooperatives, small businesses and other rural entities, and its areas of expertise are:

• strategic planning;
• grant assistance;
• feasibility studies;
• business plans;
• marketing plans; and
• assistance with grant applications.

Industries in which VA FAIRS has worked include:

• aquaculture;
• beekeeping;
• hydroponics;
• processing of fresh fruits and vegetables into value-added products;
• bio-energy;
• wine, beer, cider, mead and spirits;
• meat processing;
• dairy farming, on-farm creameries and artisanal cheeses; and
• forestry.

For more information on VA FAIRS, visit vafairs.com.