Commissary Kitchen and Food Aggregator: Bath County $50,000 Grant Awarded

Governor Glenn Youngkin Announces Grants to Support Local Food Production
RICHMOND, VA – Governor Glenn Youngkin announced today the latest round of awards from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund Infrastructure Grant program. A total of $264,000 in competitively awarded matching grants will support six new community infrastructure projects aimed at strengthening local food production and sustainable agriculture. These investments span six localities, enhancing markets and a food aggregator while expanding access to fresh, locally grown food for communities across the Commonwealth. 

“Awards from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund Infrastructure Grant program are pivotal in providing targeted support to communities who want to create innovative solutions to local, healthy food access,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “We are proud to invest in the efforts of these dedicated food leaders who are making a lasting impact on the lives of Virginians across the Commonwealth.” 

“It’s so important that we help our farmers and small food producers get their products to consumers, especially consumers in their local community,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr. “These grants support farm income, strengthen local economies, and increase residents’ access to fresh local foods. It’s a win for everyone.” 

Commissary Kitchen and Food Aggregator 
Bath County 
$50,000 

Bath County is receiving funding to support The Village Kitchen, a commissary kitchen and food aggregator, with the establishment of a fully equipped, shared-use facility to provide local farmers and food-based businesses with tools and resources needed to scale their operations without bearing the prohibitive costs of individual facility investments. This will allow farms and food producers to diversify and expand their offerings while adhering to regulatory requirements for food safety.  

Created by the General Assembly in 2021 and administered by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the AFID Infrastructure Grant program partners with local governments to award grants to develop community infrastructure in support of growing the operations of small-scale farmers and food producers. The maximum grant award is $50,000. 

Applications for the next round of this grant program will be accepted in the spring. Additional information about the program is available at https://link.edgepilot.com/s/c84c61b5/9ZIy0I8d1E_CU0u_5nB1MA?u=http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/agriculture-afid-infrastructure-grants.shtml