Two Central Virginia Localities Receive AFID Grants
On June 13, 2022, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced eleven Agriculture and Forestry Industry Development (AFID) awards grants for Virginia food and farming projects – two of which are in Central Virginia.
Deep Roots Milling in Nelson County, a founding member of the Common Grain Alliance operating at Woodson’s Mill (c. 1794), received $22,500 to grow retail and wholesale sales. The funding will be used to upgrade the mill’s third floor to create a sifting room and purchase new bagging equipment. Woodson’s Mill is the only water-powered mill still operating in Virginia.
Piedmont Processing in Orange County, a meat processing facility, received $25,000 to expand processing capacity. This award affects 75-100 local producers that rely on the facility to process their meat locally. Funding will be used to purchase a walk-in freezer, increasing current cooler space by 40%.