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Virginia Farm Bureau Business Development

Virginia Farm Bureau Federation works directly with the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture, Innovation, and Rural Sustainability (VA FAIRS) to assist producers interested in starting or expanding their value-added agricultural businesses. Producers can make use of VA FAIRS’ technical services as shown below.

VA FAIRS

VA FAIRS’ areas of expertise include strategic planning, grant assistance, feasibility study and business plan creation, and cooperative assistance for rural agricultural enterprises.

About VA FAIRS

Since its inception, VA FAIRS has assisted hundreds of producers with strengthening their business ideas, and has brought more than $30 million in grant funds to rural agricultural businesses

VA FAIRS partners with major stakeholders including Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, USDA Rural Development, and VDACS to provide services to producers.

Strategic Planning

VA FAIRS can help you define your business's strategy, determine direction, and guide decision making through strategic planning. Strategic planning can guide your business to success by helping determine realistic future goals and the steps to achieve those goals.

Grant Assistance

Funding is a critical step in launching a new business or expanding an existing one. VA FAIRS can help clients obtain funding through grant application assistance as well as developing feasibility studies, business plans, and marketing plans, so a lender can better judge the potential of the business.

Feasibility Studies

VA FAIRS creates independent and objective feasibility studies designed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of an existing or proposed business, venture, or idea. Each study analyzes the opportunities and obstacles based on the industry environment and available resources. All studies include a full financial model and projections, industry overview, and competitor highlights.

Business Plans

A business plan is critical to your venture’s success. VA FAIRS business plans are detailed and tailored to each venture and their respective industry. A business plan can be used to attract investors, apply for grants, and convey your vision to attract partners.

Cooperative Assistance

VA FAIRS assists producer groups in identifying emerging market trends that create opportunities for small-scale producer cooperatives. These trends often translate into opportunities for producers to transition into new types of agricultural production, processing and marketing ventures that reward attributes such as “family-farm” produced, and “locally grown” products.

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When you become a member of Virginia Farm Bureau, you support farming, agriculture and the Virginia way of life.

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