Rural cooperative development grants

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service has awarded a $200,000 Project Grant under the Rural Cooperative Development Grants program (CFDA 10.771) to the Virginia Foundation For Agriculture, Innovation & Rural Sustainability, doing business as Virginia Fairs. This non-profit organization provides technical assistance, training, feasibility studies, business planning, and other services through its Cooperative Development Center to support the startup, expansion, and operational improvement of rural cooperatives and mutually-owned businesses in Virginia. Over the past several years, Virginia Fairs has received a series of grants totaling $800,000 from this program to deliver these core cooperative development services. The organization has also received a $86,000 Project Grant from the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service for the Farm to School Grant Program to facilitate the introduction of locally produced foods in schools. Through these grant-funded initiatives, Virginia Fairs aims to improve the economic condition of rural areas by assisting individuals and businesses with cooperative enterprises across sectors such as agriculture, fishing, utilities, retail, and credit unions.