Southside Virginia Fruit & Vegetable Producers Association

Southside Virginia Fruit & Vegetable Producers Association is a grassroots, farmer-founded and operated growers association that aims to provide access to institutional buyers and shared equipment and facilities for local fruit and vegetable producers in Southside Virginia. As a non-profit organization, it serves as a cooperative to assist small and emerging rural businesses in the region.

Through several federal grant awards, Southside Virginia Fruit & Vegetable Producers Association has supported efforts to develop, coordinate, and expand local and regional food systems in Virginia. A $426,235 project grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service under the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program funded initiatives to strengthen the local food economy and assist producers in marketing and selling their products to institutional customers until September 2025. Additionally, the association received two Rural Business Development Grants totaling $231,200 from the USDA Rural Housing Service to promote sustainable economic development and facilitate the establishment and growth of small businesses in rural communities. These grants provided technical assistance, training programs, and other services to help local fruit and vegetable producers start or expand their operations, with the goal of improving the rural economy and stimulating job growth.