SPECIALTY AGRICULTURE
In 2005, the Governor and the General Assembly created the Virginia Works Initiative to revitalize Virginia's rural economy. A major part of this initiative involves the development and enhancement of specialty agriculture businesses that provide opportunities for high value and value added enterprises in rural Virginia.
What is Specialty Agriculture?
The emphasis of specialty agriculture is adding
value to an agribusiness product or process.
Specialty agriculture includes:
- Non- traditional agribusiness products, including commodity items not traditional to Virginia
- Value-added agribusiness products or processes
- Traditional agribusiness products, which are marketed or distributed using new and innovative channels
Why Specialty Ag
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As the farm share of each consumer dollar spent on food continues to fall,
higher value, specialty agribusiness products can help diversify the economic
base of rural communities across the Commonwealth.
Specialty agriculture products:
- Have the potential for greater return on investment and greater return per acre than traditional commodity items
- May allow agribusiness producers to take advantage of competitive advantages gained through diversification and / or differentiation
- May exhibit greater long-term growth potential than traditional commodity items
What Resources are Available?
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services (VDACS) offers a variety of services tailored to helping specialty agribusiness
ventures become established and flourish within the Commonwealth. VDACS employs
an integrated approach to assisting specialty agribusiness ventures. VDACS functions
as a clearinghouse of information useful to specialty agribusiness ventures.
VDACS provides information regarding financial resources available to Virginia
agribusiness, offers assistance addresses technical and regulatory issues, and
the agency provides producers with domestic and international marketing services.
Important
Links:
Financial Resources Available to Virginia Agribusiness
Technical and Regulatory
Resources at VDACS
Marketing Resources at VDACS
Research for Specialty Agriculture:
In conjunction and integrated with the
economic development protocol for specialty agriculture, research is critical
for the advancement and viability of Specialty Agriculture opportunities. The
Governor made available an appropriation of Specialty Agriculture Research
funds to be used by Virginia Tech University and Virginia State University
for applied commercialization research in Specialty Agriculture. Grants are
awarded on an annual basis and applications are due by September 1 st of each
year.
Projects Supported by the VDACS Specialty Agriculture Research Grants Program
FY06
* Development and Management of Specialty Small Grain Varieties for High-Value End-Use Markets
* Adding Value to Virginia Woodlands with Wild-Simulated Ginseng
* Production of Vegetable Soybean as a Potential Specialty Crop in Virginia
* Evaluating Protected Culture for Season Extension in Strawberries
* Viability of Jalapeno, Habanero, and Tomatillo Production in Virginia
FY07
* Evaluating Protected Culture for Season Extension in Strawberries
* Evaluating of Cultivars and Protected Culture in Cherries
* Optimizing Pepper and Tomatillo Production and Grower Diversification in Virginia
* Development and Management of Specialty Small Grain Varieties for High-Value End-Use Markets
* Evaluation of Peanut Cultivars in an Organic Production System in Virginia
* Management Practices for Specialty Market Pork Production
* Production of Fresh-Cut Flowers in Virginia