Farm Credit of the Virginias Awards $130,000 in Grant Funding through Charitable Contributions Fund

Farm Credit of the Virginias (FCV), a lending cooperative that serves Virginia, West Virginia and western Maryland, announced the Association would award a total of $130,000 in grant funding to eligible charitable organizations through the Farm Credit of the Virginias’ Charitable Contributions Fund. The following applicants were awarded grant funding to support their efforts:

• Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture – Training program for military veterans interested in pursuing a career in agriculture (Fairfax County, Va.)
• Bland County Fair – Improved fair infrastructure, including arena construction (Bland County, Va.)
• Botetourt County Fair Association – Improved youth project display at fair, including the purchase of poultry cages (Botetourt County, Va.)
• Braxton County Fair – Improved fair infrastructure, including the purchase of a storage building and new load bars (Braxton County, W. Va.)
• Cross Keys Equine Therapy – Trauma-focused equine-assisted therapy program for veterans and first responders (Rockingham County, Va.)
• Duffield Fire and Rescue – Purchase of lifesaving technical rescue equipment for farm accidents (Scott County, Va.)
• George Washington Carver Agriculture Research Center – Purchase of key piece of equipment for the manufacturing and packaging of value-added products for local farmers (Culpeper County, Va.) 
• Hampshire County Convention and Visitors Bureau – Development and distribution of Hampshire County Local Food Guide, promoting local farms and markets (Hampshire County, W. Va.)
• Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center – Natural Resource Education program (Appomattox County, Va.) 
• Maryland FFA Foundation – Regional Leadership Development Conference for Western Maryland FFA members (Allegany County, Md.)
• Minority and Veteran Farmers of the Piedmont – Small farm outreach initiative, which connects minority, socially disadvantaged and veteran producers with local food banks and other food distribution (Culpeper County, Va.)
• Nicholas County Youth Foundation – Improved livestock show infrastructure, including arena expansion (Nicholas County, W. Va.)
• Potomac Valley Hospital – Education surrounding healthy lifestyles utilizing locally sourced produce for higher risk patients (Mineral County, W. Va.)
• Project GROWS – Farm-to-Food Pantry Program with support from their Youth Leaders in Agriculture Program (Augusta County, Va.)
• Roanoke Foodshed Network – Buyer/Grower Expo to support regional farmers (City of Roanoke, Va.) 
• Virginia Cooperative Extension-Franklin County – Training program focused on grain bin extraction for first responders and the farming community (Franklin County, Va.)
• Virginia Cooperative Extension & Virginia State Dairymen’s Association – Hands-on equipment training and safety education through the Women Increasing Skills and Education (WISE) program (Pittsylvania County, Va.)
• Virginia FFA Foundation – Agriculture advocacy workshops for FFA members (five workshops to be held throughout Virginia)

FCV’s Charitable Contributions Fund grant program was established in 2022 as a means for the Association to engage with and build stronger partnerships with organizations that preserve and promote farmers and families in their rural communities. The program offers up to $10,000 grant opportunities for eligible organizations that serve the Association's 96-county territory and align with FCV’s mission. Grant applications for this funding cycle were accepted May 1, 2024 through July 1, 2024, in which 63 eligible applications were received and reviewed.

Jamie Kinsey, Chairperson of the Farm Credit of the Virginias' Board of Directors, said, "On behalf of the board, we are proud to provide funding support for projects related to agriculture throughout our footprint through our Charitable Contributions Fund grant program. As a cooperative, the communities we serve are always top of mind, and while our primary focus is meeting the needs of our customer-owners, we also seek to make a positive impact in those communities we serve."

Brad Cornelius, Farm Credit of the Virginias’ CEO, said, “Our Charitable Contributions Fund grant program helps us carry out our mission of being an engaged partner in our rural communities. We are pleased to be able to provide funding for projects that benefit the future of agriculture and preserve the great quality of life in our communities in this third funding cycle of our grant program. We look forward to seeing the lasting positive impact these funds will have across our footprint through the initiatives they support.”

Applications for the next round of funding through the Farm Credit of the Virginias’ Charitable Contributions Fund grant program will be available in spring 2025. Applicants are encouraged to visit our website and follow our social media channels for timely updates related to the Charitable Contributions Fund grant program. Learn more about the program on our website: www.farmcreditofvirginias.com/ccf

About Farm Credit of the Virginias 
Farm Credit of the Virginias provides over $2 billion dollars in financing to more than 12,000 farmers, agribusinesses and rural homeowners throughout Virginia, West Virginia and western Maryland. Farm Credit is a cooperative capitalized largely through investments made by farmers, ranchers and the rural homeowners and businesses that borrow from them. In fact, as part of a nationwide network they are the largest single provider of agricultural credit in the United States and have been for over 100 years. Farm Credit helps maintain and improve the quality of life in rural America and on the farm through its constant commitment to competitive lending, expert financial services and for facilitating and sharing knowledge and resources through the Farm Credit Knowledge Center. For more information, visit www.farmcreditofvirginias.com.