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Avian flu outbreaks strike Va. farms
For almost a year, Virginia poultry farms managed to avoid the nation’s worst-ever avian flu outbreak, but in January, the virus struck a commercial turkey operation in Rockingham County, prompting the killings of 25,300 birds. Five days later, 10,700 more turkeys were euthanized in Rockingham, and in February, 800 birds at an Alexandria live market […]
Farmer Focus to create 300 jobs with $17.8M expansion
Harrisonburg-based Farmer Focus is planning a $17.8 million expansion that will create 300 jobs and double its processing capacity, the organic poultry producer announced this week. Part of that expansion will be paid for with a $3.6 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture‘s Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP). U.S. Secretary […]
Incubator hopes to grow Virginia winemaking
Tim and Ben Jordan are first-generation grape growers on a Shenandoah Valley farm that has been in their family since the 1700s. Although the brothers “leapt off the ground quite blindly” to pursue their passion, Tim Jordan says — first planting grapes in 2007 — their dream of building a winery on the farm proved […]
Farmer Focus taps new president/COO
Harrisonburg-based organic poultry producer Farmer Focus announced leadership changes Tuesday, including tapping a new president and chief operating officer as well as a new chief commercial officer. Stephen J. Shepard is the company’s new president and COO, a promotion from executive vice president of operations, a position he has held since April. In his new […]
Indoor salmon farm travels upstream
An indoor fish farm located in Southwest Virginia, an idea born nearly a decade ago, is slowly swimming its way closer to reality. Work on water infrastructure improvements, including a new water line and sewage lift station, to support the Pure Salmon facility that will straddle Tazewell and Russell counties could begin as early as […]
Agriculture conference headed for Danville
A new conference for the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) industry will debut Oct. 25 at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) in Danville. One goal behind the event, dubbed CEA Summit East, is “highlighting some of the CEA growth that’s happening in Virginia — and particularly in Southern Virginia,” according to organizer Kaylee […]
Va. Tech receives record $80M grant for climate-smart farming
Virginia Tech has received a record $80 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a pilot program that will pay farmers to add practices that could help curb greenhouse gases, the university announced Monday. The grant is the largest in the university’s history. Virginia Tech is partnering on the pilot program with Rural […]
$300M vertical farming campus coming to Chesterfield
A $300 million indoor vertical farm campus — billed as the world’s largest — is coming to Chesterfield County’s Meadowville Technology Park, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday. San Francisco-based Plenty Unlimited Inc. is expected to produce 300 jobs over the next six years in a multiphase project. The first farm, expected to be completed in […]
NoVa distillery to expand, create 42 jobs
Prince William County-based MurLarkey Distilled Spirits will invest $8.1 million to move and expand its operations, with plans to create 42 new jobs over the next three years, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday. MurLarkey will leave Bristow and establish a large new distillery and tasting room on the Manassas campus of Farm Brew Live, a […]
AeroFarms to add 66 jobs in Pittsylvania
New Jersey-based leafy greens producer AeroFarms plans to add 66 more jobs as it increases production at its vertical farm in Pittsylvania County, the governor’s office announced this week. This is in addition to the 92 jobs promised in its operations at Cane Creek Centre, a $42 million investment in what is promoted as the […]
AeroFarms sells its Cane Creek property
AeroFarms has sold its 138,670-square-foot property in Cane Creek Centre to MDH Partners and leased it back for 20 years, the companies announced June 1. MDH Partners bought the property at 1526 Cane Creek Parkway for $19.1 million and leased it back to AeroFarms. The industrial park where AeroFarms is located is jointly owned by […]
Century-old Birdsong Peanuts to modernize Suffolk plant
Suffolk-based Birdsong Peanuts is investing $25.1 million to modernize it Suffolk shelling facility, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday. The company plans to refurbish and automate production lines at the Suffolk plant. It is also committing to additional growing opportunities for Virginia peanut producers, a news release said. Additional details about those opportunities and whether the [&hell[...]
