Tag Archives: economic impact

Of Farmers and Farmland: Virginia’s Declining Agriculture of the Middle

The dilemma of Virginia’s small to mid-level farmers and lost farmland

For some people, the loss of small to mid-level farms is inevitable because these farms either lack the economy of scale to compete in an ever-changing globally oriented commodity-based market or do not have the flexibility and resources to transition to a more direct-to-consumer market. Indeed, many small and mid-level farms in Virginia, those with annual gross sales of between $50,000 and $500,000, are struggling to survive financially.

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Small Step, Big Impact

With the unprecedented demand for local foods in Virginia and the United States, it can be challenging, and at times overwhelming, to know where to start and how to support local farmers in very practical and tangible ways. One recommendation of the Virginia Farm to Table Plan is to encourage each household in Virginia to spend $10 per week of their total food budget on locally-grown Virginia food and farm products year-round.

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