For Virginians to eat foods produced and processed as close to their homes as possible can we encourage movement and momentum towards a goal of 10% local food production and consumption in the next 5 to 7 years.
Tag Archives: Food System
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.
Healthy Farms and Healthy Food for the Common Wealth and Common Good
Virginia’s overall food system directly impacts the survival and viability of farms and farmland, the economic development of rural and urban communities, the care, restoration and resilience of ecological resources, and critical health issues. Therefore, the promotion of healthy farms and healthy food from the farm to the table can have a positive impact on the common wealth and common good of Virginia’s economy, food system, and communities.