State grant to boost expansion at Dorey Park Farmers Market
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The Dorey Park Farmers Market was among three Virginia projects to receive awards recently from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund Infrastructure Grant program. The three projects will receive a total of $127,500 in competitively awarded, matching grants for new community infrastructure development projects that support local food production and sustainable agriculture.
The $50,000 grant to the Dorey Park Farmers Market will allow the market to expand and provide additional shelter for consumers, as well as an educational programming space and a separate office and storage area for market managers.
Established in 2018, the Dorey Park Farmers Market has grown to more than 40 vendors. The expansion project will make possible an improved market facility that provides access to locally grown produce, as well as an improved retail outlet for local farmers to sell their products.
AFID infrastructure grants were created by the General Assembly in 2021, and are awarded to support locally identified investments that aid small-scale farmers and food producers in growing their operations. The program is administered by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in the spring of 2024. For information, visit vdacs.virginia.gov/agriculture-afid-infrastructure-grants.shtml.
