Genesee County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan

APPENDIX C: AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CASE STUDY SUMMARIES
Fauquier County Virginia Agricultural Development Program
The goal/mission of the Fauquier County Agricultural Development Program is to
promote the agricultural industry, increase the economic viability of farming and advise
the County Board of Supervisors on matters affecting the agricultural economy and its
development.
The Agricultural Development Officer answers to the County Administrator and an
Agricultural Advisory Committee, chaired by a member of the County Board of
Supervisors. The program is less than 2 years old and the current Agricultural
Development Officer has been in position since May this year.
The Agricultural Development Officer is currently working with the Advisory Committee
in the development of an agricultural strategic plan for the County. The plan will focus
on 3-4 action items. Their website www.co.fauquier.va.us/services/farm/index.html
highlights the Agricultural Advisory Committee’s agenda, farm product directory, special
events like the fall farm tour, and farm land report.
The fall farm tour was just held, which brought in 10,000 to 11,000 farm visitors, which
was a 30% increase over last year. The farm tours had an educational component where
the tourist had an actual task to “learn by doing” to experience the farm and not just see
it. The tour offered every aspect of the industry from beef and dairy operations to emu
and lama operations. The participating farmers sold lots of product direct during the tour
and the emu farms sold out all of their meat products.
Fauquier County’s biggest agriculture sector is in the production of feeder calves.
Feeder calves are sold to feedlots in the Midwest and the meat product returns to the east.
The Agricultural Development Officer wants to evaluate the opportunities for vertically
integrating the process in his County to keep the added value local.
The Agricultural Development Officer has started a marketing group of agricultural
producers and industry representatives to conduct the necessary research to identify new
marketing opportunities and to test them. They soon learned that they did not have the
necessary volume to enter some of the niche markets and as a result, identified the need
to establish marketing alliances. As a result, new market alliances have been established
with growers of similar crops.
The close proximity of Fauquier to the major population centers offers readily available
niche markets and opportunities for direct marketing. However, the downside of that is
the need to educate the newcomers on what farming is all about.
Contact:
Peter Mitchell
Agricultural Development Officer
(540) 341-7950, Ext. 23
Copyright©, 2000: Agricultural & Community Development Services, Inc, Columbia MD 1