For generations Floyd County has relied on conventional agriculture as its primary economic activity, and more recently, cattle and dairy farming have dominated this industry. Over time, this has led to a decrease in the number of family farms and in relative farm income. In partnership with local government, we have secured grant funding from USDA to conduct a feasibility study for a fruit and vegetable processing facility for Floyd County.
Future Program Impact
This grant could ultimately lead to the building of a facility providing variety of local food processing services, including:
- Aggregating and repackaging fresh produce
- Cold storage
- Packing and freezing local produce
- Cannery and commercial kitchen
The facility would effectively extend the season for local farmers, add value and profit for agricultural products and open up new markets. This grant would identify a supply chain, conduct a marketing analysis, and potentially develop the parameters of a Floyd Brand for agricultural products.
This project is a major step forward in the collaboration between SustainFloyd and Floyd County government, and the county is considering granting a parcel of land for this purpose in the County’s commerce park. SustainFloyd has also applied for a grant through USDA Rural Development for a refrigerated truck that will serve both the farmers and end users as we move to a more local food economy.