Agriculture is Virginia’s oldest and most vital industry. It contributes over $105 billion annually to our economy and supports nearly 490,000 jobs. Sustaining our farms means sustaining our food supply, rural communities, and family livelihoods for generations to come.

 

John Reid’s Growing Virginia’s Future plan builds on what works, fixes what doesn’t, and ensures farming remains a viable career path for the next generation. Farmers don’t need new mandates — they need programs that deliver.

 

This plan focuses on four pillars:

 

1. Support Local Farmers & Sustain Farms

• Tax Credits for Local Sales: Provide incentives for farms that sell directly to Virginia schools, hospitals, and local markets — keeping money in our communities and food on our tables.

• Farmland Preservation: Slow the loss of acreage to residential, industrial, and utility-scale projects. Prioritize responsible solar development on rooftops, brownfields, and marginal lands while protecting prime farmland.

• Protect Family Farms: Oppose reinstatement of the Virginia estate tax, which threatens farm succession and generational survival.

• Right to Farm: Preserve Virginia’s Right to Farm laws and building code exemptions for agricultural structures.

• Sustaining Farms = Sustaining Families: Ensure that Virginia policy recognizes farms not only as businesses but as the foundation of our food independence and community strength.

 

2. Cut Red Tape & Keep Programs That Work

• Streamlined Permitting: Simplify rules for farm breweries, dairies, and agricultural co-ops to help farmers diversify and grow.

• Full BMP Funding: Continue full funding of Virginia’s Best Management Practices (BMP) Cost-Share Assistance Program through 2030, ensuring farmers can lead on conservation without burdensome mandates.

• Voluntary Conservation, Not Mandates: Oppose mandatory Chesapeake Bay practices when farmers have already maximized voluntary programs provided by the Commonwealth.

• Support Cooperative Extension & Research: Strengthen Virginia Tech and Virginia State’s land-grant programs, Agricultural Research & Extension Centers (ARECs), and Cooperative Extension to ensure farmers have access to cutting-edge science and technical support.

• Science-Based Standards: Protect access to EPA-approved crop protection tools and oppose restrictions not grounded in science.

• Labor Flexibility: Maintain farmworker exemptions from minimum wage and overtime, recognizing the unique realities of agriculture.

• Veterinary Workforce: Expand training capacity and loan repayment programs for large-animal veterinarians to address shortages in rural Virginia.

 

3. Farm-to-Table Careers

• Expand Vocational Ag Education: Strengthen partnerships with schools and FFA chapters to build clear pathways into agriculture.

• Hands-On Training: Extend teacher contracts and expand programs so students gain practical experience throughout the year.

• Succession Planning: Support programs like Generation NEXT to help families navigate farm transition and preserve operations for the next generation.

• Small Farm Outreach: Strengthen Virginia State University’s outreach programs to support small and minority-owned farms.

 

4. Rural Infrastructure & Agency Support

• Broadband Expansion: Deliver high-speed internet access to rural communities so farmers can compete in a modern economy.

• Road & Market Access: Upgrade roads and rural infrastructure to connect farmers to customers statewide.

• Agency Support: Ensure agencies like VDACS, DOF, and DCR are properly staffed to provide disease monitoring, export assistance, land preservation, and inspection support.

• Agrivoltaics & Dual-Use Solar: Encourage innovative energy solutions like dual-use solar that preserve productive farmland while advancing clean energy — always keeping decisions at the local level.

 

When we sustain our farms, we sustain our future.

 

John Reid’s Growing Virginia’s Future plan is about protecting what works, fixing what doesn’t, and ensuring Virginia agriculture remains strong for decades to come. By investing in voluntary conservation, protecting farmland, cutting red tape, and supporting rural infrastructure, we can keep Virginia growing and secure our food supply for generations.