2009 Workshop

VAFEP Mission

The purpose of the Virginia Agriculture & Food Entrepreneurship Program (VAFEP) is to support new and existing innovative value-added food processing and food production enterprises and to strengthen agriculture and food economic development opportunities in the Virginia Piedmont region through a series of educational workshops.

The VAFEP presents an excellent strategy for local agriculture and food entrepreneurs to immediately and positively impact the piedmont area economy and regional foodshed by gaining valuable information about important food safety regulations, business planning tools and local food marketing techniques. 

Learning from experts such as local agriculture and food entrepreneurs, professionals at the Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Thomas Jefferson Health District, Virginia Tech, Central Virginia Small Business Development Center and Piedmont Environmental Council will allow new and existing agricultural and food-based business developers to strengthen there knowledge and understanding of these important topics, which will ultimately help generate economic impacts for there businesses and for the local economy.

The direct producer-to-consumer exchange of locally produced food with those who consume it, helps to create local economic development and sustainable community food systems, integrating all members of a community, promoting sustainable agriculture, strengthening our family farms, enhancing socio-economic wellbeing and incubating new generations of farmers. This relationship also connects rural residents with urban dwellers, and unites agricultural lands with non-farming land, in the process, strengthening our communities.

Enhancing our communities through the development of local and regional food systems gives us the ability to strengthen the web that interconnects all aspects and all members of society, thereby creating a more unified community. As a result, we construct an environment that is more economically diverse, environmentally sustainable and socially interconnected.

John A. Beers

John A. Beers
Program Supervisor
Office of Dairy and Foods
Virginia Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services
102 Governor Street, Suite 349
Richmond, VA 23219
804-786-1452

Mr. Beers graduated in 1975 with a B.S. degree in Animal Science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and began work with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in April 1977 as a dairy inspector.  He held the positions of Dairy Services Regional Manager and Assistant Chief in the Office of Veterinary Services prior to being promoted to manage the Dairy Services Program in 1988.  During his career, Mr. Beers has been an active participant in the Dairy Division of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (DDNASDA) and the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipment (NCIMS). He served as president of the Dairy Division of NASDA between 1999 and 2000 and was elected to Chair the Executive Board of NCIMS at the close of the 2007 conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.  In addition to having served on the NCIMS Executive Board since 2003, Mr. Beers has held the following positions with NCIMS:  Chair of Council II, Chair of the HACCP Implementation Committee, Chair of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee and Chair of the Document Review Committee. Back home, Mr. Beers represents the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services on the Virginia Radiation Advisory Board and is a member of the agencies Emergency Operations Team and the Virginia Dairy Industry Association.  During his spare time he enjoys his two flat coated retrievers (Willie and Vegas), cooking and spending time with friends.