Farm Credit of the Virginias (FCV), a lending cooperative that serves Virginia, West Virginia and western Maryland, announced the Association would award a total of $43,000 in grant funding to eligible postsecondary education institutions through the second funding cycle of the Agricultural Career Enhancement (ACE) grant program. The following applicants were awarded grant funding to support their agriculture-related programs:
– Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation – Agricultural Sciences Program (Augusta County, Va.)
– East Coast Horseshoeing School – Farrier Program (Henry County, Va.)
– Eastern Workforce Opportunity Regional Center and Services – Agribusiness Micro-Credential Program (Hardy County, W. Va.)
– Mountain Gateway Community College – Forest Management Technology Program (Alleghany County, Va.)
– Rapp Center for Education – Butchery and Meat Processing Workforce Training (Rappahannock County, Va.)
– Virginia Tech (Montgomery County, Va.)
– Virginia’s Land Use-Value Assessment Program under the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
– Virginia Governor’s School for Agriculture under the Department of Agricultural, Leadership and Community Education
FCV’s ACE grant program was launched in 2024 with the goal of supporting agricultural career development programs at postsecondary education institutions, including those in agricultural sciences, agricultural technology, agricultural education, agribusiness, forestry, conservation and more. The ACE grant program allows the Association to meet their mission to serve the agriculture industry by investing in the expansion of agricultural education. The program offered up to $10,000 grant opportunities for eligible institutions that serve the Association’s 96-county territory and align with FCV’s mission. Grant applications for this funding cycle were accepted August 1 through September 30, 2025, in which nine eligible applications were received and reviewed.
Kevin Craun, Chairperson of the Farm Credit of the Virginias’ board of directors, said, “On behalf of the board, we are pleased to provide funding support for agriculture and forestry education programs at these institutions through our Agricultural Career Enhancement grant program. While our primary focus here at Farm Credit is meeting the needs of our customer-owners, we also seek to improve agricultural education opportunities for young people throughout our territory and beyond, as it will greatly benefit our industry in the long run.”
Pete Cypret, Farm Credit of the Virginias’ CEO, said, “This grant program is a prime example of how we aim to boost the longevity of the agriculture industry by making investments in these institutions as they work hard to promote agriculture to the next generation. We are glad to be able to support the future of agriculture and serve as an engaged partner in our rural communities.”
About Farm Credit
of the Virginias
Farm Credit of the Virginias provides over $2.3 billion dollars in financing to more than 12,500 farmers, agribusinesses and rural homeowners throughout Virginia, West Virginia and western Maryland. Farm Credit is a cooperative capitalized largely through investments made by farmers, ranchers and the rural homeowners and businesses that borrow from them. In fact, as part of a nationwide network they are the largest single provider of agricultural credit in the United States and have been for over 100 years. Farm Credit helps maintain and improve the quality of life in rural America and on the farm through its constant commitment to competitive lending, expert financial services and for facilitating and sharing knowledge and resources through the Farm Credit Knowledge Center. For more information, visit www.farmcreditofvirginias.com.
