New strategies for Loudoun’s Rural Economy
By: Susan VanEpps
According to Loudoun County Department of Economic Development’s Agricultural Development Officer, Kellie Boles, “Loudoun should be recognized as a leader among all Virginia counties in many rural industries.”
“Loudoun has a very active and innovative network of rural entrepreneurs; they have access to profitable market opportunities, and many of their businesses are thriving. At the same time, the sustained success and future growth of rural business overall will depend on greater public and private support, additional innovations, and better tracking data.”
Boles is the staff liaison for the Rural Economic Development Council, which has been working on a plan to strengthen the county’s rural economy through a new Rural Economic Development Business Strategy.
Last month, the REDC unveiled the strategy’s findings and recommendations to the Board of Supervisors’ Economic Development Committee. The findings were gathered through a nine-month process that involved the county, the REDC, more than 300 businesses owners working in 15 rural economy sectors, and consultant Phillip Gottwals from the firm Agricultural and Community Development Services.
The strategy’s leaders agree that Loudoun is successful, but that plans to strengthen the resources rural businesses rely on are key. In addition, any plan to strengthen rural industry should deal with long-term foundational needs as well as more immediate program needs. While details on nine preliminary recommendations were presented in November, more information will be released when the final strategy is presented to the Economic Development Committee and Board of Supervisors in 2013.
“In the last 15 years I cannot remember working with a group that coalesced so significantly around a set of issues as [these] rural industry clusters,” Gottwals said.
“By and large, the trend in most [agricultural] sectors in state and federal statistics is declining. In talking with [Loudoun] top producers, we found just the opposite … there’s lots of positive thinking regarding opportunities, growth and profits, and lots of entrepreneurs making a good living …” Gottwals added.
REDBS Co-Chair Doug Fabbioli agreed. “When I talk with other Loudoun wineries, their numbers are phenomenal,” he stated. He added that other Loudoun rural businesses such as restaurants, farmers markets and agritourism venues were seeing similar success, but that “What we’re seeing is that our rural infrastructure is usable, but we have to put a lot more in to maximize our ability to move forward in the right areas.”
The Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on the strategy in early 2013.