Who are we?
Virginia Food Works is a non-profit organization that works with existing and prospective producers of value-added foods, providing expertise and guidance on the steps involved from product development to final production. We also offer contract packing services, specializing in the creation of value-added foods from locally grown ingredients.
The mission of Virginia Food Works is to implement programs that will strengthen the capacity of Virginia food producers to enter and succeed in value-added food manufacturing and sales, thereby providing Virginia residents and community organizations with access to safely-processed, nutritious local foods throughout the year.
Virginia has one of the most versatile climates for growing crops, and yet 85% to 90% of what Virginians eat is sourced from out-of-state. Our hope is to add even more options for Virginians to eat locally and enjoy the variety of produce present in our state.
Virginia Food Works can assist you in renting the cannery yourself, or you can hire our qualified staff to create and bottle your recipe for you – check out our co-packing page for pricing details.
What is value-added food?
Value-added food is literally food to which value has been added, either by adding ingredients or by preserving it in some way. A good example would be the transformation of tomatoes into pasta sauce or berries into jam.
What products can we assist with?
The staff of Virginia Food Works is trained on the production of acid and acidified foods. This includes foods high in natural acids like most fruits and tomatoes. Other products that can be processed include low acid foods such as beans or corn to which acidic ingredients have been added, making the final mixture acidic. We cannot advise on products containing meat, fish or dairy.
