Winchester’s Main Street agriculture event was a success, as expected!

On Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012, Winchester’s downtown walking mall was filled with excitement for local farms. Farm Bureau, in partnership with the Winchester Old Town Development Board, Winchester Main Street Foundation and Virginia Main Street program, produced an extraordinary community event, Winchester’s Main Street Agriculture, held on the historic Loudon Street Pedestrian Mall.

The partnership was a natural fit. “There is a Farm Bureau and a Main Street in every state,” said Dee Cook, membership development specialist with Virginia Farm Bureau. Winchester is one of 25 Virginia communities designated as Virginia Main Street communities. Cook said that she hopes Frederick County’s successful Main Street Agriculture event will lead to similar events all over Virginia in the near future. “This has been the pilot,” she said. “We hope to roll it out statewide next year,” Cook added.

More than 20 vendors set up booths to sell their farm products and provide interactive, educational activities for the public. There were also many educational demonstrations including a hydroponics display, grape crushing, a live beehive and farm-to-table cooking demonstrations, along with others.

photo credit: lancasterfarming.com 2012

Here is a nice article from LancasterFarming.com about the event, Taking the Farm to the City.

Winchester’s Main Street Agriculture – Save the Date!

On Saturday, Oct. 6, Winchester’s downtown walking mall will be filled with excitement for local farms.

Farm Bureau is partnering with the Winchester Old Town Development Board, Winchester Main Street Foundation and Virginia Main Street program to produce an extraordinary community event promoting Frederick County agriculture and a renaissance in community life!

The purpose of the event is to educate and promote the importance of agriculture to Winchester/Frederick County residents while building community relationships that produce quality community life and local prosperity for farmers, businesses and residents.

The day will highlight Frederick County agriculture with farmers and vendors providing local foods, educational displays and activities for children. Look for downtown restaurants to offer “local plates,” meals featuring fresh, local produce, meats and dairy products. There will be cooking demonstrations, advice for gardeners and live animals. The George Washington Hotel will host a wine garden, and of course, there will be lots of fun for all!

For more information, visit Winchester’s Main Street Agriculture’s Facebook page.

Entrepreneurs. Better with age?

Entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of the economy. They’re innovators, experimenters and risk takers, the driving force behind capitalism’s “perennial gale of creative destruction,” in economist Joseph Schumpeter’s evocative metaphor.

So says Chris Farrell in this week’s Bloomberg Businessweek.

But Mr. Farrell goes on to remind us that entrepreneurs are not only young, brash, rule breakers.  They also include older, more seasoned innovators.  Fully 20.9% of all new entrepreneurial ventures are started by people 55-64 years old.

These entrepreneurs may be forming enterprises because they finally have the security to follow their dream, or maybe they were laid off and found finding a new, challenging job toward the end of their career arc to be difficult.  Others may be looking for a little more control of their work-life balance as they make a 20- or 30-year transition to retirement.

Regardless of their reasons, there businesses may be well suited to the scale of your downtown.

Well-wired Winchester is as close to Dulles Airport, in terms of travel time, as downtown D.C. and is better hooked into the Ashburn “home” of the Internet than almost any place in the world.  A transitioning entrepreneur might find the housing, rent and tax rates beneficial, while cherishing the more relaxed lifestyle that a pedestrian-oriented comercial district, closely abutted by historic residential neighborhoods, can provide.

USAToday printed a similar article last month, and Slate published one as far back as 2010, detailing reasons why older entrepreneurs may be more successful, not the least of which is access to capital.

Farrell, too, gives several reasons that older entrepreneurs may have a leg up on their younger competition, but a successful community could use both.  Making sure you are providing the necessary tools and amenities for all entrepreneurs is vital.

Tourism Marketing Grants Announced

Governor McDonnell recently announced that the Virginia Tourism Commission (VTC) will award $635,000 in matching grants to 35 local tourism initiatives.  The grants, which require a 3-to-1 match, will help local and regional entities attract visitors by leveraging local tourism marketing dollars.

Several designated Virginia Main Street (VMS) communities and their partners will receive grant funds. Some communities will use the funds to promote local festivals (Waynesboro – Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival and Winchester – 85th annual Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival). Others will promote driving trails (Harrisonburg & Luray – Shenandoah Music Trail), the Civil War (Farmville – Best Part of the Civil War – The End) and outdoor recreation (Harrisonburg, Staunton & Waynesboro – SVTA Outdoor Recreation and Family Traveling Marketing Campaign and Waynesboro & Abingdon – Virginia Appalachian Trail Smart Phone Application). Still others will use the funds for branding (Luray – Luray and Page County: So Much to Love) and comprehensive destination marketing, research and strategic planning (Abingdon). For a complete list of the funded projects, see the Governor’s announcement.  

Tourism is an important source of revenue and jobs in Virginia. In 2010, tourism generated $18.9 billion in revenue, provided $1.3 billion in state and local taxes and supported more than 204,000 jobs. 

“The VTC Marketing Leverage Grant program is an excellent resource … to boost tourism,” Alisa Bailey, president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation.  

The next round of Marketing Leverage Program grants will open Spring 2012. Localities interested in applying should visit www.vatc.org for more information.

Tayloe Murphy Resilience Award finalists announced

The Darden School of Business and its Tayloe Murphy Center at the University of Virginia has announced 14 finalists for the 2011 Tayloe Murphy Resilience Award.  The following businesses in Virginia Main Street Communities were selected from among 88 applicants and 21 semi-finalists:

A Bowl of Good Cafe, Inc., Harrisonburg
Gearclean, Winchester
Highground Services, Franklin
L & R Precision Tooling, Lynchburg
Linstrand USA, Inc., South Boston
Thomas A. Johnson Furniture Company, Lynchburg

DHCD Commercial District Affiliates were also represented:
Chateau Morrisette, Inc., Floyd
MountainRose Vineyareds, Inc., Wise
Office Plus Business Centre, Danville

The Tayloe Murphy Awards recognize the most resilient businesses in Virginia — those that demonstrate the entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to community in areas facing high unemployment, high poverty and low entrepreneurial activity. In 2010, Martinsville Uptown business Solid Stone Fabrics received the award.

Read the inspirational story of these businesses making a difference in the press release. For more information on the trainings and programs of the Tayloe Murphy Center, visit www.tayloemurphy.org.

Downtown Improvement Grants Awarded

Five Designated Virginia Main Street (VMS) Communities have been awarded 2011 Downtown Improvment Grants.  This year, VMS communities served by CSX Transportation rail lines were eligible for a match of up to $5,000 from the corporation, pushing the awards from $2,500 to a total of $7,500. 

Waynesboro and Winchester will receive CSX Transportation VMS Downtown Improvement Grants. Communities receiving VMS Downtown Improvement Grants are Berryville, Blackstone and Marion. The discrete projects must be completed by December of this year and were selected due to their capacity for impact, the level of volunteer involvement and the degree to which they leverage additional resources.  The following projects were selected from among the 17 submitted:

Waynesboro:  A downtown riverside observation deck along a key section of the South River will strengthen the connection between the community, the district, regional outdoor recreation and quality of life strategies. Several river access facilities and greenway trail resources intersect at the site.  ($7,500)

Winchester:  A flexible staging platform will be developed and purchased as part of a coordinated events strategy for Old Town Winchester. The professional staging system will create an enhanced audience experience at community events and performances.  ($7,500)

Berryville:  A downtown design improvements project furthers recommendations by the Virginia Main Street architect to engage property owners in simple district improvements. Grant products will include planters, a door improvement contest and a wayfinding kiosk. ($2,500)

Blackstone:  A historical markers project engages property owners, local historians and the Town in identifying and communicating the stories of the historical assets that shape this historic commercial district. ($2,500)

Marion:  A largely volunteer based “Big Surprise” façade improvement program will dramatically improve the appearances of three buildings, two of which are owned by local nonprofits. In a quick burst of activity, old facades will be removed, with basic improvements begun over the weekend.  ($2,500)

2011 Virginia Main Street Downtown Improvement Grants to include new CSX partnership

Applications are now being accepted from Designated Virginia Main Street (VMS) Communities for the 2011 Downtown Improvement Grants. Traditionally capped at $2,500 for special Main Street  projects, Downtown Improvement Grants will be available in amounts up to $7,500 for the four Designated VMS Communties served by CSX Transportation lines, thanks to a generous matching grant from the corporation.

CSX Transportation operates a 21,000 route-mile rail network serving major population centers in 23 states east of the Mississippi River, including connections to more than 230 short line and regional railroads.  VMS communities served by CSX are: Franklin, Lynchburg, Waynesboro, and Winchester. Virginia Main Street thanks CSX Transportation for this support of downtown revitalization in Virginia. 

Downtown Improvement Grants are only available for Designated Virginia Main Street Communities, and applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 6.  

Read about the projects and outcomes of last year’s funding cycle, or view the grant announcements below:

Grant announcement for Designated VMS Communities served by CSX >> PDF
Grant announcement for other Designated VMS Communities >> PDF

Congratulations Milestone Achievement Award Recipients!

On March 31, 2011, community leaders from the 21 Designated Virginia Main Street Communities met to celebrate achievements built over the course of their efforts.  The crowd of 95 gathered for the Milestone Achievement Awards luncheon and ceremony at Richmond’s historic Jefferson Hotel.

At the ceremony, Mary Rae Carter, Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade for Rural Development congratulated the communities and pointed out the visible results of their leadership. Next, DHCD Director Bill Shelton highlighted some of the cummulative outcomes across Virginia: this year’s net job gain of 663 jobs and the more than $275 million privately invested over the past five years.

The keynote speaker of this year’s luncheon was nationally recognized sustainable preservation expert Jean Carroon, FAIA, LEED AP. Ms. Carroon reminded the audience how important their work is in preserving their communities and protecting the planet. “People often forget that before we recycle, we can reduce consumption and reuse existing products,” she said. “A building is the one of the largest handmade objects we have. Reusing a building reduces our environmental impact in a way far greater than recycling an aluminum can.” 

Virginia Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade for Rural Development Mary Rae Carter presents Culpeper Renaissance Inc. Board Treasurer Elana Clements and Manager Jessica Brewer with the Special Recognition Award for the Be A Culpeper Local campaign.

Finally, Virginia Main Street presented the Milestone Achievement Awards. Fifteen communities received awards in categories such as building rehabilitation, private investment, and volunteer investment. A milestone for the entire group was the first $100 Million Award for Private Investment, earned by the Old Town Development Board and the City of Winchester. Culpeper Renaissance, Inc. received special recognition for their Be a Culpeper Local campaign. The full list of award recipients is available here.

Congratulations to all of this year’s recipients.

Downtown remains the holiday gathering place

Traditional holiday events continue to draw crowds downtown this year in spite of the bone-chilling weather experienced in many parts of the commonwealth.

Last Friday, Rocky Mount’s “Come Home to a Franklin County Christmas,” had its largest turnout yet as guests enjoyed music, food, and shopping with vendors and merchants.  “The horse-drawn carriage rides and the miniature horse and buggy rides for the youngsters were both big hits,” Barbara Chauncey, a volunteer with the Community Partnership for the Revitalization of Rocky Mount told the Franklin News-Post. The temperature was in the thirties, but that didn’t stop children from lining up for the Department of Recreation’s build-a-bear event.

In Staunton, the traditional holiday festivities included the annual parade–this year with a rock and roll theme–and a new character on the scene–Elfis, a rockin’ elf  who encourages shopping locally by handing out Staunton Downtown Development Association giftcards. 

Nothing says tradition in the holidays like a gingerbread house, and Old Town Manassas does that up right.  View the results of their 15th annual Gingerbread House Competition.  In Warrenton, the GumDrop Square  tradition continues with a series of events throughout late Novemember and early December.

Main Street proves itself again this year as a location for business and a community gathering place during the holidays, and there’s still time to get out and enjoy some downtown traditions. Try Waynesboro’s Christmas in River City on Friday evening, the 17th, and First Night Winchester on the Loudoun Street Mall on New Year’s Eve.

Virginia’s quarter century communities featured in Main Street Now

In celebration of  Virginia Main Street’s 25th anniversary year, Main Street Now, the magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Center, recently profiled the three communities that have maintained VMS designation throughout the quarter century.

Over that 25 years, the communities - Bedford, Franklin, and Winchester – have  navigated rocky economic terrain with strategies that make the most of their historic commercial centers.

Pursuing the Main Street Approach is not always easy; the effort has to be incremental and ongoing. And that’s the overall message of the story: revitalizing communities and maintaining a committment to the preservation and reuse of historic structures means taking the long view.  It’s a stance that requires decisions that are sometimes difficult in the short run. It demands leadership.

Read the story online, or download a PDF here: “Bold Dominion: Virgininia’s quarter century communities lengthen their strides.”