On Monday, Nov. 20, Governor Terry McAuliffe announced that he has approved a $20,000 grant to Farmhouse Cidery to help the company build a cider facility in Virginia Beach.
Governor Terry McAuliffe and Hard Cider company Farmhouse Cidery LLC have revealed that the company has plans to open a new cider production facility in Virginia Beach. Farmhouse Cidery LLC is investing $750,000 in building what will be the region’s largest hard cider facility yet. The Cidery is constructing its new facility with the help of a $20,000 state grant approved by the governor as well as a match of that grant by the City of Virginia Beach.
When the new facility opens, nine new jobs will have been created. More significantly, the facility will be purchasing three million pounds of Virginia apples to be used in cider production. The $20,000 grant approved by the governor is an Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development award which was secured by the company’s commitment to purchase only Virginia apples from local farms. The facility will also help to boost the economy by attracting tourists as it will feature a tasting room set in a renovated historic farmhouse as well as an outdoor seating area and production building that will host tours.
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The production facility will be parent company Back Bay Brewing’s second Virginia Beach location. Farmhouse Brewing LLC will renovate the historic Wood Family Farmhouse located at 1805 Kempsville Road. The Wood Family Farmhouse dates back to 1910 and sits on an 8.6-acre site. In addition to standard amenities typical of a brewery facility, the location will also be home to a building in which small batches of beer will be brewed, a crop production area, an open-air market, and an outdoor wedding and event space.
Construction of the new facility has already started, and the company plans to open the brewery on March 24, 2018.
