Donate to Help us Expand Services at the Carver Food Enterprise Center

LXCL:Gretchen Ledmor, Executive Director- gretchen@gwcarc.org Lenah Nguyen, GWCARC Board President and Senior Extension Agent- lgeer@vt.edu Kim Loescher, CFEC Manager- thekitchen@gwcarc.org

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George Washington Carver Agriculture Research Center

LXCL:The George Washington Carver Agriculture Research Center promotes sustainable agriculture and food entrepreneurship, empowering local farmers and food businesses through research, education, and community engagement to enhance food security and economic growth. Our kitchen, the Carver Food Enterprise Center, offers inspected processing space for our community; be it through food rescue, farm to school efforts, co manufacturing, value added processing, or rentable space for food businesses.

(Click more to see events!) Join our volunteer events 🌱 to support sustainable agriculture and food security in our community. When you lend a hand, you help power research, education, and programs like Feeding500 that put fresh, healthy food on local tables. We welcome all skill levels! Whether you&rsquo;re sorting produce, helping in the gardens, or assisting with educational activities. Your time and energy help our neighbors eat well.&nbsp;Volunteer events happen the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month from 9am to Noon. Here is what is coming up in October, 2026 BUT FIRST, a&nbsp;BONUS SEPTEMBER EVENT! Saturday, September 19 &bull; 9 AM - 12 PM Candy Roaster Squash Processing &amp; Farm Tour&nbsp; The Culpeper County Farm Tour is coming to Carver on Saturday, September 19, and since the kitchen will already be open, we thought we might as well put it to delicious use! The Fauquier Education Farm has donated a beautiful batch of candy roaster squash, and we&rsquo;re looking for three volunteers to help us process it into puree for future Feeding 500 meals. We&rsquo;ll be washing, prepping, roasting, scooping, pureeing, packaging, and freezing our way through the morning. And there&rsquo;s a bonus! When your shift wraps up at noon, stick around and enjoy the Farm Tour. Wander through the gardens to see what the Master Gardeners are growing (and giving away!), visit with Virginia State University&rsquo;s Small Farm Outreach Program, and explore everything happening around Carver. Wednesday, October 7 &bull; 9 AM - 12 PM Ice Pops &amp; Feeding 500 Soup Summer may be over, but we have a few delicious pieces of it tucked away in the freezer! We&rsquo;ve received several smaller fruit donations this season that were too good to waste, including watermelon and peaches that we&rsquo;ll combine into a watermelon-peach ice pop. We also discovered one last batch of strawberries ready to become our familiar Farm to School strawberry ice pops. Alongside our ice pop production, we&rsquo;ll be making approximately 500 servings of soup for our local food pantry partners. Depending on our production schedule, that will be either a cozy carrot soup or a candy roaster squash soup. Which ice pop? Which soup? We&rsquo;re keeping you in a little suspense! But you can count on plenty of chopping, blending, cooking, filling, packaging, and good company. Wednesday, October 21 &bull; 9 AM - 12 PM Ice Pops &amp; Feeding 500 Soup: Round Two! If the first Wednesday is one combination, the third Wednesday will tackle the other! We&rsquo;ll turn the remaining summer fruit into either strawberry Farm to School ice pops or watermelon-peach ice pops, while another crew gets a big batch of carrot or candy roaster squash soup simmering for Feeding 500. It&rsquo;s the perfect October combination: one last taste of summer alongside something warm and cozy for fall.

Volunteer Events

The Carver Local Food Challenge is a fun, family-friendly cooking competition celebrating Culpeper County agriculture and local food businesses. Teams will create an original dish using locally produced ingredients while learning about the farms, food entrepreneurs, and value-added products that make up our local food system.Held during the Culpeper County Farm Tour, the competition gives spectators an opportunity to cheer on teams, discover local products, and celebrate our region&#39;s food system. Eligibility<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Teams of 2&ndash;4 members.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Participants must be 9 years or older by September 30, 2026.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">At least one team member must be 19 or older.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Teams with youth under age 14 receive 5 extra minutes of preparation time.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Registration is limited to 6 teams and is first-come, first-served. Registration closes September 17, 2026, or when all spots are filled.</li></ul>Competition Format<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Check-in: 12:30 a.m., Sunday, September 20, 2026.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">As teams enter they will pick a number at random which will determine the order in which they choose their Star Ingredient.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Teams then have 40 minutes (45 minutes for qualifying youth teams) to create an original dish without a recipe.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Each team must incorporate its star ingredient and may select from a shared pantry of additional ingredients.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Local judges will score entries on:<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Taste</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Creativity</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Presentation</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Food safety</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Effective use of local ingredients</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Teamwork</li></ul></li></ul>Equipment &amp; Prizes<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">All ingredients, equipment, and supplies will be provided.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Outside equipment is not permitted.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Every participating team will receive a locally sourced prize basket thanks to the generous support of the PATH Foundation.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Winners will be announced following judging</li></ul><a fr-original-style="" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OK-f6WS31J-ks9m8M4HhZzoKFRUpJ5vz/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116407005535610730396&rtpof=true&sd=true" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Full Rules and Guidelines can be found here</a> &nbsp;Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and local governments, and is an equal opportunity employer. For the full non-discrimination statement, please visit ext.vt.edu/accessibility. If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact Lenah Nguyen, at (540)727- 3435 during business hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to discuss accommodations 5 days prior to the event. *TDD number is (800) 828-1120.

Carver Local Food Challenge

Capital for Community Food is an investment in the infrastructure that strengthens our local food economy. The Carver Food Enterprise Center (CFEC) supports local farms, helps food entrepreneurs grow, creates jobs, expands access to healthy food, and connects children with locally produced meals.Since opening in September 2023, CFEC has demonstrated strong demand and measurable impact. Entrepreneurs are ready to expand, programs are operating at capacity, and community partners are prepared to scale. Completing this next phase of construction will allow the Center to meet that demand while increasing efficiency and maximizing the public and private investments already made.In 2026, CFEC secured $1.2 million through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Grant, matched by support from the PATH Foundation, Prince Charitable Trust, and Northern Piedmont Community Foundation, bringing total committed funding to $1.4 million. Rising construction costs and the opportunity to complete essential improvements&mdash;including classrooms, offices, ventilation, and equipment&mdash;as one coordinated project have created a remaining capital need of $300,000.By completing this work now, we can reduce overall construction costs, minimize disruptions to current programs, and bring expanded services and economic benefits to our region sooner.Help us raise the final $300,000 to fully activate this community asset and build a stronger, more resilient local food system.

Capital for Community Food is an investment in the infrastructure that strengthens our local food economy. The Carver Food Enterprise Center (CFEC) supports local farms, helps food entrepreneurs grow, creates jobs, expands access to healthy food, and connects children with locally produced meals.Since opening in September 2023, CFEC has demonstrated strong demand and measurable impact. Entrepreneurs are ready to expand, programs are operating at capacity, and community partners are prepared to scale. Completing this next phase of construction will allow the Center to meet that demand while increasing efficiency and maximizing the public and private investments already made.In 2026, CFEC secured $1.2 million through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Grant, matched by support from the PATH Foundation, Prince Charitable Trust, and Northern Piedmont Community Foundation, bringing total committed funding to $1.4 million. Rising construction costs and the opportunity to complete essential improvements—including classrooms, offices, ventilation, and equipment—as one coordinated project have created a remaining capital need of $300,000.By completing this work now, we can reduce overall construction costs, minimize disruptions to current programs, and bring expanded services and economic benefits to our region sooner.Help us raise the final $300,000 to fully activate this community asset and build a stronger, more resilient local food system.

Capital for Community Food

Invest in local food for local students. Your support helps bring fresh, locally grown food into school meals while ensuring farmers are paid fairly. By bridging the gap between school budgets and real food costs, you&rsquo;re strengthening the local economy and investing in the health and education of the next generation.

Invest in local food for local students.Your support helps bring fresh, locally grown food into school meals while ensuring farmers are paid fairly. By bridging the gap between school budgets and real food costs, you’re strengthening the local economy and investing in the health and education of the next generation.

Fund a Need: Farm to School

Turn surplus into sustenance. Your investment transforms rescued food into nutritious meals for our community while supporting workforce training and reducing food waste. Each contribution helps us scale meal production and strengthen a more efficient, resilient local food system.

Turn surplus into sustenance.Your investment transforms rescued food into nutritious meals for our community while supporting workforce training and reducing food waste. Each contribution helps us scale meal production and strengthen a more efficient, resilient local food system.

Fund a Need: Feeding 500

Fuel the next generation of food businesses. Your investment helps entrepreneurs launch and grow successful food businesses by providing access to kitchen space, technical assistance, and business coaching. This creates jobs, supports local innovation, and keeps food dollars circulating in our region.

Fuel the next generation of food businesses.Your investment helps entrepreneurs launch and grow successful food businesses by providing access to kitchen space, technical assistance, and business coaching. This creates jobs, supports local innovation, and keeps food dollars circulating in our region.

Fund a Need: Incubation Services

Help farmers go from raw product to retail-ready. Your investment enables farmers to turn their harvest into value-added products like sauces, soups, and packaged goods. This expands income opportunities, reduces waste, and strengthens local supply chains.

Help farmers go from raw product to retail-ready.Your investment enables farmers to turn their harvest into value-added products like sauces, soups, and packaged goods. This expands income opportunities, reduces waste, and strengthens local supply chains.

Fund a Need: Co-Packing & Small Farmer Support

Build the future of regional agriculture. Your support advances hands-on research, demonstration projects, and education in partnership with Virginia Tech and Virginia State University. These investments help test new crops, train farmers and students, and increase the availability of locally grown food in our region.

Build the future of regional agriculture.Your support advances hands-on research, demonstration projects, and education in partnership with Virginia Tech and Virginia State University. These investments help test new crops, train farmers and students, and increase the availability of locally grown food in our region.

George Washington Carver Agriculture Research Center

George Washington Carver Agriculture Research Center

George Washington Carver Agriculture Research Center

Upcoming events

Events

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Volunteer Events

Get your tickets

Volunteer Events

Get your tickets

Volunteer Events

Get your tickets

Volunteer Events

More ways to support us

Donate now

Capital for Community Food

Learn more

Fund a Need: Farm to School

Learn more

Fund a Need: Feeding 500

Learn more

Fund a Need: Incubation Services

Learn more

Fund a Need: Co-Packing & Small Farmer Support

Learn more

Fund a Need: Research & Innovation

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George Washington Carver Agriculture Research Center

Upcoming events

Events

Get your tickets

Volunteer Events

Get your tickets

Volunteer Events

Get your tickets

Volunteer Events

Get your tickets

Volunteer Events

More ways to support us

Donate now

Capital for Community Food

Learn more

Fund a Need: Farm to School

Learn more

Fund a Need: Feeding 500

Learn more

Fund a Need: Incubation Services

Learn more

Fund a Need: Co-Packing & Small Farmer Support

Learn more

Fund a Need: Research & Innovation

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George Washington Carver Agriculture Research Center