The Department of Agriculture and the Virgin Islands Local Food and Farm Council (LFFC) appeared before the Senate Committee on Budget, Appropriation, and Finance on Aug. 15 to present an inventory of programs, grant awards and a list of unmet needs for FY2026.

Commissioner Lewis E. Peterson Jr. described the department’s FY2026 general‑fund request of $5,068,495 (personnel and fringe approximately $4.59M) plus a proposed $500,000 transfer from the Tourism Advertising Revolving Fund and $246,277 for the industrial hemp commission—bringing the department’s territorial appropriation request to about $6.01M, the department said. Federal and non‑appropriated funds and multi‑year federal grants would add roughly $11.49M to the department’s expected FY2026 resources, producing a total projected set of funds of about $17.5M.

Program highlights and capital needs:
- Nursery, lab and abattoir: Peterson described progress and remaining needs in plant nursery operations (Saint Croix renovation near completion) and laboratory/abattoir upgrades. On St. Croix the lab roof, processing‑room condenser and other equipment upgrades were budgeted at roughly $222,171, and the department reported upgrades and equipment funded by FEMA and other grants. The St. Thomas abattoir remains in need of repair; the department said insurance proceeds (~$518,000) and other sources are being pursued and that the agency has requested Department of Public Works technical support to scope work for solicitations.
- Water and agricultural infrastructure: ARPA‑funded projects include two 200,000‑gallon cisterns in Bordeaux (St. Thomas) and other watershed and farm access work supported by USDA NRCS. The “Bridal Watershed Protection and Improvement Project” is a multiyear NRCS partnership carrying millions in federal funding; planning has resumed following temporary suspensions.
- JFL enabling projects and interagency work: The department said it is coordinating with other agencies on water, vendor and farm support needs, and has reestablished partnerships such as the USDA cooperative agreements for disease surveillance and animal traceability.
- Forestry and conservation: The department reported a pending Forest Legacy purchase (91 acres on Inner Brass), completion of surveys and yellow‑book appraisals, and multiple forestry grants to support tree planting, nursery propagation, and stewardship payments to landowners.
- Hemp and regulations: The Industrial Hemp Commission has proposed rules and licensing frameworks and has two inspectors; the department said no hemp manufacturers are yet licensed in the territory.

Local Food & Farm Council priorities and asks: University of the Virgin Islands President Sophia George, co‑chair of the Local Food & Farm Council, testified alongside council members and presented detailed FY2026 funding priorities. The council said delayed or unreleased appropriations (notably $383,000 originally allocated to UVI for a local food coordinator, and a $500,000 public‑private partnership investment fund administered by the Economic Development Authority) have slowed grant cycles and program continuity. The council requested:
- $250,000 to sustain the Agribusiness Center at UVI (technical assistance, business planning, grant prep and sector outreach);
- $300,000 to support council operations and mandate implementation (coordination, tri‑island outreach, data and reporting);
- $150,000 for organic agriculture programming (certification cost‑share, pilot buffer zones, organic inputs at depots);
- $250,000 to UVI’s Office of Sponsored Programs to continue the TAP Grantsmanship Academy and grow federal grant capacity; and
- $1,000,000 for expansion of the Public‑Private Partnership Investment Fund (the PPPIF), citing overwhelming demand in the FY2024 cycle (106 applications requesting roughly $4.6M; 11 awards made totaling $485,567).

Council and department stressed staffing and capacity gaps: Both Peterson and Council co‑chair Sophia George emphasized the need for several technical hires — a local food and farm coordinator, soil scientists, water/soil conservationists, plant pathologists and a civil engineer — that the department and council say are critical to advancing water infrastructure, land use planning and technical assistance to farmers. The Local Food & Farm Council recommended a dedicated $400,000 appropriation to fill these essential positions and accelerate plan implementation.

Grants and community programs: The department and council highlighted ongoing work in farmers markets, WIC and senior farmers market nutrition programs, youth gardening initiatives, technical assistance to farmers, cooperative development, and a tri‑island town hall series to increase public engagement. The department also flagged interagency receivables and the need to pick up reconciliation with other government entities to collect owed amounts.

Ending: The department and council urged prompt release of previously appropriated sums and added appropriations where noted, arguing that predictable funding and staffing are necessary to translate the territory’s agriculture plan into measurable increases in production, food access and resilience.