Apple Ridge Farm has received $9,867.68 from the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s (VTC) Recovery Marketing Leverage Program (RMLP), designed to help local and regional tourism entities attract more visitors by leveraging limited local marketing dollars through a local match of the state grants funds.
More than $1.9 million in matching grant funds were awarded to 161 local tourism initiatives through this program. This funding cycle, local partners will provide more than $5.6 million in-kind value to match the VTC grants that will ultimately impact 483 statewide tourism entities. Apple Ridge Farm will use the VTC Recovery Marketing Leverage grant funds to market the various experiences at Apple Ridge Farm and encourage visitors to book its venues, lodging and outdoor adventure and team building activities.
Apple Ridge Farm is located on 96 rural, spectacularly beautiful mountainside acres on the western slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Floyd County. The property, at an elevation of nearly 3,000 feet at the peak, includes some 12 acres of open land, with the remaining acreage in mature deciduous forest, typical of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia.
It is the home to rental facilities, lodging, outdoor adventure courses, trails, campsites, Virginia LoveWorks LOVE letters, and more! Their lodging facilities include a large bunkhouse which sleeps 32 people, two Norfolk Southern Caboose Car Bed & Breakfast bedrooms which can sleep up to 6 people, and a multitude of campsites! The outdoor adventure and activity sites include, high and low ropes courses, a climbing wall and zip line, a Jr. size swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts, multipurpose field and 5 miles of hiking trails. Facility rentals include a variety of meeting rooms, a spacious reception hall with large stone fireplace, large timber frame pavilion which holds up to 200 people, and a commercial kitchen.
Apple Ridge Farm is an ideal location for weddings, caboose car getaways, corporate retreats, team building and outdoor adventure programs, hiking opportunities, and much more. Revenues from offerings are used to provide operating support for the organization and its programs. Overall, not only do guests get to enjoy the rural Apple Ridge Farm mountain experience, but they also get to do so knowing that their contribution supports the nonprofit’s mission of Helping Kids Grow!
“We are so grateful in Floyd for the support from VA Tourism,” shared Pat Sharkey, Floyd County Tourism Director.
“Tourism in Floyd is a major component of our economy and all here have been so impacted by Covid this year. Apple Ridge Farm is one of our finest venues. Grant funds supporting them help our entire community.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the tourism and hospitality industries in Virginia. As the Commonwealth slowly reopens for business, VTC offered these grant funds as a first step to re-entry into the marketplace to spur economic activity and future travel across the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“Tourism is a crucial section of the Virginia economy and when we invest in this industry, we support local job creation and drive regional economic growth, which is desperately needed now due to the pandemic,” said Governor Ralph Northam. “These funds give localities and businesses access to critical marketing resources that will help bring more travelers to our Commonwealth, increase visitor spending, and grow demand for Virginia products.”
Tourism is one of the Commonwealth’s largest economic engines, with visitors to Floyd County spending more than $26 million dollars in 2019, supporting 229 work opportunities and contributing $1,935,271 in local and state tax revenue. The tourism and hospitality industries have also been among the hardest-hit by the pandemic, experiencing decreased revenue and job loss, along with the temporary closure of many tourism-related businesses. A revived tourism economy can help spur new economic activity and inject critical funds back into Virginia communities.
