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A photo of Smithfield Foods, Inc. corporate headquarters in Smithfield, Virginia.

Smithfield Foods teamed up with Dominion Virginia Power and a coalition of other Virginia businesses, environmentalists, recreation groups and developers to form “VirginiaForever.” The coalition supports increased state funding for the protection of natural resources.

The Virginia Environmental Endowment, a nonprofit group, provided the initial funding to launch the coalition’s campaign by granting $75,000 to the Nature Conservancy Action Fund. VirginiaForever will be based at The Nature Conservancy’s office in Richmond.

According to Dennis Treacy, vice president of environmental, community and government affairs, “The coalition’s goal is to lobby the General Assembly for additional funding for natural resources programs and educate the general public through awareness campaigns.”

The U.S. Census Bureau determined that in 2000, Virginia spent less money per capita on environmental protections than any other state. The coalition released a poll showing 61 percent of Virginians being willing to pay about $2 monthly to protect water quality, open space, recreational areas, and fisheries and wildlife in the state.

This coalition is unique with its diverse membership. “All of these folks from different walks of life believe natural resources programs need not to be lost in the debate over the budget in Virginia,” said Treacy. “Natural resources are very important to Virginia from the tourism and quality of life point of views.”

Among other coalition participants are the American Lung Association, Homebuilders Association of Virginia, DuPont, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Virginia Department of Games and Inland Fisheries and several others.

Church Street in Smithfield, Va.

Before beautification project.

After beautification project.

Smithfield Foods recently donated $1 million to the Town of Smithfield’s South Church Street Beautification Project. Smithfield Foods’ donation is the catalyst of the project, which is slated to begin at the Smithfield Station Restaurant and extend past Main Street along North Church Street to Luter Drive.

Having raised $2 million, which includes a $75,000 Virginia Department of Transportation Grant and donations from local residents and businesses, the Church Street Beautification Committee is continuing to raise funds needed for the project through a variety of events.

“With the Smithfield Foods donation and the grant money, the project is now slated to take two or three years in two or three phases, down from seven phases in seven years given in previous estimates,” said Nancy Riddick, a South Church Street resident and member of the South Church Street Beautification Project Committee. “The North Church Street addition was added later as a way to extend the enhancements from both Main Street and South Church Street to the Smithfield Center.”

Aimed to increase the quality of life for residents and visitors, the project will include the construction of new sidewalks, burying utility lines, leveling roadways, improving parking and other streetscape improvements.

The Town of Smithfield and its residents look forward to breaking ground on the project in the coming months.

Farmland Foods employees collected and donated over $1,000 to the American Red Cross to aid in the relief efforts of Nebraska citizens who were victims of the ferocious tornadoes and storms that struck the Midwest in early June. Food, bottled water, personal hygiene items and other necessities were donated as well.

The employees of the Farmland Foods Crete, Nebraska facility helped deliver the items to the victims located in Wilber and Hallam Nebraska, two ofthe hardest hit areas from the storms.

For more information regarding the donations please contact Diane Henderson at (816) 801-4378.