The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors approved a $40,000 incentive package for the expansion of Kappa Farms in Sterling Thursday.
For nearly a year, Kappa Farms has been operating a pilot-scale operation in Fairfax County. The grant will help the farm establish a full-scale, commercial aquaponics operation in Loudoun.
The incentive package is a grant match to the $40,000 from the commonwealth's Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund. The county’s grant is made up of a single cash payment of $37,000 and $3,000 in permit fee waivers. The cash funds move from the county to the Economic Development Authority (EDA) and then to the company.
In its move to Sterling, Kappa Farms plans to invest $865,000 and create 21 jobs. With the state and county grants, Kappa Farms must uphold a performance agreement that commits the company to its investment and job creation plan. If Kappa Farms fails to meet the performance standards, they will be required to forfeit grant funds and pay any fees waived for the project.
