Agribusiness
Agribusiness uses inmate labor in the production of meat, milk, produce, and fish for institutional food service programs. Programs include:
- Beef – 2,100 brood cows in the program.
- Pork – the program is located at Southampton Correctional Center and mirrors the beef program.
- Dairy - more than 1,200,00 gallons of milk are produced per year and are sent back to institutions for consumption in food services.
- Meat Processing - two processing facilities located at James River and Bland Correctional Centers. Inmates process four million pounds of meat per year. They are portion-sized for consumption and distributed to institutions statewide.
- Fish Processing - approximately 250,00 pounds of fish are processed each year - all of it going into the food service programs.
- Vegetables - all locations are involved in vegetable production. Inmates plant, till, harvest, package and assemble orders of all produce.
- Sawmills - three sawmills are in operations. Timber management is ongoing, and lumber is cut to use on all DOC farms.
- Greenhouses - thirty are in operation growing plants and vegetables year-round.
- Orchards - two orchards produce apples and peaches located at Wise and Nottoway Correctional Centers.
- Beekeeping - DOC keeps more than 200 beehives. Honey is collected to use in the food services program.
- Freeze Plant - located at Southampton Correctional Center. Inmates will process vegetables and fruit; and freeze the items. Distribution will be handled along with fresh produce - waste is reduced along with food costs.
Additional Information:
- Inmate workers in farming activities produce food for the inmate population, reducing the Department's need to purchase these items.
- 100% of the dairy, pork, beef and fresh fish consumed by inmates are produced through the DOC agribusiness program.
- Hydroponics enables the Department to produce fresh vegetables year-round.
- Cooperative agreements with other agencies and States benefit the taxpayers. The Department exchanges soybeans with Virginia Tech in return for pigs; a herd of beef cattle is maintained for use by Virginia Techs Veterinary Medicine School.