HALIFAX — The Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission awarded $161,778 to the Halifax County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) for its Agribusiness project, Southern Virginia Pasture Infrastructure Program (SVPIP).

According to a press release, the program is a joint effort between the Halifax, Lake Country and Southside SWCDs; Virginia Cooperative Extension; and Halifax County Agricultural Development, which covers Amelia, Brunswick, Charlotte, Halifax, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward counties.

“The primary goal of the program is to install practices that increase the ability of producers to graze their livestock (cattle, goats, sheep) more efficiently. The fencing portion of the program is based around increasing the number of grazing acres and the ability to intensively manage livestock for enhanced forage utilization. The conversion of traditional endophyte infected tall fescue pastures into novel-endophyte tall fescue or warm season grass pastures will further enhance grazing efficiency and livestock productivity,” according to the release.