Proposed Virginia legislation
Support the Farm Restaurant Act
A clear, affordable path for small farms to prepare and serve the food they grow — built on the same protections Virginia already gives farm wineries and breweries.
Why We're Doing This
Friends of Small Farms,
Eating food where it is grown is about as natural as breathing air. My name is Ian Newell, founder of Celeste Farms and Goatocado. In January 2026, the Virginia Department of Health sued Celeste Farms for serving the food we grow, despite our holding relevant permits. The case settled this June, validating what I'd been saying all along — but not before it cost tens of thousands of dollars and a great deal of stress.
Rather than simply move on, we've chosen to persevere. I drafted a proposed law — the Farm Restaurant Act — giving small farms a clear, affordable path to serve the food they grow, built on the same protections Virginia already gives farm wineries and breweries. It's already in front of the Governor's office, several state senators, and the Farm Bureau.
This is still a living document going through legal and legislative review, and its language will keep changing. What won't change is the idea behind it. Adding your support means standing behind that idea — not any single draft of its wording.
Whether you are a farmer yourself, or an individual who wants to support small farms — if you believe small farms should be able to serve what they grow, please add your support below.
With gratitude,
Ian Newell
Founder, Celeste Farms and Goatocado
5 people have added their support
Read the proposal
Start at the top and go as deep as you like.
The Short Version
Plain-Language Summary (PDF)
What the Farm Restaurant Act does, why it exists, and what it would mean for a farm in practice — in plain English, a few minutes' read.
Got Questions? Start Here
Supporter FAQ
The questions supporters ask most — what you're signing, whether it changes food safety rules, and what happens with your name and comments.
For the Curious: The Full Legislation
The Proposed Act (PDF)
The complete bill text as currently drafted, including the Farm TFE and Farm Restaurant permit tiers, sourcing thresholds, and appeal process.
For the Skeptical: Hard Questions, Honest Answers
Anticipated Questions & Responses (PDF)
The objections raised by health officials, the restaurant industry, fire safety, localities, and others — each answered directly, including where the answer is "this is still an open question".
Got questions? Start here
What exactly am I signing?
Not a petition with legal weight, and not a contract. You're adding your name to a list of Virginians who believe small farms should have a clear, affordable path to serve the food they grow. That list — and what you write in the comments — is shared with legislators, agency staff, and the Farm Bureau as the proposal moves forward.
The Act is still being revised. What happens to my support?
It carries forward. This is a living document going through legal and legislative review, and its exact language will keep changing. Your support stands behind the idea — that farms should be able to serve what they grow — not any single draft of the wording, so revisions don't require re-collecting support from everyone who has already signed on.
Does this weaken food safety rules?
No. Every substantive food safety requirement — temperature control, handwashing, certified food handler present, full Virginia Department of Health inspection and enforcement authority — applies in full, unchanged, to every permit holder under the Act. What changes is the administrative and facility burden: the certificate of occupancy pathway, repeat single-event permit applications, and commercial-scale expectations built for a restaurant on Main Street rather than a working farm.
Do I have to be a farmer?
No. Farmers, political and county leaders, and anyone who simply cares about small farms and agritourism are all welcome. The form asks how you're adding your support so farmer voices and public support can be counted separately — both matter, and they carry weight in different conversations.
Will my name or farm be shown publicly?
Only if you ask for it. Farms can opt in to being listed by name and county, which helps demonstrate statewide breadth rather than one farm's individual cause. Nothing else is ever published — no email addresses, no phone numbers, and no individual supporter names.
What happens to my comments?
Ian compiles and shares a selection of them directly with legislators and agency staff, in his own voice and on his own timing — alongside the periodic updates already going to the Secretary's office. Nothing is auto-sent to a legislator's inbox in your name.
What is this actually trying to change?
Virginia already gives farm wineries, breweries, and distilleries a proportionate framework for serving what they produce. The Farm Restaurant Act asks the General Assembly to apply that same, already-accepted logic to food — through two permit tiers: a Farm TFE Permit for occasional dinners and gatherings, and a Farm Restaurant Permit for farms serving food as an ongoing part of their business.
Add your support
Farmers, county and state leaders, and anyone who believes small farms should be able to serve what they grow.
Questions about the proposal? Get in touch