Tuesday, August 19, 2025

Cair Paravel Restores Magic to Family Farm

Tucked just outside of Shenandoah National Park, Cair Paravel Farmstead offers visitors the serenity of Greene County with the adventure of the outdoors. Originally purchased by Madeleine Ledford’s grandparents in 1968 with the vision of restoring the land, Cair Paravel has evolved into a place where nature, imagination, and hospitality meet. Today, it offers unique accommodations and immersive experiences, inviting guests to reconnect with the outdoors and with themselves. For Madi and her husband Grant, the farmstead is more than a business—it’s an invitation to escape and discover a reciprocal relationship with nature. 

In 2018, Madi and Grant moved to the farm full time and slowly began taking over operations from her parents. They brought with them a new energy and vision for the land—one that honored its past while charting a different path forward. Rather than scaling up in the traditional sense, they shifted their focus to restoring the property, assessing what truly mattered, and finding a rhythm that worked.

By the time they reached out to CVSBDC, their days were consistently spent putting out fires from inefficient systems and outdated infrastructure. “There were so many failure points,” Madi recalls. “It was unsustainable.” With help from the SBDC, they trimmed operational inefficiencies and restructured their business in a way that gave them back 60% of their time. They now operate with just two full-time employees, enjoy weekends off, and have seen her parents reduce their workload to just 10 hours per week. Along the way, they’ve paid off debt, invested in infrastructure, and remained profitable through it all. “They offered not only some hand-holding, which I needed, but also gave me reasonable steps I could actually take,” she says.

Madi and Grant now feel re-energized and ready to grow with confidence and hope future visitors will embrace the whimsical “spirit of vacation” that Cair Paravel offers. “You’re always going to be able to find something you’ve never seen before—if you’re willing to walk outside your door and escape, there’s no better place.”

"[The SBDC] helped bring the joy back to being an entrepreneur. I’m genuinely excited to be a business owner now.” - Madi Ledford, COO, Cair Paravel

Virginia SBDC is Hiring an ICAP Director!

The Director of the Virginia SBDC – Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP) leads the strategic development, implementation, and management of initiatives that support the commercialization of technology and innovation across the state. This role oversees the provision of specialized advising and resources to entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses engaged in R&D, tech transfer, SBIR/STTR, and high-growth ventures. The Director ensures integration of services with federal, state, and university partners and maintains alignment with the mission and goals of the Virginia-SBDC network. Application review begins August 25th.

To view the full job description and to apply.

AgLaunch365

AgLaunch365 offers a unique, farm-immersive business development experience tailored for startups poised to revolutionize production agriculture. Early-stage, pre-seed startups that are working on groundbreaking technologies that need ongoing feedback iterations from farmers are encouraged to apply to this year's cohort through September 15 for a chance to gain access to a multi-week accelerator program, farm trials, and ongoing coaching from mentors and investors.

For more information and to apply.

Woods Rogers Labor and Employment Law Resources

"What’s the Tea in L&E" is a Woods Rogers video series focused on the latest trends and updates in Labor & Employment law. Hear updates from host and Labor & Employment attorney Leah Stiegler, as well as other members of the practice group. View and subscribe to their videos on the Woods Rogers YouTube page.

SMALL BUSINESS NEWS

SBSD Phishing Attacks

The Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity is encouraging SWaM and DBE vendors to exercise caution due to an ongoing phishing scam involving emails being sent from an address posing as SBSD. If you receive a suspicious email claiming to be SBSD, do not click any links or send any form of monetary transfer. Official SBSD email addresses will end with @sbsd.virginia.gov or sbsd-sbsd.virginia.gov@shared1.ccsend.com.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

An SBDC advisor can assist you in applying for this loan. Request an appointment here.

SCORE Pitch Competition

Are you an entrepreneur with a bold idea or growing business? Here's your chance to pitch live, win a share of $5,000 in cash prizes, and showcase your vision to the local community. SCORE Central Virginia is hosting a Pitch Competition on Thursday, September 4, 2025, at the A & B Creative Events Center. Finalists will pitch live to a panel of judges and a supportive audience of local business leaders. Applications close August 28th.

For more information and to apply.

Every program of the Virginia SBDC is open to all members of the public.

Webinars from the Virginia SBDC Network

Access the CVSBDC Events Calendar and 

statewide training offerings for even more learning!

Charlottesville Angel Network - Getting Deals Done: Due Diligence Training

August 21 | 6 - 8 PM | Charlottesville, VA/Virtual

The session will provide an overall framework for CAN deal leads, associates, investors, and entrepreneurs to understand the angel investment process, from initial analysis of an opportunity to the closing of an investment. Students, startup and aspiring founders are welcome to attend.

Register here.

Coffee with VIPC's Virginia Venture Partners

August 22 | 9 - 10:30 AM | Virtual

Join Virginia Venture Partners for our Summer VC Series interviewing funds that are actively investing in Virginia companies! AIN Ventures is a seed-stage focused venture fund that invests in startups at the intersection of deep tech and dual-use technology, as well as in military veteran-led startups. If you are planning to raise capital, these events will give you insight into what investors are looking at right now. Make sure to mark your calendar now to attend all these coffees over the rest of the summer and early fall. There will be an opportunity to meet directly with these investors and ask questions after the presentation.

Register here.

ServSafe Manager Training

September 29 | 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM | Madison, VA

This course is for anyone in charge of food service operations. After completing the classroom work, participants take a national certification exam and upon passing receive their Food Protection Manager Certification that is valid for 5 years. The cost of Full Class Enrollment is $160. The fee includes textbook, exam, & certification.

Register here.

Central Virginia SBDC

Your Partners in Business:



​Supporting Small Business - from Startups to International Expansion

Serving the City of Charlottesville and the Counties of Albemarle, Culpeper, Fluvanna,

Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Rappahannock.

Meet With Us

The Virginia SBDC Network is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, George Mason University‐Mason Enterprise, and local host institutions. The Virginia SBDC is nationally accredited by America’s SBDC.

All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. Business owners can access the services of their nearest SBDC at VirginiaSBDC.org.