
In February 2015 the WNC Agricultural Options program awarded 31 farmers grants totaling $168,000 to assist them in diversifying their farms.
Six of the farm businesses received $3,000 and 25 received $6,000. Projects increase the economic sustainability of farm businesses as well as provide demonstration to other transitioning farmers.
Select a Topic to View the Results
County — Award; Farm; Recipient(s); Project Name
Agritourism
Yancey — Grant Award: $6,000; The Mushroom Hut at Fox Farm; Alan and Susan Fox;
Growing On-Farm Agritourism and Sales — GO >>
Bees
McDowell — Grant Award: $6,000; Mikell’s Farm; Sharren Mikell; Bee Farm Expansion — GO >>
Graham — Grant Award: $6,000; Wehrloom Honey; Jessica Wehr;
Value-Added Product Expansion — GO >>
Berries
Burke — Grant Award: $6,000; Perry’s Berry’s; Debbie and Terry Perry;
Cold Storage and Processing of Berries — GO >>
Haywood — Grant Award: $6,000; Ten Acre Garden; Danny Barrett;
Pick Your Own Berry Expansion — GO >>
Cattle: Beef
Macon — Grant Award: $6,000; 4 L Livestock; Jim Ledford;
Transition to Managed-Intensive Grazing — GO >>
Watauga — Grant Award: $3,000; Isaacs Farm; David Isaacs;
Improved Calf Weaning Capabilities — GO >>
Watauga — Grant Award: $6,000; Ridgwood Simmentals; Rusty Henson;
Livestock Scales and Shelter — GO >>
Buncombe — Grant Award: $6,000; Rolling Ridge Farm; Dwayne and Christy Reeves;
Cattle Handling System — GO >>
Avery — Grant Award: $3,000; Wards Farm; Brent Ward; Cattle Handling System — GO >>
Cattle: Feed/Haylage
Jackson — Grant Award: $6,000; Bumgarner Farms; Bryan Bumgarner;
Feed Facility — GO >>
Madison — Grant Award: $6,000; Jewel Hill Farms; Ernest Ramsey;
Hay/Haylage Operation — GO >>
Goats and Sheep
Avery — Grant Award: $6,000; Sh-Nanny-Gans; Shannonrae Mathes;
Targeted and Rotational Grazing — GO >>
Madison — Grant Award: $6,000; Down to Earth Farm; Andrea Van Gunst;
Small-Scale Sheep Dairy — GO >>
Polk — Grant Award: $3,000; Old Mule Farm; Steve Modlin;
Frozen Lamb Storage and Distribution Space — GO >>
Hogs and Poultry
Swain — Grant Award: $3,000; Breedlove Family Farms, Inc.; Patrick Breedlove;
Poultry and Game Birds — GO >>
Buncombe — Grant Award: $6,000; Holt Livestock; Michael Holt, Jr.;
Pig Production — GO >>
Madison — Grant Award: $6,000; Reeves Home Place Farm; Robin Singleton;
Whiskey Pigs Branded Meat — GO >>
Horses
Transylvania — Grant Award: $6,000; Still Hill Dressage; Natalya Gryson;
Management-Intensive Grazing — GO >>
Medicinal Herbs
Watauga — Grant Award: $6,000; High Country Ginseng; Travis Cornett;
Processing and Storage Facility — GO >>
Henderson — Grant Award: $6,000; Hoopers Creek Botanicals; Wallace Souther III;
Plants Production Upgrade — GO >>
Specialty
Watauga — Grant Award: $6,000; Todd Combs Farm; Todd Combs; Castle Ford Hops — GO>>
Cleveland — Grant Award: $6,000; Wild Dahlia Homestead; Stacey Costner and Alex Fear;
Forest Edge Permaculture Design — GO >>
Vegetables
Jackson — Grant Award: $6,000; Balsam Gardens; Steven Beltram;
Expansion of Vegetables, Diversification of Markets, Transition to Certified Organic — GO >>
Rutherford — Grant Award: $6,000; Deer Valley Farm; Bob Young; Vegetables and Trout — GO >>
Buncombe — Grant Award: $3,000; Jasperwood Farm; Anthony Cole;
Winter Squash Curing Facility — GO >>
Cherokee — Grant Award: $6,000; Miller Farms; Jon Miller; Kress Plastic Finger Weeder — GO >>
Transylvania — Grant Award: $6,000; Pitch Pine Farm; Paige Witherington and Justin Dansby;
Season Extension — GO >>
Clay — Grant Award: $6,000; SMM Farms; Salvador Moreno; Produce Washing System — GO >>
Caldwell — Grant Award: $6,000; Thankful Fork Farm; James Davis;
High Tunnel for Season Extension — GO >>
Watauga — Grant Award: $3,000; W.O.W.S.A.; Jonathan Fannon;
Off-grid Post-harvest Washing and Cold Storage — GO >>