
In February 2017 the WNC Agricultural Options program awarded 35 farmers grants totaling $201,000 to assist them in diversifying their farms.
Three of the farm businesses received $3,000 and 32 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
Cherokee — Grant Award: $6,000; Two Crows Farm; Woody Ham;
Agritourism and Retail Expansion — GO >>
Watauga — Grant Award: $6,000; Miller’s Choose and Cut; Joey and Kelley Miller;
Farm Expansion — GO >>
Apples
Cherokee — Grant Award: $6,000; Henry’s Farm; Dwight Henry;
Smokey Mountain Orchard — GO >>
Henderson — Grant Award: $6,000; Holt Orchards; Tracy Cavagnaro and Todd Kirmss;
Retail Cooling Shed — GO >>
Aquaculture
Caldwell — Grant Award: $6,000; JB Farms; Paula and Dale Boles;
Aquaponics Greenhouses — GO >>
Dairy
Cleveland — Grant Award: $6,000; Flag Branch Farm; Kimberly Peace;
Increasing Income By Adding Value to Goat’s Milk — GO >>
Henderson — Grant Award: $6,000; Fields of Gold; Lisa Black;
Goat Milk Dairy Equipment — GO >>
Madison — Grant Award: $6,000; Homemade in Marshall; Kathleen and Kevin Lane;
Dairy Upgrade Project — GO >>
Yancey — Grant Award: $6,000; Austin Family Dairy Farm; Andrew Austin;
Waste Management/Manure Spreader — GO >>
Bees
Caldwell — Grant Award: $3,000; Bee Kind Family Farm; Robert Cool;
Apiary Expansion — GO >>
Rutherford — Grant Award: $6,000; Corbin Family Farm; Eddy Jacksonn Corbin, Jr.;
Honey House — GO >>
Cattle/Beef
Buncombe — Grant Award: $6,000; S.D. Morgan Farms; Shannon Morgan;
Brewer’s Grain: It’s More Than Just Beer — GO >>
Madison — Grant Award: $6,000; Dry Ridge Farm; Graham Brugh;
Beef Expansion — GO >>
Haywood — Grant Award: $6,000; Dennis Francis Farm; Dennis Francis;
Seed Drill for Pasture Regeneration — GO >>
Goats and Sheep
Buncombe — Grant Award: $6,000; Franny’s Farm; Frances Tacy;
Rotational Grazing System for Sheep and Lamb Production Expansion — GO >>
Cherokee — Grant Award: $6,000; Postell Hollow Farm; Josh Postell;
Complete Sheep Working/Handling Facility — GO >>
Swain — Grant Award: $6,000; Breedlove Family Farms; Patrick Breedlove;
Goat Handling Equipment — GO >>
Transylvania — Grant Award: $6,000; Sospiro Ranch; Curt Burnside;
Goat Kidding and Handling Barn — GO >>
Herbs
Buncombe — Grant Award: $6,000; The Culinary Gardener; Evan Chender;
BSC Tractor and Implements Upgrade — GO >>
Rutherford — Grant Award: $6,000; Pangaea Plants; Gabriel Noard;
Medicinal Herb Processing — GO >>
Mushrooms
Mitchell — Grant Award: $6,000; Mountain Hollow; Rodney Wise;
Mushrooms Operation — GO >>
Pigs
Polk — Grant Award: $6,000; Bradley Farms; Aaron Bradley;
Pastured Pig Feeding System — GO >>
Sorghum
Buncombe — Grant Award: $6,000; Flying Cloud Farm; Annie Louise Perkinson;
Mobile Sorghum Syrup Production — GO >>
Madison — Grant Award: $3,000; Doubletree Farm; Cathy Bennett;
Sorghum Syrup Expansion — GO >>
Specialty
Madison — Grant Award: $6,000; Paper Crane Farm; Joe Evans; Cut Flowers — GO >>
Watauga — Grant Award: $6,000; The Lily Patch Farm; Susan Owen;
Organic Production of Pawpaws — GO >>
Value-Added
Madison — Grant Award: $6,000; Zimmerman’s Berry Farm; Pamela Zimmerman;
Wood-Fired Value Added Processing — GO >>
McDowell — Grant Award: $6,000; Keeper’s Cut Meadery; Charles Myers and Kathryn Curran;
Meadery and Winery — GO >>
Graham — Grant Award: $6,000; Wehrloom Honey; Jessica Wehr; Meadery Expansion — GO >>
Vegetables and Fruits
Avery — Grant Award: $6,000; Trosly Farm; Amos and Kaci Nidiffer;
High Tunnel Season Extension — GO >>
Buncombe — Grant Award: $3,000; Cloud 9 Farm; Janet Peterson;
Small Fruit Irrigation and Raspberry Planting — GO >>
Clay — Grant Award: $6,000; LeatherNeck Farms; Samantha and Kevin Webb;
Irrigation Expansion — GO >>
Caldwell — Grant Award: $6,000; Big John’s Hydro Farm; John and James Carroll;
Power On: Electricity Back-up and Mini-Fogger — GO >>
Transylvania — Grant Award: $6,000; Clem’s Organic Gardens; Clem Swift;
Top-Lift Carrot/Beet Harvester — GO >>
Yancey — Grant Award: $6,000; Green Mountain Farm; Chris Deyton;
Decrease Labor and Increase Safety through Mechanization — GO >>