In February 2018 the WNC Agricultural Options program awarded 43 farmers grants totaling $229,000 to assist them in diversifying their farms.
Nine of the farm businesses received $3,000, one received $4,000, and 33 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
Madison — Grant Award: $3,000; The Farmer’s Hands; Sebastiaan Zijp;
Teaching and Event Shelter — GO >>
Aquaculture
Transylvania — Grant Award: $6,000; Cantrell Creek Trout Farm, LLC; On-Site Hatchery — GO >>
Bees
McDowell; Grant Award: $6,000; Mikell’s Farm Honey; Sharry Mikell;
Honey Expansion — GO >>
McDowell; Grant Award: $6,000; Orr’s Bee Supply; Darren Orr;
Keeping Beekeeping Alive — GO >>
McDowell; Grant Award: $6,000; Revis Russian Apiaries; Ray Revis;
Instrumental Insemination of Russian Honey Bee Queens — GO >>
Swain; $6,000; Two Girls Honey Company; Jordan Smith; Apiary Expansion — GO >>
Berries
Cleveland — Grant Award: $6,000; Crookneck Farms; Brad Bumgardner;
Packing and Cooling Center — GO >>
Henderson — $4,000; Alt Hill and Verdant Pastures; Keith Allison;
Small Fruit Diversification — GO >>
McDowell — Grant Award: $6,000; His Harvest Farms; Dakota Youngblood;
Irrigation System — GO >>
Cattle/Beef
Buncombe — Grant Award: $6,000; Morgan Farms Angus Beef; Martin Morgan;
Corn and Grass Field Chopper — GO >>
Buncombe — Grant Award: $6,000; Ruby Brown Farm; Rick Rhinehart;
Pasture Raised Beef — GO >>
Cleveland — Grant Award: $6,000; Goforth Livestock; Trip Goforth;
Improving Beef Profits with TMR Feeding — GO >>
EBCI — Grant Award: $6,000; Lambert Farms; Danny and Krista Lambert;
Wood Chips and Manure Composting — GO >>
Jackson — Grant Award: $3,000; Noland Farm Place; David Noland;
Using Creep Feeder to Increase Profit and Calf Health — GO >>
Rutherford — Grant Award: $6,000; Belflower Farm; Jeff and Katie Belflower;
K-line Pasture Irrigation — GO >>
Christmas Trees
Avery — Grant Award: $6,000; Daintrey Trees; Bill and Adam Beuttell;
AVB Greenhouse Project — GO >>
Avery; Grant Award: $3,000; Haw Mtn. Nursery; Ted Farmer;
Growing Fraser Firs in Outdoor Beds with Additional Light — GO >>
Watauga — Grant Award: $6,000; C and J Christmas Trees; Cecelia and Jeff Brown;
Multi-Purpose Building — GO >>
Dairy: Sheep
Madison — Grant Award: $6,000; Grassroots Farm and Dairy; Andrea Van Gunst;
Grade A Sheep Dairy — GO >>
Hay
Haywood — Grant Award: $6,000; Blake Francis Farm; Blake Francis;
Round Bale Wrapper — GO >>
Herbs
Madison; Grant Award: $6,000; Our Friendly Allies; Kesley Green;
Greenhouse/Farm Expansion — GO >>
Mushrooms
Mitchell; Grant Award: $3,000; Mayland Mushrooms; Matthew Mazzuckelli;
Laboratory/Grow Room Renovation and Expansion — GO >>
Natives/Nursery
Caldwell; Grant Award: $6,000; Sugartown Farm and Nursery; Chip Hope;
Sustainable Plant Nursery — GO >>
Madison — Grant Award: $3,000; Wildbud Natives; Nathan Buchanan;
Shade Tunnel Project — GO >>
Pigs
Graham; Grant Award: $3,000; Double 00 Farm; Sophia Annette Ensley;
Breed Preservation and Increased Production — GO >>
Graham; Grant Award: $6,000; Pine Row Farm; Jeff Phillips;
Pasture Raised Heritage Hogs — GO >>
Poultry
Buncombe — Grant Award: $6,000; Franny’s Farm; Frances Tacy;
Chicken Processing Barn with Brooder Room — GO >>
Sheep and Goats
Cherokee — Grant Award: $6,000; Postell Hollow Farms; Josh and Brooke Postell;
Economical Sheep Feeding Area — GO >>
Buncombe — Grant Award: $6,000; Wild Mountain Farm and Mountain Goatscaping;
Megan Naylor and William W. Wallace III; Barn Raising — GO >>
Specialty
Burke — Grant Award: $6,000; Countryside Berries; Theresa Jaynes;
Muscadine Project — GO >>
Haywood — Grant Award: $6,000; Dreamy Bean Farm; Alexa Baker;
Heirloom Dry Beans and Dry Corn Production Expansion — GO >>
Mitchell — Grant Award: $6,000; Jackie’s…Naturally; Jackie Wall;
Facilities Expansion — GO >>
Watauga — Grant Award: $6,000; Green Dragon Ginseng; Todd Combs;
Ginseng Seed Production — GO >>
Value-Added
Macon — Grant Award: $6,000; Blue Ribbon Farms; Warren Cabe;
Stone Grist Mill — GO >>
Yancey — Grant Award: $6,000; Locally Good Farm; Stephanie Poetter;
Vinegar Production Expansion — GO >>
Vegetables
Avery — Grant Award: $3,000; Hall’s Hill Farm; Wood Hall Young, III;
Greenhouse Expansion and Season Extension — GO >>
Cherokee — Grant Award: $6,000; Mission Valley Farms; Deborah Witt Anderson;
Efficient Drip Irrigation and UV Water Purification for FSMA — GO >>
Haywood — Grant Award: $6,000; Leatherwood Family Farams;
Stephen John Leatherwood; Freezer — GO >>
Madison — Grant Award: $3,000; Greenshire Farms; Randall Gifford;
Operation Paper Pot — GO >>
Transylvania — Grant Award: $6,000; McCall Farm; Thomas Mark McCall;
Produce POS System — GO >>
Watauga; Grant Award: $6,000; Against The Grain; Holly Whitesides and Andrew Bryant;
Winter Pack Shed and Apprentice Kitchen — GO >>
Vineyard
Clay — Grant Award: $6,000; Crawford Acres; Chris and Michelle Crawford;
Expansion and Diversification — GO >>
Polk — Grant Award: $6,000; Parker-Binns Vineyard; Karen and Bob Binns;
Increasing Wine Production and Diversification — GO >>