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2011 Recipient: Mountain Cattle Alliance

Mountain Cattle Alliance Primary Contact: L.T. Ward Grant Award: $20,000 — Improving Marketability of WNC Livestock The Mountain Cattle Alliance is encouraging the production of higher quality beef cattle that can command a higher price in the marketplace. The alliance … View >>

2011 Recipient: Amos & Kaci Nidiffer

Amos & Kaci Nidiffer Trosly Farm Grant Award: $6,000 — Value-Added Poultry Processing Equipment The Nidiffers are building a permanent processing building to expand their poultry operation and double their production. With the addition, they will meet the state requirements … View >>

2011 Recipient: Grady Bob Johnson, Jr.

Grady Bob Johnson, Jr. Tucker Hollow Farm Grant Award: $6,000 — Berries and Honey Tucker Hollow Farm will expand their existing farm with the addition of blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and 20 stands of honeybees to pollinate the berries and their … View >>

2011 Recipient: Anthony Cole

Anthony Cole Jasperwood Farm Grant Award: $3,000 — Production of Colored Bell Peppers Anthony is diversifying his winter squash, livestock and Christmas tree farm with the production of full color bell peppers, which provides cash flow at a time period … View >>

2011 Recipient: Thomas E. Shepherd, Jr.

Thomas E. Shepherd, Jr. Headwaters of Poverty Farm Grant Award: $6,000 — Specialty Poultry Thomas is raising and processing specialty poultry, focusing on poussins, three-week-old chickens. With the purchase of a brooder, grow-off pens and processing equipment, he is raising … View >>

2011 Recipient: Loretta Ball

Loretta Ball Craggy View Farm Grant Award: $6,000 — Farm Stand Loretta is building a farm stand on the Barnardsville Highway in Weaverville. At the retail store, she sells her greenhouse plants as well as locally grown and organic produce, … View >>

2011 Recipient: William Metes

William Metes B.M.S. Enterprises Grant Award: $3,000 — Shiitake Mushroom Smokehouse William is building a smokehouse for growing log-inoculated mushrooms infused with an aromatic wood smoke such as hickory during the fruiting process. He is experimenting with different infusion durations … View >>

2011 Recipient: Leslie Sigmon

Leslie Sigmon Emma Farms Grant Award: $6,000 — Indoor Oyster Mushroom Production Leslie is adding indoor oyster mushroom production to her farm to boost winter and early spring income. She is studying the most effective facilities, substrate and strains to … View >>

2011 Recipient: Eddie and Jeff Frisbee

Eddie and Jeff Frisbee Addison Farms Vineyard Grant Award: $9,000 — Vineyard and Winery Expansion The Frisbees are continuing the family’s fifth-generation tradition of farming by diversifying their cattle farm into a vineyard and winery. With the addition of 400 … View >>

2011 Recipient: Mary Ann Thompson

Mary Ann Thompson Traditional Delicacies Grant Award: $3,000 — Traditional Cherokee Delicacies Mary Ann recently started her forest delicacies business selling frozen and canned wild greens. She is also raising mountain crawfish, a traditional Cherokee forest food, in small-scale contained … View >>