Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
John Dugan and David Anderson, Dugan Farms Soil Spader for Sustainable Management and Soil Health Grant Award: $6,000 Dugan Farms purchased a soil spader to assist with soil cultivation on their 15-acre farm. With the addition of the soil spader … View >>
Dalton Rhodes, Rhodes Berry Farm Make Blackberries Local Again Grant Award: $6,000 Currently, Rhodes Berry Farm sells their entire product to a national broker who markets in the midwest and northeast of the US. Research has shown that the farm … View >>
Adolph, Matthew and Lucas Atkins, Atkins Orchard Heirloom Cider Apple Orchard Grant Award: $6,000 To fill a niche in the local apple cider market, the Atkins have added a high density heirloom cider apple orchard. Currently, the demand for cider … View >>
Anna and Wesley Sleight, Sleight Family Farm Packing Shed Grant Award: $6,000 As demand has steadily increased over the past 6 years (sales have grown 30% each year), Wesley and Anna have managed to get by with field packing produce … View >>
Chue and Tou Lee, Lee’s One Fortune Farm Rice Harvester Grant Award: $6,000 One of the only rice producers in western North Carolina, Chue Lee has been providing rice to Hmong communities in western NC for a number of years. … View >>
Tyler Hunsader, Jeter Mountain Farm Juice (Cider) Operations Grant Award: $6,000 Jeter Mountain Farm has diversified their farm with the opening of a new 30 acre U-pick apple operation in 2020. From research done the past three years at multiple … View >>
Scott Brown, Ridgetop Farm Spent Grain Dump Trailer Grant Award: $6,000 Starting in 2011, Scott began feeding his cattle spent brewers grain which led to finishing out cattle to supply meat to local restaurants in the Asheville area. As demand … View >>
Natalie Gerardot, Myco Rhizing, LLC Mushroom Grow Domes Grant Award: $6,000 In response to increased demand for mushrooms by restaurants and retail outlets, Natalie is constructing two aircrete dome rooms (one lab/spawn room, one grow room) for indoor mushroom production. … View >>
Niki Irving, Flourish Flower Farm Walk-in Floral Cooler Grant Award: $6,000 Niki has installed a much-needed professional walk-in floral cooler. Refrigeration is one of the most important aspects of running a high quality floral business. With the new larger walk-in … View >>
Paul & Anna Littman, Ivy Creek Family Farm Caterpillar Tunnels Grant Award: $6,000 After many years of successful growing in permanent hoop houses, the Littmans experienced mineral and salt build up in their hoop house soils, which required remediation. In … View >>
Michael and Lauren Rayburn, Rayburn Farms Drying and Packing Facility Grant Award: $6,000 Rayburn Farm has converted an existing 12 x 30 square foot modular shed to a two-room facility that includes a drying room/kiln and packing and storage room … View >>
Lucas Ramsey and Russell Norman, Plow Boys Crop Production The Hereford Project Grant Award: $6,000 Plow Boys Crop Production has diversified the farm with the addition of a cow-calf operation. Grant funds were used to purchase 10 bred Hereford cows, … View >>
Avery Hughes, High Country Fungi Upgrades to Production Facility Grant Award: $3,000 To increase consistency of his product and expand production to meet demand of culinary and medicinal mushrooms, High Country Fungi made improvements to their current growing facility. They … View >>
Michelle Mejia, Moral Bees The Local Honey Bee Project Grant Award: $6,000 Michelle’s grant let her expand queen production, honey, bee products and bee colonies to consumers and other beekeepers. Michelle has developed an innovative system to overwinter locally bred … View >>
Amy Fiedler, Springhouse Farm Permanent Bed System/Cut Flower Production Expansion Grant Award: $6,000 To diversify the farm and create a more profitable revenue stream, Amy added cut flowers to her operation in 2017. After two years of successful growing and … View >>
Roy Joseph Bledsoe, Longview Farm Improvements to Cattle Business Grant Award: $6,000 A former tobacco farmer who stopped growing tobacco in 2004, Mr. Bledsoe has been concentrating on selling cattle and is looking to improve practices on the farm. With … View >>