Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission

2021 Recipient: SKYe2Farm

Charles King, SKYe2 Farm Electricity to Drying Container and Greenhouse Grant Award: $6,000 To help meet growing demand for its high revenue-producing dried hemp, garlic, herbs, mushrooms, hops and seed, and to increase production of cut flowers and vegetable crops, … View >>

2021 Recipient: Black Trumpet Farm

Gwendolyn Casebeer and Jay Englebach, Black Trumpet Farm Increased Efficiency and Output in Gourmet Mushroom Production Grant Award: $6,000 Gwen and Jay use organic growing practices to produce 150 pounds per week of gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. Demand has consistently … View >>

2021 Recipient: S.D. Morgan Farms

Shannon Morgan, S.D. Morgan Farms Hay Accumulator and Hay Grapple Grant Award: $6,000 To meet the enormous challenge of putting up the more than 5,000 square hay bales Shannon produces each season, Shannon has purchased a hay accumulator and grapple. … View >>

2021 Recipient: Sporadic Farms

David Anderson, Sporadic Farms On Site Cold Storage Building Grant Award: $6,000 David plans to expand and improve the sustainability of his business by building an on-site carport with cold storage. Mushrooms are sensitive to bacterial blooms, so maintaining the … View >>

2021 Recipient: Brothers on Farms

Susan Epps Ward, Brothers on Farms Commercial Equipment/Freeze Dry Equipment Grant Award: $6,000 After COVID-19 negatively impacted her agritourism revenue and sales of shiitake mushrooms, lamb and other products to restaurants, Susan decided to expand her product line to include … View >>

2021 Recipient: D & M Apiaries

Mitch and Darlene Myers, D & M Apiaries Apiary Expansion and Equipment Upgrade Grant Award: $6,000 A 2020 AgOptions grant allowed D&M to expand its stock of mite-resistant Russian honey bees at its main apiary in Cherokee County, prompting Darlene … View >>

2021 Recipient: Mountain Cheesery, LLC

Linda and Perry Carringer, Mountain Cheesery at Town Mountain Farm Milking Room Grant Award: $6,000 The Carringers have completed the construction of a new, larger milking room to help expand their artisan cheese business. Mountain Cheesery recently invested about $65,000 … View >>

2021 Recipient: McNeilly Enterprises

Julia Austin, McNeilly Enterprises Enhancing Capacity with Multi-purpose Facility Grant Award: $6,000 The owners of McNeilly Enterprises are constructing a 20-foot by 25-foot multipurpose building. They have purchased a commercial honey extractor and other equipment and supplies to facilitate processing … View >>

2021 Recipient: Willis Farms

Rodney Willis, Willis Farms Sorghum Syrup and Cornmeal Process Upgrades Grant Award: $6,000 Rodney and Lynn have constructed a metal-frame processing building for their sorghum syrup and cornmeal that meets current food safety standards. The processing facility is located adjacent … View >>

2021 Recipient: Dugan Farms

John Dugan and David Anderson, Dugan Farms Food Safety Produce Packing Shed Grant Award: $6,000 Dugan Farms currently has no way to meet GAP and other food-safety requirements and there are no packing and washing sheds available to farmers on … View >>

2021 Recipient: Pine Row Farm

Jeff and Terri Phillips, Pine Row Farm Farm Store Grant Award: $6,000 Terri and Jeff are approaching retirement and are working to generate an income from their family farm. To meet increasing demand for their farm-raised beef, pork, chicken and … View >>

2021 Recipient: John Queen Farms

John Queen III, John Queen Farms Hydraulic Squeeze Chute and Digital Scales for Heifer Development Grant Award: $6,000 John runs a stocker operation on his fourth-generation family farm, grazing about 500 head of cattle annually. He plans to purchase a … View >>

2021 Recipient: KT’s Orchard and Apiary

KT, KT’s Orchard and Apiary Apple Sorting and Packing Project: Upgrading Farm Efficiency Grant Award: $6,000 Having already purchased a used apple sorter from a neighboring county’s N.C. Cooperative Extension Center, KT will be converting an existing barn into an … View >>

2021 Recipient: Saturnia Farm

Sarah Coury and Ben Pick, Saturnia Farm Nursery, Flower & Farm Goods Delivery Service Grant Award: $6,000 In spring of 2020 as the COVID-19 crisis was unfolding, Saturnia Farm started a plant delivery service between Waynesville and Asheville. An immediate … View >>

2021 Recipient: Smart Farm

Donald Smart, Smart Farm Hay Loader for Beef Cattle Operation Grant Award: $3,000 Farming in multiple counties, Don raises 40 head of cattle and produces all his own cattle feed at two farm sites. He bales and loads 1200 lb. … View >>