Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
Catherine and Rick Topel, Smoky Mountain Mangalitsa, LLC Mobile Food Unit Trailer for Farm Use Grant Award: $8,000 As COVID hit in 2020, Catherine was unable to sell hog carcasses to restaurants. Even after pivoting to retail sales, business remained … View >>
Tyler Hunsader, Jeter Mountain Farm Canner for Hard/Carbonated Cider Grant Award: $8,000 After opening to the public in 2020, Jeter Mountain Farm saw unexpectedly high sales of their hard cider, which was produced using their apples. In 2022, in order … View >>
Stacy Fields, Raspberry Fields Raspberry Fields Kitchen Grant Award: $8,000 Raspberry Fields’ original plan was to build a small structure on the farm to house the farm kitchen. During the planning phase, Stacy discovered her proposed location was in a … View >>
Ray Nations, Ray’s Florist & Greenhouse Back-up Heating For Greenhouse Grant Award: $8,000 Ray has added a generator and regulator for back-up heat to his greenhouse. The generator will power his whole facility if the power goes out for more … View >>
Regina Jodie McCord, Great Blue Farms Seed to Bloom to Bouquet Grant Award: $8,000 Having grown up on her family’s tobacco/vegetable farm, Jodie has been growing annuals, perennials, bi-annuals and shrubs for weddings and events on the same farm since … View >>
Dave Lesuer, Hillside Farm Hydroponic Tomato Greenhouse Grant Award: $8,000 Farming has provided 90% of income for Dave and his family since COVID began. He sells his diverse vegetable products to local restaurants, food pantries, and offers CSAs. After moving … View >>
Erica Fernbach and Karl Brandstaetter, Seven Oaks Farm Caterpillar Tunnels for Organic Production Grant Award: $8,000 Thanks to their existing caterpillar tunnels, Erica and Karl were able to provide peppers, tomatoes and lettuce during shoulder seasons when other farms’ production … View >>
Harold Paxton, Colonial Acres Nursery Building a Covered Nursery Potting Shed Grant Award: $8,000 Harold will pay for materials and labor to cover his 2,500 square-foot work area with a greenhouse-style roof. The elevated design will enable trucks to unload … View >>
Clement Swift, Clem’s Organic Gardens Cold Storage for Crop Diversification and Expansion Grant Award: $8,000 This year Clem has increased his farmed acreage by 60% and he is on track to double his revenue from last year. He also … View >>
Dorene Jankowski, Fire From the Mountain Outdoor Walk-in Freezer Grant Award: $8,000 Dorene produces a variety of hot sauces, salsa, and berry jams from products grown on her farm and markets them through their website, local farmers markets, wholesale accounts, … View >>
Bob Shipley, Shipley Farms, LLC Shipley Farm Livestock Handling Barn Grant Award: $8,000 Shipley Farms produces pasture-raised beef and direct sells to consumers, restaurants and food service companies. His 1860’s era barn is inadequate to handle the volume of cattle … View >>
Gary and Abigail Steiner, Bee-utiful Farm and Garden Greenhouse Upgrade and Expansion Grant Award: $8,000 With the ultimate goal of moving to full-time farming, the Steiners have upgraded an existing 5-year-old greenhouse with more plant growing space in order to … View >>
Cantrell Creek Trout Farm Onsite Solid and Liquid Composting System Grant Award: $8,000 Cantrell Creek Trout Farm upgraded an old composting system on their farm. The deteriorating system, which was built in the 1990s, was in severe disrepair and could … View >>
Morgan Metcalf, Burley Stick Farm Walk-In Freezer and Packing Facility Grant Award: $8,000 To meet a continuous customer demand with a seasonal product, The Morgans are building a 12′ x 40′ packing facility. This structure will be built on a … View >>
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 >>
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 >>