Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission

2021 Recipient: Brulé Farms LLC

Sébastien Brun, Brulé Farms LLC Tuber Melanosporum or Black Winter Perigord Truffle Orchard Grant Award: $6,000 Leveraging knowledge gleaned from multiple truffle-growing workshops in France, Western North Carolina and both online and in person with the National Truffle Growers Association, … View >>

2021 Recipient: Ochre Hill Farms

Abbegail King, Ochre Hill Farms Expansion Project Grant Award: $6,000 Several years ago, Abbegail and her family bought land that has been farmed since the founding of Jackson County with the goal of returning it to being a full-time working … View >>

2021 Recipient: Ray’s Florist & Greenhouse

Ray Nations, Ray’s Florist & Greenhouse Posey Patch Flower Farm Grant Award: $6,000 Ray is expanding his established florist, garden center and greenhouse business by adding a cut-flower operation and increasing his current mist-propagation system for vegetable transplants and flower … View >>

2021 Recipient: Watkins Farm

Travis Watkins, Watkins Farm Goat Project Grant Award: $6,000 The purchase of a creep feeder, Goat Gofer transport unit, 2-ton feed bin, tilt table, 55-gallon herbicide sprayer and mineral-feeding equipment has allowed Travis to expand the size of the goat … View >>

2020 Recipient: D & R Bee Farm

David Massengill, D & R Bee Farm Updates for Increased Production Grant Award: $3,000 To increase pollination services and honey production, as well as provide a resource to the beekeeping community in Jackson County, David will be making necessary upgrades … View >>

2018 Recipient: David Noland

David Noland, Noland Farm Place Creep Feeder Grant Award: $3,000 Building on a successful 2011 WNC AgOptions grant to enhance the genetics of his herd, David has begun to expand and diversify his farm through the introduction of creep feeding … View >>

2015 Recipient: Balsam Gardens

  Steven has expanded Balsam Gardens’ vegetable production in a big way, while also transitioning to USDA Certified Organic to sell to large volume buyers and distributors. Steven has scaled up from 5 to 15 acres. The entire project costs … View >>

2015 Recipient: Bumgarner Farms

Bryan Bumgarner, Bumgarner Farms Feed Facility Grant Award: $6,000 Bryan has built a facility to process cattle and hog feed, which he produces for his own livestock as well as sells to other farms and livestock feed stores. The fully … View >>

2014 Recipient: Twisted Ridge Farms

Abby and Zach Jones, Twisted Ridge Farms Blackberries and Raspberries Grant Award: $6,000 As part of a larger plan to expand and diversify Twisted Ridge Farms, Abby and Zach are adding blackberries and raspberries to their farm, which currently has … View >>

2013 Recipient: Ward Farm

Joe Ward, Ward Farm Customized Kinze Row Planting System Grant Award: $6,000 Joe is purchasing customized no-till row planting equipment that enables him to plant and grow no-till corn so he can expand into local food and livestock feed markets. … View >>

2012 Recipient: Jackson County Farmer’s Market

Jackson County Farmer’s Market Community Kitchen Grant Award: $8,000 Project Leaders: Ron Arps, Vegenui Garden and Amy Grimes, Community Table The Jackson County Farmer’s Market will establish a community commercial kitchen, certified to meet N.C. Department of Agriculture requirements. The … View >>

2011 Recipient: Steven Beltram

Steven Beltram Balsam Gardens Grant Award: $3,000 — Pastured Raised Poultry Processing Equipment The addition of an on-farm processing facility for pastured raised poultry allows Balsam Gardens to increase their production from 150 chickens to 600 a year as well … View >>