Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
Beeman Jones Honey Extraction Improvement and Value-added Processing Grant Award: $10,000 Fred has approximately 25 beehives and sells 50-150 gallons of honey per year. His current operation is bottlenecked by the uncapping process: preparing frames for extraction takes nearly three hours, … View >>
Ellen Lohmeyer, East Sylva Flower Farm Mobile Floral Cooler for Fresh Flower Storage, Markets & Events Grant Award: $8,000 To support the rapid expansion of their thriving flower business, East Sylva Flower Farm has introduced a mobile refrigeration cooler … 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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
Brent and Beth Hall, Shake Rag Plant Ranch Greenhouse Light Extension Grant Award: $3,000 In order to utilize their full greenhouse for growing hemp during winter months, Brent and Beth added seven 600 watt Ceramic Metal Halide light systems to … View >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 a … View >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
Joni Wavra Ty-Lyn Plantation Grant Award: $6,000 — Truffle Project The 2012 WNC AgOptions grant is assisting the Wavras in phase II of their truffle project, which started in 2011. In honor of her late husband John, Joni and her … View >>
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 >>