Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
Chue and Tou Lee, Lee’s One Fortune Farm Rice Huller Grant Award: $8,000 The Lee’s used their 2020 AgOptions grant to purchase a small-scale combine harvester, which allowed them to add an additional 6 acres to their family farm, the … View >>
Danielle Hutchison, Beacon Village Farm, LLC Farm Store Grant Award: $8,000 Danielle farms 200 acres of organic vegetables and is the only certified organic wholesale produce operation in McDowell County. She sells primarily to wholesale brokers, retail operations and box … View >>
Timothy Keller, Keller Farm Goat Expansion for Profit Grant Award: $8,000 With the goal of increasing their goat herd to 100 head by 2026, the Kellers will convert approximately 3,000 feet of barbed wire previously used for cattle containment to … View >>
Karen and Ed Speer, Sweet Betsy Farm Season Extension and Irrigation for Specialty Peppers and Vegetables Grant Award: $6,000 To address a lack of availability of plant starts and problems with irrigation, erosion and fungal diseases that have negatively impacted … View >>
Tiffany Hudgins, Johnson Family Farm Preparing for Future Expansion Grant Award: $6,000 With the goal of turning her family’s four-year-old part-time farming and value-added foods operation into a full-time business, Tiffany is increasing marketing efforts and expanding vegetable production and … 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 >>
Cameron Brock Johnson, Beekeeper Inc. Bee Hive Transportation Upgrade Grant Award: $6,000 Cameron will be upgrading his capacity for transporting beehives used for pollination services throughout North Carolina by purchasing a vehicle large enough to accommodate the hauling of 100+ … View >>
Darren Orr, Orr’s Bee Supply Apiary Expansion Grant Award: $6,000 Orr Bee Supply has expanded their apiary by 20 hives in order to offer organically raised and treated honeybees for local customers at more competitive prices. This expansion lets them … View >>
Sharren L. Mikell, Mikell’s Farm Honey Honey Expansion Grant Award: $6,000 Building on a successful 2015 grant to expand the business, Sharry and Doug continue to grow their operation in order to produce more honey to meet growing demand and … View >>
Ray Revis, Revis Russian Apiaries Instrumental Insemination of Russian Honey Bee Queens Grant Award: $6,000 Ray will be exploring a new frontier in beekeeping – artificial insemination of honeybee queens called “Instrumental Insemination” (II). Ray has been working for over … View >>
Keith Allison, Alt Hill and Verdant Pastures Small Fruit Diversification Grant Award: $6,000 Looking to diversify his farm and bring new sources of income, Keith has added a variety of berries to his farm. He planted 1,000 strawberry plants, 200 … View >>
Charles Myers and Kathryn Curran, Keeper’s Cut Meadery Meadery and Winery Grant Award: $6,000 Charles and Kathryn have expanded their meadery and winery, for which they use honey and fruit from their farm as ingredients. They are offering sales for … View >>
Karen and Wade “Ed” Speer, Sweet Betsy Farm Bee Farm Season Extension Grant Award: $6,000 Karen and Ed have renovated their on-farm store, The Honey House at Sweet Betsy Farm, located just off US-221, so that they can keep the … View >>
Sharren L. Mikell, Mikell’s Farm Bee Farm Expansion Grant Award: $6,000 Mikell’s Farm has doubled their existing bee yard so that they are now maintaining more than 30 hives, primarily for honey production. They have invested in Varroa Sensitive Hygenic … View >>
Bill has added 24 hives to his current 10-hive apiary with the goal of making enough income from honey sales to become a full-time beekeeper. As his age approaches 80, he expects he will no longer be able to continue … View >>