Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission

2021 Recipient: Sweet Betsy Farm

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 >>

2021 Recipient: Johnson Family Farm

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 >>

2019 Recipient: Beekeeper Inc.

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 >>

2018 Recipient: Orr Bee Supply

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 >>

2018 Recipient: Revis Russian Apiaries

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 >>

2016 Recipient: Sweet Betsy Farm

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 >>

2015 Recipient: Mikell’s Farm

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 >>