Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
Crow Fly Farms Agritourism Event Space Grant Award: $10,000 Crow Fly Farms has been selling lamb, pork, and beef through farmers’ markets, grocers, and restaurant clients. They also regularly host farm tours to showcase their regenerative practices and holistic management. Visitors … View >>
Edwards Family Farms NC Cold Storage Expansion Grant Award: $10,000 Edwards Family Farms started in 2019 and has grown to an annual production of over 800 meat chickens, 10-20 hogs, five beef cattle, and eggs from over 50 laying hens. They … View >>
Wild East Farm Vegetable Production Post-Harvest Processing Facility Improvements Grant Award: $10,000 Wild East Farm will upgrade their vegetable wash/pack systems to increase efficiency, improve working conditions, and scale their winter storage crop capacity. The project will enable them to move … View >>
Lyric Antio & Noah Poulos, Wild East Farm On-site Poultry Processing Facility Improvement Grant Award: $8,000 With increasing demand for their poultry products, Wild East has doubled production in 2024 from 2,000 to 4,000 birds. To achieve this growth … View >>
Chue and Tou Lee, Lee’s One Fortune Farm Rice Huller and Polisher 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 … 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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>