Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
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 … View >>
Ray Revis, Revis Russian Apiaries Production and Evaluation of Russian Honey Bee Queens Grant Award: $6,000 Ray is adding 50 new queen-mating colonies to his operation to be better prepared for the high-demand season. He is purchasing equipment and supplemental … View >>
Alvin Lytle, Cove Creek Nursery Expansion/Diversification to Grow Grain and Vegetables Grant Award: $6,000 Alvin is diversifying his farm, which is currently a tree, shrub and vine nursery, to include the production of chemical-free produce and grain, flour and meal. … View >>
Mario DeLuca DeMariano Vineyard Grant Award: $6,000 — Wine Production The 2012 WNC AgOptions grant offsets DeMariano Vineyard’s wine production costs to help the family realize the value-added income from the farm’s grapes. The vines are producing at about 75 … View >>
Susan and Terry English English Dairy Farm Grant Award: $6,000 — English Farmstead Cheese Susan and Terry are planning to manufacture fresh cheese spreads as well as aged cheeses using milk produced solely on the farm. They are constructing a … View >>
Eric Ellis, Ellis Farms Farms, Food and Community (Direct Produce Sales) Grant Award: $6,000 Eric is establishing a distribution system to provide a weekly box of 25 pounds of produce to at least 30 members a week, and he expects … View >>
Independent Small Animal Meat Producers Association Foothills Pilot Plant Working Capital Grant Award: $8,000 Project Leaders: Rick Harty, ISAMPA President The Independent Small Animal Meat Producers Association (ISAMPA) will advance the opening of the Foothills Pilot Plant in Marion by … View >>
Mario and Michael DeLuca DeMariano Vineyard Grant Award: $6,000 — Wine Production from Grapes The DeLucas are purchasing winery equipment and supplies to help realize the value-added income from production of their own wine. They are harvesting from one acre … View >>
Bao Yang Mountain Spring Garden Grant Award: $6,000 — Bamboo Shoot Testing & Processing Approval Mountain Spring Garden is a unique U.S. producer of canned bamboo shoots. Bao is completing the necessary steps to bring the bamboo shoots to market: … View >>
Ray Revis Russian Honeybees for Beekeepers Grant Award: $6,000 Ray is increasing the production of bees, honey and queens; developing wax products; and working with the USDA-ARS Abee Lab and Russian Honey Bee Breeders Association to improve two genetic lines … View >>
Frank & Rhonda Seaman: Manoah Farms Manoah Farms Vegetable Wagon Grant Award: $6,000 The Seamans are building a custom roadside wagon to sell produce on-farm and at local festivals and other market outlets. The wagon is constructed with local milled … View >>
Meredith Leigh McKissick, Crooked Creek Farms A Greenhouse to Increase Efficiency & Profitability Grant Award: $6,000 Since 2003, Meredith has produced diversified vegetables for tailgate markets, and she is currently growing her cut flower and pasture-raised beef cattle business. She … View >>