Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission

2023 Recipient: Billy Bryant, Bryant Farms

Billy Bryant, Bryant Farms Packing Shed Grant Award: $8,000 In order to increase efficiency and meet GAP certification requirements, Billy will be adding a packing facility to his current vegetable production operation. GAP certification will allow Bryant Farms to maintain … View >>

2020 Recipient: Moral Bees

Michelle Mejia, Moral Bees The Local Honey Bee Project Grant Award: $6,000 Michelle’s grant let her expand queen production, honey, bee products and bee colonies to consumers and other beekeepers. Michelle has developed an innovative system to overwinter locally bred … View >>

2019 Recipient: Pink Boots Farm

John Pearson, Pink Boot Farms Goat Barn Renovation/Milking Operation Grant Award: $6,000 John and Lynn Pearson’s farm project is to add goat milk, butter, and aged goat cheese production to the farm. To accomplish this goal, they renovated a 150 … View >>

2018 Recipient: Locally Good Farm

Stephanie Poetter, Locally Good Farm Vinegar Production Expansion Grant Award: $6,000 To increase production to meet demand of locally produced apple-cider vinegar, Locally Good Farm expanded their vinegar production facility and started a ¼ acre orchard. Until they received the … View >>

2017 Recipient: Green Mountain Farm

Chris and Amy Deyton, Green Mountain Farms Mechanization for Reducing Labor and Increasing Safety Grant Award: $6,000 Chris and Amy purchased a front end loader for their tractor to aid in the expansion of their cattle, goat and vegetable farm. … View >>

2016 Recipient: Blooming Branch Farm

Dietrich Blum, Blooming Branch Farm Bulk Substrate Steam Pasteurizer for Mushroom Production Grant Award: $6,000 Dietrich is building a bulk substrate steam pasteurizer that allows him to produce wholesale quantities of oyster mushrooms as well as fruiting columns and fruiting … View >>

2016 Recipient: Edwards Farm

James Moore Edwards, Edwards Farm Grass-Fed Cattle Grant Award: $6,000 James is diversifying his vegetable operation with grass-fed cattle. He purchased seven calves to pasture on 16 acres. He feeds them on grass until autumn before slaughtering them for sale … View >>

2016 Recipient: Exotic Natives Nursery

Bill Weeks, Exotic Natives Nursery Expanding Markets and Increasing Manageability and Sales of Native Azaleas Grant Award: $6,000 Bill has made critical changes at his nursery to sell off his current inventory of field-grown azaleas, which are mostly native to … View >>

2014 Recipient: D&D Farm

Danny Thomason, D&D Farm Packing Shed, Delivery Trailer, Row Cover Grant Award: $3,000 Danny is retrofitting a tobacco barn into a packing shed to help speed up boxing of vegetables before it travels to TRACTOR Food and Farms, which distributes … View >>

2014 Recipient: Goldfinch Gardens

  Cedar and Ben are diversifying their vegetable enterprise with the addition of meat sheep. They have purchased 12 ewes and will purchase one ram and begin breeding in late summer. They are constructing a secure shed and paddocks for … View >>

2014 Recipient: Riddle-Edwards Farm

  Gerald has added 1.5 acres of Honey Select sweet corn and Hernandez and Bouregard sweet potatoes, using raised bed plastic mulching methods. The improved methods have increased his sweet potato production by 35 percent. He has also installed drip … View >>

2013 Recipient: MiLo Acres

Lori and Michael Osada, MiLo Acres Walk-in Cooler Grant Award: $3,000 The Osadas are adding an on-site walk-in cooler to store their naturally certified produce, fruit and eggs and extend shelf life. They are able to harvest and store more … View >>

2012 Recipient: Mt. Mitchell Produce

Traci McMahan Mt. Mitchell Produce Grant Award: $6,000—Portable Cooling Unit Traci is improving delivery capabilities of Mt. Mitchell Produce to expand sales to Ingles Markets, the farm’s primary customer. With the purchase of a 16-foot long cargo transporter utility trailer … View >>