Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
Kate and Fairman Jayne, Sandy Mush Herb Nursery Farm Visit Improvements Grant Award: $8,000 The Sandy Mush Herb Nursery is diversifying their production model to increase on-farm sales and agritourism experiences to complement their traditional mail-order market. The Jaynes plan … View >>
Rick Rhinehart, Ruby Brown Farm Multi-use Shed Facility & Future Farm Store Grant Award: $8,000 With the growth of their freezer beef business, the Rhineharts are running out of room to store their farm implements, feed, and fertilizer. As a … View >>
Maxine Hodges, Blossom Ridge Orchard Apple, Berry, and Flower Irrigation System Grant Award: $8,000 Maxine, her son and daughter-in-law will add blackberries, raspberries, and a high-density apple orchard to diversify their current beef cattle operation. In the spring of 2023 … View >>
Danielle Keeter and Mark McDonagh, Mighty Gnome Market Garden Walk-in Cooler for Farm Expansion and Agritourism Safety Grant Award: $8,000 The current cooler Danielle and Mark use presents safety issues that prevent them from using it for customer CSA pickups. … View >>
William Russ, Russwood Farms Storefront Grant Award: $8,000 The Russ family has diversified their beef cattle and sweet corn business with the addition of U-pick blueberries and flowers. They intend to use their AgOptions grant award to finish transitioning a … View >>
Loretta Ball, The Never Ending Flower Farm Bathroom and Farm Store Grant Award: $8,000 Loretta has constructed a building on her farm that houses a bathroom and a small farm store space where visitors can shop and get supplies to … View >>
Scott Boxberger, Stoney Hollow Farm Farm Equipment and Expansion Project Grant Award: $8,000 Stoney Hollow Farm has a well-established business, serving their community from the same location for over 20 years. They have a farm store and offer a CSA, … View >>
Sara Martin and Dustin Cornelison, Two Trees Farm/Sustainabillies LLC Welcoming Back the Public to Two Trees Farm Grant Award: $4,000 In 2020 and 2021 as the pandemic swept the world, Two Trees farm halted their on-farm classes and tours … View >>
Catherine and Rick Topel, Smoky Mountain Mangalitsa, LLC Mobile Food Unit Trailer for Farm Use Grant Award: $8,000 As COVID hit in 2020, Catherine was unable to sell hog carcasses to restaurants. Even after pivoting to retail sales, business remained … View >>
Stacy Fields, Raspberry Fields Raspberry Fields Kitchen Grant Award: $8,000 Raspberry Fields’ original plan was to build a small structure on the farm to house the farm kitchen. During the planning phase, Stacy discovered her proposed location was in a … View >>
Bob Shipley, Shipley Farms, LLC Shipley Farm Livestock Handling Barn Grant Award: $8,000 Shipley Farms produces pasture-raised beef and direct sells to consumers, restaurants and food service companies. His 1860’s era barn is inadequate to handle the volume of cattle … View >>
Danielle Crocker & Jason Willis, “Pick Dee’s Berries” at Skydance Farm Roadside Market Farm Store Grant Award: $6,000 Danielle and Jason are building a 20-foot by 24-foot wooden structure with a metal roof that will serve as roadside farm store … View >>
Julia Austin, McNeilly Enterprises Enhancing Capacity with Multi-purpose Facility Grant Award: $6,000 The owners of McNeilly Enterprises are constructing a 20-foot by 25-foot multipurpose building. They have purchased a commercial honey extractor and other equipment and supplies to facilitate processing … View >>
Rodney Willis, Willis Farms Sorghum Syrup and Cornmeal Process Upgrades Grant Award: $6,000 Rodney and Lynn have constructed a metal-frame processing building for their sorghum syrup and cornmeal that meets current food safety standards. The processing facility is located adjacent … View >>
Stacy Fields, Raspberry Fields Agritourism Improvements to the Farm Grant Award: $6,000 After building materials costs rose steeply in early 2021, Stacy determined she would not be able to complete her proposed project, which was installing a commercial kitchen in … View >>
Sébastien Brun, Brulé Farms LLC Tuber Melanosporum or Black Winter Perigord Truffle Orchard Grant Award: $6,000 Leveraging knowledge gleaned from multiple truffle-growing workshops in France, Western North Carolina and both online and in person with the National Truffle Growers Association, … View >>