Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
Jordan Michael Smith, Two Girls Honey Company Commercial Conversion and Equipment Upgrades Grant Award: $6,000 Using his 2018 AgOptions grant to expand from 18 to 36 colonies, Jordan has since grown to over 47 production hives, investing profits from the … View >>
Ryan and Launi Higgs, Blue Ridge Apiaries Value-Added Diversification with Session Mead Production Grant Award: $6,000 Before starting their successful small-scale apiary that now supplies 12% of the total North Carolina honey crop, the Higgs were employees of the largest … View >>
Gary and Abigail Steiner, Bee-utiful Farm and Garden Honey House Grant Award: $6,000 The Steiners are building a 28′ x 32′ structure on their property to serve as a honey house. The new honey house will provide a space for … 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 >>
Jordan Michael Smith, Two Girls Honey Company Apiary Expansion Grant Award: $6,000 In order to meet the demand for honey in Swain County, Jordan has expanded his current operation to 18 colonies. The expansion of the colonies required the addition … View >>
Eddy Jackson Corbin, Jr., Corbin Family Farm Honey House Grant Award: $6,000 Jackson has built a honey house to hold extraction equipment and process honey. He is purchased a 12-foot by 24-foot prefabricated building and located it close to one … View >>
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 >>
Robert and Jaime Cool, Bee Kind Family Farm Apiary Expansion Grant Award: $3,000 Robert and Jaime have added 20 new bee colonies to their 60-hive chemical treatment-free yard with the hopes of doubling honey production in the future. The additional … 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 >>
Donald W. Carringer, Carringer Farms Bee Operation Grant Award: $6,000 Donald has tripled the size of his bee yard by adding 20 hives, so that he is well on his way to a goal of 40-hives in his bee yard. … 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 >>
Ryan Higgs, Blue Ridge Apiaries Nuc Production Expansion Grant Award: $6,000 Ryan is expanding the production of nucleus colonies, or “nucs,” to supply his own replacement colonies, cut down on swarming, as well as sell surplus nucs to other beekeepers … 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 >>