Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
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 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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
Dorene Jankowski, Fire From the Mountain Outdoor Walk-in Freezer Grant Award: $8,000 Dorene produces a variety of hot sauces, salsa, and berry jams from products grown on her farm and markets them through their website, local farmers markets, wholesale accounts, … 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 >>
Adam Pressley, Pressley Farms Strawberry Production Expansion Grant Award: $6,000 The Pressley family started growing strawberries in 2015 with 500 plugs, ramping up their crop to about 3,500 plants on 0.17 acres by 2019. For the 2021-2022 season, they have … 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 >>
Abbegail King, Ochre Hill Farms Expansion Project Grant Award: $6,000 Several years ago, Abbegail and her family bought land that has been farmed since the founding of Jackson County with the goal of returning it to being a full-time working … View >>
Linda Laine, Mardet Family Farm LLC Infrastructure for Vegetable Production Grant Award: $6,000 Linda added critical irrigation infrastructure to her farm, which consists of two separate parcels of land totaling 23 acres. Previously, a one-acre parcel had a well, but … View >>
Dalton Rhodes, Rhodes Berry Farm Make Blackberries Local Again Grant Award: $6,000 Currently, Rhodes Berry Farm sells their entire product to a national broker who markets in the midwest and northeast of the US. Research has shown that the farm … View >>
Danielle Crocker & Jason Willis, “Pick Dee’s Berries” at Skydance Farm Agritourism Infrastructure for “U-Pick” Berry Farm Grant Award: $6,000 To enhance their “U-Pick” berry operation and create a destination agritourism site, Danielle and Jason added needed infrastructure to support … View >>
Brad Bumgardner, Crookneck Farms Packing and Cooling Center Grant Award: $6,000 To reduce losses, increase quality, extend the shelf life of their berries and reach new markets, Crookneck Farms has added a desperately needed cooling facility. The facility has satisfied … View >>
Theresa Jaynes, Countryside Berries Muscadine Project Grant Award: $6,000 With the goal of doubling farm sales in two years, Countryside Berries has diversified their u-pick berry farm with the addition of muscadines. This season, they have planted 48 muscadine plants … View >>
Dakota Youngblood, His Harvest Farms Irrigation System Grant Award: $4,000 Dakota has added an irrigation system for his current vegetable production and future and future blackberry plantings. He purchased and installed a pump, stainless steel sand filters, piping and drip … View >>