Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission

2021 Recipient: Black Trumpet Farm

Gwendolyn Casebeer and Jay Englebach, Black Trumpet Farm Increased Efficiency and Output in Gourmet Mushroom Production Grant Award: $6,000 Gwen and Jay use organic growing practices to produce 150 pounds per week of gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. Demand has consistently … View >>

2021 Recipient: Sporadic Farms

David Anderson, Sporadic Farms On Site Cold Storage Building Grant Award: $6,000 David plans to expand and improve the sustainability of his business by building an on-site carport with cold storage. Mushrooms are sensitive to bacterial blooms, so maintaining the … View >>

2021 Recipient: Brothers on Farms

Susan Epps Ward, Brothers on Farms Commercial Equipment/Freeze Dry Equipment Grant Award: $6,000 After COVID-19 negatively impacted her agritourism revenue and sales of shiitake mushrooms, lamb and other products to restaurants, Susan decided to expand her product line to include … View >>

2021 Recipient: D & M Apiaries

Mitch and Darlene Myers, D & M Apiaries Apiary Expansion and Equipment Upgrade Grant Award: $6,000 A 2020 AgOptions grant allowed D&M to expand its stock of mite-resistant Russian honey bees at its main apiary in Cherokee County, prompting Darlene … View >>

2021 Recipient: Mountain Cheesery, LLC

Linda and Perry Carringer, Mountain Cheesery at Town Mountain Farm Milking Room Grant Award: $6,000 The Carringers have completed the construction of a new, larger milking room to help expand their artisan cheese business. Mountain Cheesery recently invested about $65,000 … View >>

2021 Recipient: Pine Row Farm

Jeff and Terri Phillips, Pine Row Farm Farm Store Grant Award: $6,000 Terri and Jeff are approaching retirement and are working to generate an income from their family farm. To meet increasing demand for their farm-raised beef, pork, chicken and … View >>

2021 Recipient: KT’s Orchard and Apiary

KT, KT’s Orchard and Apiary Apple Sorting and Packing Project: Upgrading Farm Efficiency Grant Award: $6,000 Having already purchased a used apple sorter from a neighboring county’s N.C. Cooperative Extension Center, KT will be converting an existing barn into an … View >>

2021 Recipient: Pressley Farms

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 >>