Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
Mountain Woodlands LLC Quality Forage Production Grant Award: $10,000 As one of only two licensed dairies remaining in Buncombe County, Bart’s ability to produce consistent, high-quality forage directly affects the long-term sustainability of his business and contribution to the local … View >>
The Henderstead Mobile Sheep Handling System Grant Award: $10,000 The Henderstead is a first-generation, veteran-owned family farm in Rutherford County raising pasture-based sheep and hogs. After transitioning to full-time farming in 2023, the farm has quickly expanded to 39 acres … View >>
Jason Rhodes, Rhodesdale Farm Sheep Handling Facility Improvements Grant Award: $8,000 To improve his sheep handling process, Jason has added fencing and converted an existing cattle feedlot area into a sheep feeding and handling facility. He also installed a platform … View >>
Lisa and Dennis Braswell, Braswell Mountain Farms Hay Storage Facility Grant Award: $8,000 Braswell Mountain Farms has added a hay storage facility to their current beef cattle operation to decrease loss and the quality of hay that occurs with weathering. … View >>
Tommy and Danni Speight, Bluff Mountain Nursery Fencing for Katahdin Sheep Grant Award: $8,000 The Speights have converted old tobacco growing fields into grazing pastures to expand their Katahdin sheep herd from 27 to 70-80 head. They used grant to … View >>
John Queen III, John Queen Farms Hydraulic Squeeze Chute and Digital Scales for Heifer Development Grant Award: $6,000 John runs a stocker operation on his fourth-generation family farm, grazing about 500 head of cattle annually. He plans to purchase a … View >>
Catherine & Rick Topel, Smoky Mountain Mangalitsa, LLC Walk-In Freezer Expansion Grant Award: $6,000 With success supplying quality whole hog specialty breed (Mangalitsa) carcasses to restaurants, the Topel’s are moving to retail sales of their pork and lard products. In … View >>
Ricky Stiles, Appalachian Foothills Farm, LLC Commodity Barn Grant Award: $6,000 Ricky has built a four-bay commodity barn to store and blend feed for his calves. Blending his own feed will bring significant cost savings to his operation, cutting costs … View >>
Larry and Brandon Lee, Lee Farms Bulk Feed Storage Grant Award: $6,000 In order to save money and time, Lee Farms has added a facility to store bulk feed for their calving operation. Previously, they were feeding from 50 pound … View >>
Todd Seagle, Seagle Livestock Handling Facility for Spent Brewers Grain Grant Award: $6,000 Since the first craft brewery opened in Macon County in 2015, Todd has been taking advantage of the spent brewers grain to feed his cattle. He is … View >>
Joseph Paul Miller, Caorach Farm LLC Sheep/Goat Handling Equipment Grant Award: $3,000 A young and up-and-coming farmer, Paul has been operating his sheep business for about a year. As he is looking to increase the herd, it has become clear … View >>
Nicole and Aaron Bradley, Colfax Creek Farm Walk-in Freezer Expansion Grant Award: $6,000 With the help of a 2017 AgOptions grant, Colfax Creek Farm has been very successful in the past few years and has expanded to supply eight restaurants, … View >>
Scott Brown, Ridgetop Farm Spent Grain Dump Trailer Grant Award: $6,000 Starting in 2011, Scott began feeding his cattle spent brewers grain which led to finishing out cattle to supply meat to local restaurants in the Asheville area. As demand … View >>
Lucas Ramsey and Russell Norman, Plow Boys Crop Production The Hereford Project Grant Award: $6,000 Plow Boys Crop Production has diversified the farm with the addition of a cow-calf operation. Grant funds were used to purchase 10 bred Hereford cows, … View >>
Roy Joseph Bledsoe, Longview Farm Improvements to Cattle Business Grant Award: $6,000 A former tobacco farmer who stopped growing tobacco in 2004, Mr. Bledsoe has been concentrating on selling cattle and is looking to improve practices on the farm. With … View >>
Dave Walker, Daffodil Spring Farm Scaling Up Pastured Pig Farm Grant Award: $3,000 With the goal of finishing 20-25 pigs a year and supplying 3-5 farms with 20-25 quality piglets a year, Dave is developing strategies to make the business … View >>