Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
Chris Sawyer, Jake’s Farm Expansion and Diversification Grant Award: $8,000 Desiring to lower labor demands and increase profits, Chris has begun to transition away from vegetables and has started producing perennial crops such as figs, small fruits, and medicinal herbs. … View >>
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 >>
Kelsey Green, Our Friendly Allies Greenhouse Expansion Grant Award: $6,000 Kelsey started Our Friendly Allies five years ago and has reached capacity on her two 20-foot by 20-foot greenhouses, which are used to propagate plugs for her ½-acre production field … View >>
Renea Winchester, Butterfly Cove Botanicals Medicinal Herb Expansion Grant Award: $6,000 In the wake of the COVID crisis, many people became first-time gardeners and the demand for seeds skyrocketed. There was also an increased demand for medicinal herbs, particularly elderberry … View >>
Michael and Lauren Rayburn, Rayburn Farms Drying and Packing Facility Grant Award: $6,000 Rayburn Farm has converted an existing 12 x 30 square foot modular shed to a two-room facility that includes a drying room/kiln and packing and storage room … View >>
Chip Hope, Sugartown Farm and Nursery Sustainable Plant Nursery Grant Award: $6,000 Chip has established a sustainable, low-tech plant nursery to produce naturally grown plants for sale and to offer workshops on growing food, medicinal plants, organic farming, including livestock … View >>
Kelsey Green, Our Friendly Allies Greenhouse and Farm Expansion Grant Award: $6,000 By adding a 20′ x 20′ hoop house, a 12′ x 40′ shaded area to the end of the greenhouse and finishing an existing drying room, Kelsey has … View >>
Gabriel Noard, Pangaea Plants Medicinal Herb Processing Equipment Grant Award: $6,000 Gabriel purchased an herb grinder and sorting machine that separates and sorts aerial parts of medicinal herbs. The project enables Gabriel to process large harvests in significantly less time … View >>
Rodney Wise, Mountain Hollow Mushroom Operation Grant Award: $6,000 Rodney has diversified his medicinal herb farm with native and exotic mushrooms. He is growing brown oyster, elm oyster, pearl oyster and maitake mushrooms, taking the next steps to becoming a … View >>
Gabriel Noard, Pangaea Plants Medicinal Herb Processing Grant Award: $6,000 Gabriel has built an herb dryer and processing area so that he can sell medicinal herbs throughout the year, benefiting from the higher market value of herbs in the non-harvest … View >>
Wallace E. Souther III, Hoopers Creek Botanicals Plants Production Upgrade Grant Award: $6,000 Wallace has boosted Hoopers Creek Botanicals’ production capacity by securing a dependable water source and planting more seeds and transplants. A large expense of the project was … View >>
Karen Taylor, Taylors Greenhouse Herbal Options Grant Award: $3,000 Karen is broadening her customers’ knowledge of herbs by selling culinary and medicinal herbal plants as well as hosting hands-on workshops where participants work closely with the herbs. Each month, … View >>
Kim Van Winkle, Van Winkle Farm/Johnson Branch Farms Shiitake and Goldenseal Production Grant Award: $6,000 Kim is reintroducing farming to a dormant property with winter greenhouse shiitake mushroom production and the wild cultivation of goldenseal. She is constructing a solar … View >>
Appalachian Botanical Alliance Cooperative Production, Research and Marketing of Traditional Chinese Herbs Grant Award: $8,000 Project Leader: Amy Hamilton, Appalachian Seeds Farm and Nursery The Appalachian Botanical Alliance is showing by example that medicinal herbs are a viable, alternative crop … View >>
Chuck Marsh and Debbie Lienhart: Useful Plants Nursery Propagation Facility Grant Award: $6,000 Useful Plants Nursery specializes in growing food and medicinal plants for local and regional markets, including fruit and nut trees, berry bushes and herbaceous perennials. With this … View >>
Harold and Nancy Long are interested in learning and experimenting with the production of medicinal herbs. The Long’s have researched the increasing market demand for medicinal herbs in our country, and with the support of the 2005 WNC Ag … View >>