Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission

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: Holt Orchards

Tracy Cavagnaro and Todd Kirmss, Holt Orchards Bakery and Apple Cider Donut Maker Grant Award: $6,000 Tracy and Todd have built a bakery equipped with a new doughnut maker to create fresh apple-cider doughnuts from the 60 acres of apples … View >>

2021 Recipient: Brulé Farms LLC

Sébastien Brun, Brulé Farms LLC Tuber Melanosporum or Black Winter Perigord Truffle Orchard Grant Award: $6,000 Leveraging knowledge gleaned from multiple truffle-growing workshops in France, Western North Carolina and both online and in person with the National Truffle Growers Association, … View >>

2020 Recipient: Mardet Family Farms

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 >>

2018 Recipient: Locally Good Farm

Stephanie Poetter, Locally Good Farm Vinegar Production Expansion Grant Award: $6,000 To increase production to meet demand of locally produced apple-cider vinegar, Locally Good Farm expanded their vinegar production facility and started a ¼ acre orchard. Until they received the … View >>

2017 Recipient: The Lily Patch Farm

Susan Owen and Charles Coffey, The Lily Patch Farm Expanding Organic Production of Pawpaws Grant Award: $6,000 Susan expanded her current pawpaw production by planting additional trees, doubling the size of her orchard so that she is more than halfway … View >>

2017 Recipient: Holt Orchards

Tracy Cavagnaro and Todd Kirmss, Holt Orchards Retail Cooling Shed Grant Award: $6,000 Tracy and Todd, a brother/sister team, improved their apple orchard with the addition of a stand-alone cooling shed for bushels. The shed extends the availability of their … View >>

2017 Recipient: Henry’s Farm

Dwight Clifton Henry, Henry’s Farm Smoky Mountain Orchard Grant Award: $6,000 Dwight added an acre of apple and pear trees to his 37-acre farm, in which he raises cattle, hogs and vegetables. He expects to generate income after the fourth … View >>

2014 Recipient: Pressley Hollow Farm

John and Megan Pressley, Pressley Hollow Farm Truffle Orchard Grant Award: $6,000 John and Megan are diversifying their third generation family farm with the addition of a one-acre truffle orchard. They prepared the site, amended the soil, installed an irrigation … View >>

2012 Recipient: Full Sun Farm

Alex Brown and Vanessa Campbell, Full Sun Farm Mixed Nut Orchard Grant Award: $6,000 Alex and Vanessa are diversifying their mixed vegetable operation with tree nuts. No other farmer in the county currently produces nuts for commercial sale. They are … View >>

2012 Recipient: Apple Valley Orchard

James Phillips and Danny Edwards, Apple Valley Orchard Orchard Establishment Grant Award: $3,000 James and Danny are establishing a one-acre orchard. They are planting 200 hundred apple trees and installing an irrigation system. No other orchard currently exists in the … View >>