Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
Burl Jonathan Greene III, Green Family Tree Farm Farm Diversification Grant Award: $6,000 Burl has diversified his Christmas tree farm with berries and pumpkins to offer products and services year-round. He recently added 20 acres of land, which has 235 … View >>
Anthony Cole, Jasperwood Farm Winter Squash Curing Facility Grant Award: $3,000 Anthony is building on the success of a 2010 WNC AgOptions project by improving the storage and curing of pumpkins and winter squash. He has constructed a passive solar … View >>
Jason Edney, Edney Farms Packing Facility Upgrade Grant Award: $6,000 Jason is completing a Food Safety Certified facility, adding a concrete pad to his metal packing shed (future site of the packing shed, photo left). In compliance with Good Agricultural … View >>
Herman Garrison Grant Award: $3,000 — Farm Sanitation for G.A.P. Certification Herman is in the process of applying for G.A.P. (Good Agricultural Practices) certification, an important demonstration project for area growers. The purchase of two mobile porta-johns with hand-washing stations … View >>
Anthony Cole Production of Traditional, Specialty and Heirloom Pumpkins and Winter Squash Grant Award: $6,000 Anthony is expanding his pumpkin operation with the purchase of a no-till planter unit and air blast sprayer. He is planting into managed wheat residue … View >>
Dibe Duckett No-till Pumpkins Grant Award: $6,000 Dibe is transitioning 12 acres of pumpkins from plastic mulch production to no-till. The new system adds organic matter to the soil and limits the soil erosion in his fields, currently a challenge … View >>
Doug Harrell, Harrell Hill Farms Increased Produce Production for WNC Farmer’s Market Grant Award: $6,000 Doug is increasing the production of various types of produce to sell to various farm stands in Mitchell County. He is focusing on three acres … View >>
David Tucker New River Corn Maze & Dark Mountain Choose & Cut Grant Award: $6,000 David is converting five acres of hay land into a corn maze and one acre into a pick-your-own pumpkin and ornamental gourds patch. He is … View >>
Doug Harrell, Harrell Hill Farms Agri-Tourism Expansion Grant Award: $3,000 Harrell aims to develop and market an agri-tourism location on his 200-year-old farm so that it has many activities, crops and value-added processing on a year-round basis. For decades, tobacco … View >>
For the past 25 years, Jerry Ellison has raised tobacco on a piece of land that has been in his family for the past 50 years in Watauga County. This piece of land is one of the last remaining agricultural … View >>
Robert and Barbara Reece have grown tobacco in Avery County since 1979. The Reece’s are slowing transitioning out of tobacco as they cut back on production and have been developing and implementing an agri-tourism operation on their farm to supplement … View >>
Jerry Ellison is a part time farmer who has grown tobacco for 25 years and is looking for alternative income after the tobacco buy-out. Mr. Ellison is converting 1 acre of tobacco land into a commercial production for jack-o-lantern … View >>
Jim Edwards grew up raising tobacco with his father to help pay for expenses at home and for his college education. 2004 was the last year Mr. Edwards planned to grow tobacco due to the end of the price … View >>
J. Hawkins is a full time farmer who has grown tobacco since 1967. The farm is transitioning from tobacco income to an agritourism business with a corn maze, pick your own Pumpkin Patch, choose and cut Christmas tree farm … View >>