Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
Maxine Hodges, Blossom Ridge Orchard Apple, Berry, and Flower Irrigation System Grant Award: $8,000 Maxine, her son and daughter-in-law will add blackberries, raspberries, and a high-density apple orchard to diversify their current beef cattle operation. In the spring of 2023 … View >>
William Russ, Russwood Farms Storefront Grant Award: $8,000 The Russ family has diversified their beef cattle and sweet corn business with the addition of U-pick blueberries and flowers. They intend to use their AgOptions grant award to finish transitioning a … View >>
Loretta Ball, The Never Ending Flower Farm Bathroom and Farm Store Grant Award: $8,000 Loretta has constructed a building on her farm that houses a bathroom and a small farm store space where visitors can shop and get supplies to … View >>
Tyler Hunsader, Jeter Mountain Farm Canner for Hard/Carbonated Cider Grant Award: $8,000 After opening to the public in 2020, Jeter Mountain Farm saw unexpectedly high sales of their hard cider, which was produced using their apples. In 2022, in order … View >>
Danielle Crocker & Jason Willis, “Pick Dee’s Berries” at Skydance Farm Roadside Market Farm Store Grant Award: $6,000 Danielle and Jason are building a 20-foot by 24-foot wooden structure with a metal roof that will serve as roadside farm store … View >>
Julia Austin, McNeilly Enterprises Enhancing Capacity with Multi-purpose Facility Grant Award: $6,000 The owners of McNeilly Enterprises are constructing a 20-foot by 25-foot multipurpose building. They have purchased a commercial honey extractor and other equipment and supplies to facilitate processing … View >>
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 >>
Tyler Hunsader, Jeter Mountain Farm Juice (Cider) Operations Grant Award: $6,000 Jeter Mountain Farm has diversified their farm with the opening of a new 30 acre U-pick apple operation in 2020. From research done the past three years at multiple … View >>
Danielle Crocker & Jason Willis, “Pick Dee’s Berries” at Skydance Farm Agritourism Infrastructure for “U-Pick” Berry Farm Grant Award: $6,000 To enhance their “U-Pick” berry operation and create a destination agritourism site, Danielle and Jason added needed infrastructure to support … View >>
Theresa Jaynes, Countryside Berries Muscadine Project Grant Award: $6,000 With the goal of doubling farm sales in two years, Countryside Berries has diversified their u-pick berry farm with the addition of muscadines. This season, they have planted 48 muscadine plants … View >>
Dakota Youngblood, His Harvest Farms Irrigation System Grant Award: $4,000 Dakota has added an irrigation system for his current vegetable production and future and future blackberry plantings. He purchased and installed a pump, stainless steel sand filters, piping and drip … View >>
Pamela C. Zimmerman, Zimmerman’s Berry Farm Wood Fired, Value Added Processing Grant Award: $6,000 Pamela has eliminated most of the electricity costs associated with making homemade preserves with the installation of a wood cook stove. She makes jam out of … View >>
Janet Peterson, Cloud 9 Farm Small Fruit Irrigation and Raspberry Diversification Grant Award: $3,000 Janet upgraded the irrigation system on her blueberry farm to enhance the health of her berry bushes. She is also adding 200 raspberry plants to diversify … View >>
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 >>
Danny Barrett, Ten Acre Garden Pick-Your-Own Berry Expansion Grant Award: $6,000 Danny has added pick-your-own raspberry and strawberry plants to his existing 10-acre vegetable and fruit farm. He aims to create a unique agri-tourism experience for his customers. “Ideally, each … View >>
Mark Conley Conley Ranch Grant Award: $3,000 — Diversifying to Hops Farming Mark is diversifying his small-scale cattle operation with 450 hop plants to supply area microbreweries and home brewers with a locally grown product to use in beer production. … View >>