Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
Sarah Coury and Ben Pick, Saturnia Farm Nursery Expansion Grant Award: $6,000 Saturnia Farm, a specialty perennial and native plant nursery, will be making needed renovations on the farm to expand nursery offerings. They will make improvements to an existing … View >>
Gerald Rathbone Feed Bin for Lamb Operation Grant Award: $3,000 Having grown up on a tobacco and dairy farm, Gerald has been farming his entire life. His successful sheep operation brings in an average of $16,000 a year and has … View >>
KT, KT’s Orchard and Apiary KT’s Amazing Apple Cider Vinegar Grant Award: $6,000 One of the unfortunate aspects of producing commercial fruit for sale is amount of loss experienced from fruit that cannot be sold – size, shape, imperfections, etc. … View >>
Beauford Rice, Rice Family Farms Portable Corral Grant Award: $6,000 With the addition of a Rawhide portable corral system, Rice Family Farms now has the needed equipment to safely and efficiently work their cattle. Since their cattle are located on … View >>
Sara Martin and Dustin Cornelison, Two Trees Farm / Sustainabillies Outdoor Kitchen and Classroom Space Grant Award: $6,000 Sara and Dustin have built a covered multi-purpose outdoor space that functions as a kitchen, classroom, cold storage, washing and packing area … View >>
Blake Francis, Blake Francis Farm Round Bale Wrapper Grant Award: $6,000 Blake has purchased a 3 point hitch round bale wrapper to use on his 320-acre farm. Since the 320 acres of hay on the farm are not contiguous, Blake … View >>
Alexa Baker, Dreamy Bean Farm Heirloom Dry Beans and Dry Corn Production Expansion Grant Award: $6,000 To meet demand for heirloom beans and corn, Alexa has expanded production of specialty legumes and grains by a half-acre with the purchase of … View >>
Stephen John Leatherwood, Leatherwood Family Farms Walk-In Freezer Grant Award: $6,000 Stephen has successfully diversified his successful vegetable operation with the addition of freezer beef. In response to customer demand for beef and to add a commodity to increase profit … View >>
Dennis Francis, Dennis Francis Farm Seed Drill for Hay and Pasture Grant Award: $6,000 Dennis has invested in a seed drill to renovate his hay fields and pasture without tilling. Much of his grass died off during the droughts of … View >>
Tim and Jamie Kelley, Chestnut Hill Farm Grass Forages and Wildlife Preservation Grant Award: $6,000 Tim and Jamie have enhanced their livestock operation by optimizing forage grasses and better managing rotations of cattle, sheep and goats. Improvements have resulted in … 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 >>
Josh is transitioning his cattle farm to the Strip Grazing method with the purchase of solar-powered electric fencing to divide his pasture and hay field into sections. Cattle stay in four to five-acre strips at a time and are … View >>
Joseph is diversifying his nursery and landscaping business, which has been in operation since 1997, by adding heirloom vegetables grown with organic methods. The additional crops help keep the viability of the Bethel Valley farm, which has been in his … View >>
Sally Eason, Sunburst Trout Farms Water Quality Improvements for Increased Production of Rainbow Trout Grant Award: $6,000 Sunburst Trout Farms is improving the water quality of rainbow trout ponds with the purchase of an ozone generator, resulting in increased production … View >>
Mountain Cattle Alliance Primary Contact: L.T. Ward Grant Award: $20,000 — Improving Marketability of WNC Livestock The Mountain Cattle Alliance is encouraging the production of higher quality beef cattle that can command a higher price in the marketplace. The alliance … 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 >>