Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
Natalie Gerardot, Myco Rhizing, LLC Mushroom Grow Domes Grant Award: $6,000 In response to increased demand for mushrooms by restaurants and retail outlets, Natalie is constructing two aircrete dome rooms (one lab/spawn room, one grow room) for indoor mushroom production. … View >>
Avery Hughes, High Country Fungi Upgrades to Production Facility Grant Award: $3,000 To increase consistency of his product and expand production to meet demand of culinary and medicinal mushrooms, High Country Fungi made improvements to their current growing facility. They … View >>
Harold and Nancy Long, Long Family Farms and Gallery Mushroom and Medicinal Extracts and Oils Grant Award: $3,000 Harold and Nancy will be diversifying their farm business with the addition of a mushroom and medicinal plant dehydration and extraction operation. … View >>
Matthew Mazzuckelli, Mayland Mushrooms Laboratory and Grow Room Renovation/Expansion Grant Award: $3,000 Matthew has expanded his current mushroom operation by renovating his current grow room and laboratory. In essence, he has switched spaces – converting his larger space into the … 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 >>
Dietrich Blum, Blooming Branch Farm Bulk Substrate Steam Pasteurizer for Mushroom Production Grant Award: $6,000 Dietrich is building a bulk substrate steam pasteurizer that allows him to produce wholesale quantities of oyster mushrooms as well as fruiting columns and fruiting … View >>
Matthew Cooper, Lively Up Farm Mushroom Production Grant Award: $3,000 Matthew has constructed a hoop house for the propagation and fruiting of shiitake, oyster and lion’s mane mushrooms. The house allows for the ongoing propagation of mushrooms, while reducing input … View >>
Holland Whitesides and Andrew Bryant, Against the Grain Sorghum Molasses and Mushrooms Grant Award: $6,000 Holland and Andrew are creating a multi-use facility that houses a sorghum press, furnace and broiler. With this new building, they no longer need to … View >>
Stacey and Alex are growing native plants and forest food crops using permaculture methods, revitalizing compacted soils on forest edges at Stacey’s family farm. Crops include Jerusalem artichokes, American hazelnuts, pawpaws, Rabbiteye blueberries, American groundnuts and King Stropharia mushrooms. … View >>
Alan and Susan Fox, The Mushroom Hut at Fox Farms Growing On-Farm Agritourism and Sales Grant Award: $6,000 Alan and Susan have expanded their agritourism venture with the addition of a multi-purpose covered shelter and bathroom facilities. The new building … 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 >>
Leslie Sigmon Emma Farms Grant Award: $6,000 — Indoor Oyster Mushroom Production Leslie is adding indoor oyster mushroom production to her farm to boost winter and early spring income. She is studying the most effective facilities, substrate and strains to … View >>
William Metes B.M.S. Enterprises Grant Award: $3,000 — Shiitake Mushroom Smokehouse William is building a smokehouse for growing log-inoculated mushrooms infused with an aromatic wood smoke such as hickory during the fruiting process. He is experimenting with different infusion durations … View >>
Paul & Anna Littman: Anna & Paul’s Farm Shiitake Mushroom Expansion & Season Extension Grant Award: $6,000 The Littmans are increasing their mushroom production during summer months and extending their production season with the construction of a cold frame. They … View >>
Steve Rice Indoor Mushroom Expansion – Grant Award: $6,000 “This grant has upgraded my operation immediately and showed me that significant income is possible.” ~ Steve Rice Steve grew up sharecropping tobacco and worked in it throughout his life. He … View >>
Fred Treadway Mushroom Fruiting Hothouse – Grant Award: $3,000 Fred has farmed all his life, and grew tobacco through 2000. At his wife’s family farm, he currently produces one acre of vegetables and one acre of mushrooms, which he transitioned … View >>