Exclusively funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
Charles King, SKYe2 Farm Electricity to Drying Container and Greenhouse Grant Award: $6,000 To help meet growing demand for its high revenue-producing dried hemp, garlic, herbs, mushrooms, hops and seed, and to increase production of cut flowers and vegetable crops, … View >>
Gwendolyn Casebeer and Jay Englebach, Black Trumpet Farm Increased Efficiency and Output in Gourmet Mushroom Production Grant Award: $6,000 Gwen and Jay use organic growing practices to produce 150 pounds per week of gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. Demand has consistently … View >>
David Anderson, Sporadic Farms On Site Cold Storage Building Grant Award: $6,000 David plans to expand and improve the sustainability of his business by building an on-site carport with cold storage. Mushrooms are sensitive to bacterial blooms, so maintaining the … View >>
Tracy Cavagnaro and Todd Kirmss, Holt Orchards Bakery and Apple Cider Donut Maker Grant Award: $6,000 Tracy and Todd will build a bakery equipped with a new doughnut maker to create fresh apple-cider doughnuts from the 60 acres of apples … View >>
Stacy Fields, Raspberry Fields Raspberry Fields Kitchen Grant Award: $6,000 To facilitate the growth of her value-added raspberry products and baked goods lines and create infrastructure for agritourism, Stacy will build a 20-foot by 20-foot certified kitchen facility at her … View >>
Stephanie Vinat, The AppaLatin Farmstead The AppaLatin Farm Building Grant Award: $6,000 In 2020, AppaLatin Farmstead purchased a 10-foot by 24-foot building for the farm and had it wired with electricity. In 2021 with her grant, Stephanie has added water … View >>
Tiffany Hudgins, Johnson Family Farm Preparing for Future Expansion Grant Award: $6,000 With the goal of turning her family’s four-year-old part-time farming and value-added foods operation into a full-time business, Tiffany is increasing marketing efforts and expanding vegetable production and … View >>
Dave Walker, Daffodil Spring Farm Scaling Up Vegetable Production Grant Award: $3,000 With the main goal of achieving greater farm revenue through diversification and resiliency, Dave will create a wash and pack line to be housed under a covered shed. … View >>
Anna and Wesley Sleight, Sleight Family Farm Packing Shed Grant Award: $6,000 As demand has steadily increased over the past 6 years (sales have grown 30% each year), Wesley and Anna have managed to get by with field packing produce … 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 >>
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 >>
Niki Irving, Flourish Flower Farm Walk-in Floral Cooler Grant Award: $6,000 Niki has installed a much-needed professional walk-in floral cooler. Refrigeration is one of the most important aspects of running a high quality floral business. With the new larger walk-in … View >>
Michael and Lauren Rayburn, Rayburn Farms Drying and Packing Facility Grant Award: $6,000 Rayburn Farm has converted an existing 12 x 30 square foot modular shed to a two-room facility that includes a drying room/kiln and packing and storage room … View >>
Jordan Michael Smith, Two Girls Honey Company Commercial Conversion and Equipment Upgrades Grant Award: $6,000 Using his 2018 AgOptions grant to expand from 18 to 36 colonies, Jordan has since grown to over 47 production hives, investing profits from the … View >>
Casy Jordaan, Mountainwise Farm Caterpillar Tunnels for Vegetable Production and Season Extension Grant Award: $6,000 Mountainwise Farm has added multiple additional caterpillar tunnels to their primary garden plot for the use of season extension, pest/disease control and environmental control. In … View >>
Eddie and Jeff Frisbee, Addison Farms Vineyard Crush, Cold Storage and Drying Facility Grant Award: $6,000 Building on success gained through two previous AgOptions grants in 2011 and 2013, Addison Farms Vineyard has seen appreciable growth each year since 2013. … View >>