Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund
West Region
These projects are managed by AgOptions.
AVERY COUNTY
Sugar Bear Maple Syrup Marketing
Kyle is purchasing a propane heated finishing cooker for his maple syrup operation. The cooker enhances the beauty and marketability of Grade A light amber maple syrup by allowing for a standard and controlled boiling time, preventing the formation of sugar crystals known as "sugar sand."
Diversification of Family Farm with Hops Production
The Beuttells are establishing one acre of hops in a system designed specifically for steep terrains. Their method for growing and harvesting hops maximizes yield without relying on cherry pickers or other equipment typically required to reach 18-foot-high trellises.
Artificial Insemination of Beef Cattle
Bobby is purchasing a portable head gate with an AI cage and scales, feeding equipment, and working facilities for his beef cattle operation. With these improvements, he will artificially inseminate a much larger percentage of his cattle and market the cattle with superior genetics to other farmers.
BUNCOMBE COUNTY
The Loca-Motive: A New Meat Market Opportunity
The Wilsons are purchasing the necessary equipment to open a market stand for local meat at the WNC Farmers Market at Asheville. They are selling beef and chicken produced on their farm as well as pork, rabbits and trout from other local farms, all centered around the brand of "The Loca-Motive."
Fiber Product, Value-Added Processing
Starr is purchasing fiber processing equipment (micro-mill or cottage scale) to add value to fiber produced by her own herd of alpacas as well as that of the local fiber pool. With a picker, electric drum carder and needle felting tools, Starr can personally add incremental value steps to fiber: washing, dyeing, picking, carding and felting.
Milkweed Production & Butterfly Farming
Van is establishing a commercial milkweed operation to sell the plant as a food source to butterfly farmers, as well as developing a small butterfly farm to attract tours to his farm in Black Mountain. Van is also working with university researchers to develop new markets for the plant, which can be used in cosmetics, oil absorption, plastics, insulation and native plant restoration.
Production of Traditional, Specialty and Heirloom Pumpkins and Winter Squash
Anthony is expanding his pumpkin and winter squash operation with the purchase of a no-till planter unit and air blast sprayer, with the goal of offering a diverse selection of quality, blemish-free squash to customers. He is planting into managed wheat residue in his farm's bottomland soils and killed fescue/orchard grass sod in the upland location.
Produce Processing-Packing Facility
Gladheart Farms in the Oakley community of Asheville is building a packing and processing facility for farm produce, which will include a canning area and walk-in cooler for product storage. This new facility will improve food safety standards and greatly increase the farm's ability to produce value-added products.
Shitake Mushroom Expansion & Season Extension
The Littmans are increasing their mushroom production during summer months and extending their production season with the construction of a cold frame and installation of irrigation. With this expansion, the Littmans will meet the high demand for their product, with requests from chefs, market shoppers and wholesalers.
On-farm store; lumber
Marshall is establishing an On-Farm Store in Barnardsville featuring grass-fed beef, pork, produce and other farm products from his and other neighboring farms. He is also selling a small quantity of farm supplies such as tractor parts, animal feed and lumber milled off the farm.
Propagation Facility
Useful Plants Nursery in Black Mountain, which supplies food & medicinal plants, is building a propagation greenhouse to limit the purchase of bare root stock from states thousands of miles from the nursery. The nursery sells most of its plants to the public at farmer's markets and festivals with some sales through landscapers.
Crain Family Farm Poultry Advancement
Tamara is expanding the production of layers and broilers at her grandfather's farm in Swannanoa to sell eggs and meats to Bouchon French Bistro and Riceville tailgate customers. All of her animals will be raised free-range with no antibiotics and no animal by-product feed.
CHEROKEE COUNTY
Vineyard Expansion to Sustain Local Wine Made from Local Grapes
Eric is expanding his four-year-old vineyard by adding 150 Chambourcin vines, 75 Seyval vines, and 75 Catawba vines. His aim is to produce wine made exclusively from local fruit and increase sales so that his business can reach profitability.
CLAY COUNTY
Grass-Fed Angus Beef
The Hyatts are constructing a new cattle-working facility — corral, scales, chute and head-gate — for their grass-fed operation. The equipment will encourage the careful monitoring of weight gain, artificial breeding, and ultra-sounding to determine carcass quality and parasite control.
GRAHAM COUNTY
Heirloom Vegetable Plant Production
In response to the high demand for heirloom vegetables, Jean is expanding her bedding plant operation by increasing her heated space and purchasing additional materials. She supplies other small growers with fruit trees, root stock for apples and vegetable plants.
HAYWOOD COUNTY
PolyPlanter Seeder
Ronnie is purchasing a polyplanter seeder for his cucumber operation, which will allow him to plant seeds into fields covered with plastic mulch and save time usually spent hand-planting. Without the seeder, Ronald would not be able to increase acreage of cucumbers, and the additional income is vital as he and Kathy plan new markets such as a Community Supported Agriculture venture.
Fresh Market Cucumbers
Don is establishing approximately eight acres of trellised slicer & pickling cucumbers, further diversifying his tobacco and tomato farm. With the purchase of an air blast sprayer, he is increasing the efficiency of his operation and providing a cash flow in a typically slow part of the season so that he can continue to employ 8-10 people.
No-till Pumpkins
Dibe is transitioning 12 acres of pumpkins from plastic mulch production to no-till with the purchase of a planter that can effectively drop the seed into cover crop residue. The new system adds organic matter to the soil and limits the soil erosion in his fields, currently a challenge on the farm's rolling hills.
Value-added Options through Frozen Strawberries and Direct Marketing Beef
Kaleb is increasing sales of strawberries and beef through year-round direct marketing with the purchase of packaging equipment and a commercial freezer. He is also hiring a marketing firm to develop a website for his products and conduct other advertising through print, direct mailing and radio.
Expansion of a Diversified Value-Added Farm Product
Sunburst Trout is expanding the production and sales of Hudson's Smoked Tomato Jam, which is sold alongside trout products to increase their sales. Sally is purchasing a peristaltic pump to fill jars, eliminating the need for hand filling each jar and improving the food safety of the jam.
HENDERSON COUNTY
Strawberry Disease Management with 21st Century Greenhouse Design
The McConnells are building a specialty screened greenhouse that allows for second generation and virtually disease-free plants to be supplied to commercial plant producers. The project results in a highly desirable product for commercial nurseries and also for the fruit grower.
Galax & Native Wildflower Production
Dennis is improving his native wildflower production by growing plants from seed using a propagation greenhouse to both germinate the seeds as well as grow-off seedlings. He is equipping the prop house with bottom (floor) heat for seedling production, a mist/irrigation system capable of accommodating multiple crops and species needs, and greenhouse ventilation to accommodate a late winter/early spring seed crop.
Vineyards Edge Dairy Goat Farm
To obtain an N.C. dairy license, the Bufords are building a milking room and processing room, equipped with a pasteurizer, stainless steel appliances and cooler/freezer. They raise Nubian and LaMancha dairy goats to make goat milk soap, lotion and cheese for sale to restaurants, health food stores and tailgate markets.
Mountain View Blueberries
The Pressleys are transitioning a 30-year-old apple farm and fourth generation land to blueberries with the aim of creating a sustainable community farm. They are initially marketing the berries as You-Pick and through a website and various social networking sites.
JACKSON COUNTY
Beekeeping Expansion
Al is expanding and upgrading his beekeeping operation by adding nucleus hives for sale, obtaining a universal product code (UPC) for his products, and purchasing specialized honey extracting equipment. Al manages three apiary locations and aims to expand to 100 hives for the ability to market to large grocery stores.
MACON COUNTY
Queen Rearing & Bee Breeding
The Burrells are diversifying their beekeeping operation to include the sales of queen bees and breeder queens to local and regional beekeepers. They are breeding bees that have specific genetic traits such as: hygienic behavior, mite resistance, over-wintering viability and honey production.
Peaceful Valley Nursery
Eddie sells ornamental shrubs, grapes and fruits/vegetables at the local farmer's market and to other nurseries, and is also creating a You-Pick blueberry patch. With his grant, he is replacing his overhead irrigation system with drip/micro spray to conserve fresh water, eliminate runoff, lower the consumption of electricity and reduce the spread of diseases.
MADISON COUNTY
Wild Mountain Apiaries Diversification Project
Jon is producing nucleus honeybee colonies for sale to replace colony losses; trapping, packaging and marketing fresh high quality bee pollen; offering hands-on educational workshops and internships in beekeeping; and selling a variety of high quality mountain honeys. By diversifying his beekeeping beyond honey production, he aims to be prepared for years of poor honey production and soon reach profitability.
Ramsey's Organic Greenhouse
Rickey is revitalizing his greenhouse operation with the construction of raised beds, the rejuvenation of soil with amendments, and the installation of a trickle-drip irrigation system. He aims to produce 1,000 tomato plants yielding 25 or more pounds per plant by 2011 to market at local vegetable stands, the Madison Farm’s Co-op, Amazing Savings in Asheville and local restaurants.
Cage-Free and Pasture Raised Rabbits
Steve and Dawn are developing a cage-free, pasture-raised rabbit operation with the goal of increasing their existing rabbit production in a humane way. They are building a greenhouse that acts as a warren, which will have dirt mounds with pre-constructed underground birthing dens made out of concrete.
MCDOWELL COUNTY
Russian Honeybees for Beekeepers
Ray is increasing the production of bees, honey and queens; developing wax products; and working with the USDA-ARS Abee Lab and Russian Honey Bee Breeders Association to improve two genetic lines of Russian queens. He is breeding for mite resistance, temperament and honey production and anticipates doubling the size of his operation in the next two years.
Manoah Farms Vegetable Wagon
The Seamans are building a custom roadside wagon to sell produce on-farm and at local festivals and other market outlets with the goal of increasing sales by one-third the first year. The wagon is constructed with local milled wood for a novel farm look, reminiscent of roadside stands in the past.
MITCHELL COUNTY
OakMoon Farm & Creamery
Cynthia and Dwain are growing the scope of their cheese-making and goat husbandry workshop sessions by improving the supporting farm infrastructure. Equipment includes: goat husbandry tools, a small legal pasteurizer, large stock pots, hot plates for cheese-making work stations, additional molds and other materials for hands-on learning.
Increased Produce Production for WNC Farmer's Market
Doug is increasing the production of various types of produce to sell to one of the oldest operating vendors at the WNC Farmer's Market at Asheville. He is purchasing a sweet corn harvester and no-till planter to avoid plowing on the hilly farm, with the goal of raising three acres of sweet corn, one acre of cabbage and one acre of pumpkins.
POLK COUNTY
Blueberry Irrigation Project
Gail is establishing a drip irrigation system for 700 blueberry plants in two acres to continue selling to commercial jam producers, local health food stores and market vendors. She aims to ensure the sustainability of the operation even in periods of drought, increase plant growth and fruit production, and facilitate weed control and water conservation, both of which are aggravated by overhead irrigation.
SWAIN COUNTY
Rabbitry for Commercial Meat Purposes
Quinton and Kelley are expanding their current rabbitry into 10 New Zealand White does, fulfilling the high demand in their community for rabbits raised with no synthetic chemicals and growth hormones. This expansion allows them to produce an average of 40 fryers per doe each year, for an approximate market total of 400 fryers each year.
TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY
Beef Freezers
David and his family are establishing direct sales of their natural and hormone-free beef and pork, inviting customers to the farm by appointment and at set public hours. They have a relationship with a processing facility that will butcher, wrap and deliver the finished product back to the farm.
Green Alternatives for WNC Farmers: Eco-friendly Mosses
Annie is establishing a moss nursery to meet the expected demand for eco-friendly mosses in sustainable landscaping projects. To grow her business, which designs and installs moss gardens and provides related services, she needs to establish a nursery for propagation of a variety of mosses rather than relying on outside sources.
WATAUGA COUNTY
Choose and Cut
Danny and his family are opening a choose-and-cut operation and agri-tourism destination to sell trees that they started planting in 2004. They are building a wooden farm building for use as a gift sales shop, baked goods store and central location for customer interaction.
New River Corn Maze & Dark Mountain Choose & Cut
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 as well as transitioning a wholesale Christmas tree operation into Choose-and-Cut. The farm location, one mile off of Highway 421 and adjacent to the New River, is ideal for agri-tourism.
Produce Stand
Amy is building a permanent produce stand on her farm, where she has had great success with direct sales due to the heavy traffic on her road. A permanent produce stand, in place of tents and break-down tables, helps create a professional image for the farm.
YANCEY COUNTY
Heritage Rabbits for Meat and Breeding Stock
Elizabeth, alongside her partner Scott Paquin, is establishing a heritage rabbit operation, with the construction of an open pole barn to house heritage breed rabbits, hay and seasonally Devon calves. She is also creating a website to sell all the products of Firefly Farm, the farm experience and heritage rabbit breed stock.
For additional information, click on the following link: AgOptions or phone Megan Riley at (828) 649-2411 x305
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