NC Farm Grant Projects 2010
The projects are arranged by topic in alphbetic order.
Agri-tourism & U-Pick
U-pick/wholesale
Marty is adding strawberries and blackberries to his Christmas tree farm and agri-tourism business. This will bring in new customers, and build on the existing product and services offered by his farm. (Information: 919-323-7587)
The Farmer’s Barn
Hobbs lives off of a heavily traveled highway between North Carolina and Myrtle Beach. He plans to build an “old time” country store with a petting zoo and picnic areas. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Steep Grade Growing Sock Strawberry Farm Project
Brad is a strawberry and Christmas tree grower in Ashe County with land on a very steep grade hill on the main road through the county. This project will allow him to put this land in production for a U-pick operation.
(Information: 919-323-7587)
Aqua Culture
Peaceful Valley Trout Farm Enhancement
Jim is installing a liquid-oxygen system that will allow him to raise twice the fish in the same raceways that he already has. This system would double his profit margin from the farm, and relieve him from the pressures of having to find and purchase fish off the farm to fill orders. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Pitt farming for Tomorrow,
The Pitt family is transitioning to new agricultural enterprises adding a pond for Prawn farming and a high tunnel to extend the season for growing vegetables. Prawn production is attractive because there is a high demand for locally cultivated prawn that is free of pesticides and chemicals. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Transfer Water System
Jacobs is a successful freshwater prawn producer in Sampson County. She plans to install a pumping system that will allow water to be moved more rapidly and efficiently when harvesting the prawn and will also provide the ability to conserve and recycle the water for next year’s production. (Information: 919-259-4101)
On-Site Holding of Freshwater Prawn
The Ipock’s will implement a new prawn holding tank design with cooling and fluidized beds that will hold live prawn for up to 30 days after harvest. The tanks will ensure proper purging and allow for more successful long term holding at the production facility awaiting pickup for live haul to market. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Managing prawn Survival Rate
To increase prawn survival rate the King Farm will renovate one pond with a concrete internal harvest basin which will prevent prawn from going down into sediment causing less waste, and in turn will assure a higher quality product to meet market demand. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Forestry and Mushrooms
Expanding Maple Syrup Production
Doug is an Ashe County farmer that has harvested maple syrup from his mountain land for the past four years. His project is for the taps and gravity fed tanks to expand his production, tapping 500 trees and supplying enough syrup for the Ashe County market. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Growing mushrooms with geothermal energy
Charles will turn the basements of his tobacco barns into geothermal-powered mushroom growing chambers. These will double his production of shitake and Portobello mushrooms without excessive heating and cooling bills. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Herbs, Flowers & Ornamentals
Year Round Production Flower Farm
Jefferson is a Hmong flower farmer in Catawba County who will build a greenhouse to grow flowers. His project will allow him to turn his seasonal farm business into a year-round operation. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Cuts for the Market
Hollis will produce and sell several annual and perennial flowers, including a native holly in the winter months when her vegetables are out of production. Hollis was quite successful last year in this endeavor, and this year expects the project to generate cash flow for her farm in the off-season. (Information: 919-323-7587)
On Batch at a Time (Value-added)
Deborah will erect a processing and packaging room that doubles as a classroom for her herb farm. This will increase her capacity to sell her herbs, and bring in a new customer base. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Marsh Grass & Storm Water Plant Production
Garner grows wetland plants in rented tobacco greenhouses with submerged trays in the float beds. Renting offers immediate greenhouse space without purchasing expensive land and provides income for former tobacco growers. Urban development and wetland restoration projects require the use of these plants in tidal areas and stormwater runoff ponds. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Honey Bees
Hygienic Honeybee Breeding
Ryan will create his own breeding program of hygienic queen honeybees in his area. He hopes that this will relieve pressures facing beekeepers and farmers alike, while building his own business. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Honey Bees,
Wrenn is a 16-year-old Bee Keeper and a fourth generation farmer. He plans to expand his operation so that he can rent bees for pollination. The potential for profit looks good as there are only a few other people in this state renting bees, and he has the support of his family. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Outer Banks Bees
As the only commercial beekeeper in Hyde or Dare counties, there is a great demand for crop pollination in the area. The Smiths plan to build a 28x30 foot facility for honey extraction, bottling, and storage; this will allow the current operation to expand from 150 hives to 300 and will also increase the queen rearing operation. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Queen Honey bees bred for pest and disease resistance
Jeff is an apiarist in Burke County with five years of experience selectively breeding honeybees for pest and disease resistance. His project is for further development of his breeding program, which he expects to earn him significant income, while aiding the area’s honeybee shortage. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Grains, peanuts & Cane
Flavored Roasted Dry Soybeans,
Gaster will purchase equipment to commercially produce a healthy and flavorful snack made from soybeans, a commodity normally grown for its oil and meal resources. This is the only company in the area manufacturing this particular product. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Jason Oatis, Small-scale sustainable production model for NC
Edible Earthscapes has developed a small-scale, low impact, grain production model to utilize low value farmlands not suitable for vegetable production. The inspiration for this project came from the eleven years Oatis spent in Japan. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Portable Feed Mill
Haines plans to offer a portable feed mill that will serve organic animal husbandry in North Carolina, by providing a local source of bagged wheat/corn organic feed. This provides a secondary market for wheat/corn that does not meet flour milling quality standards. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Chufa Storage Facility
The Lassiter’s will build a storage facility that will lengthen the marketing season for chufa, a birch grass with a peanut-like underground nut. The product is sold in 10, 25, and 50 pound bags and buckets as seed for people interested in creating wildlife plots. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Adding Value to Raw Peanuts in Duplin County
Swinson uses freshly grown peanuts to create candy products. He plans to purchase equipment that will allow him to expand production with popcorn, caramel, and peanut products. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Cane/Molasses Production
Hedgepeth is teaching high school students about the process of growing and making molasses/sorghum, a natural sweetener. He is buying equipment for harvesting the cane and anticipates that farmers with interest in growing sorghum will form a co-operative. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Livestock & Dairy
Embryo Transfer
Greg will demonstrate how a dairy farmer can create a separate income stream off the sale of embryos. This will help him maintain his herd and generate high profits while milk prices are low. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Commercial Rabbitry,
Susan will increase her herd of doe rabbits from 30 to 100 in the next year. This will allow her to be a self sustaining producer of rabbits, selling offspring into local markets with an option to sell to a local distributor of wholesale rabbits. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Rotational Grazing for Retail Beef
The two will upgrade their operation by creating a rotational grazing system which will allow them to increase the weight gain on their beef for a minimal cost. The fencing system is not widely used in the county. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Sustainable Pasture Raised Turkeys
Tim and Lynn will create a commercial free range heritage turkey farm from their existing turkey houses that have been dormant since the loss of their contract. The two plan to sell eggs, pullets and full sized turkeys to a wholesale and retail market. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Small Farmstead Cheese Cave
This project is intended to model a traditional cheese aging cave using inexpensive materials and imbedding a concrete box into the ground to cut down on cooling costs, and maintain a consistent temperature and humidity for their goat cheese. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Shavings for Poultry Farms
Steve will use the funding for supplies to build his own sawmill for the specific purpose of milling waste pulpwood and packaging and selling the shavings to area poultry farmers. He expects the project to profit while giving help area farmers. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Market Poultry Processing
Parker plans to increase profits by adding meat birds to his farming operation and by selling at the State Farmers Market. Since there are no meat processors nearby, Parker will purchase his own equipment which will reduce the time and cost of traveling to a processing facility and will enable him to offer fresh instead of frozen meat. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Harold Wright, Pasture Poultry Production
To meet the growing consumer demand for antibiotic/hormone free meats raised on pastures, Bladen plans to expand his pastured poultry production. Bladen will offer field days on his farm to show the benefits of multi-species grazing on the environment and for sustainable farming. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Purchase Fodder Feeder System for Grass Fed Beef
Francis plans to incorporate a livestock feeding system that is specifically developed to sprout grain and legume seed in a hydroponics growing room. This project reduces the need for supplemental feeding of hay and demonstrates a new type of technology in low cost feed production and its effect on calf daily weight gain. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Organic and Grass-fed Meat Storefront and Butchery
MacLean plans to open a storefront shop to market her grass-fed beef at the newly renovated Saxapahaw Mill in Alamance County. The store will contribute to a community effort to bring jobs and capital into Saxapahaw. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Changing Face of Durham
Gasson is a small cattle farmer who is working to preserve agricultural life in the city of Durham by sharing her knowledge of animal husbandry to farmers transitioning away from tobacco and to children in the local 4H. If successful, Gasson hopes to establish a local co-op of community supported agriculture (CSA). (Information: 919-259-4101)
Meat Market Goats
Kay Doby was a contract poultry farmer with Pilgrim’s Pride who is converting her old poultry house to a goat nursery. Doby has been growing meat goats for 16 years on a small scale and has established markets in North Carolina and Virginia. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Goat Lady Community Support Agriculture
The Tate’s operate a successful goat and cheese farm and have developed a strong customer base through their agri-tourism projects. With his grant they plan to grow high quality, certified organic vegetables and will provide employment for beginning farmers and interns interested in learning about organic production and farming. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Muscovy Duck
The Spain’s are raising Muscovy ducks, a healthy alternative to traditional meats that are marketed to restaurants and through the farmers market. In addition to filling a niche market, the ducks are beneficial for sustainable farms as the naturally control insects and pests through their foraging. (Information: 919-259-4101)
John Purvis, Bobwhite Quail Hatchery
Purvis is converting old tobacco barns into hatcheries to raise Bobwhite Quail. The market for the mature birds is to the Licensed NC Hunting Preserves throughout North Carolina. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Stress Relief Cattle Weaning
Smith has developed program that nurtures calves through the weaning period. By reducing the stress, the calves are healthier and continue to gain weight and therefore provide a great income. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Artificial Insemination Facility
Harrell, currently a senior at NC State University, seeking a degree in Animal Science, inherited 15 acres of land at the age of 15. He plans to construct a facility that will accommodate the need for breeding, birthing heifers, and blood testing which will increase the existing herd and profitability. (Information: 919-545-484
Sustaining the Family Farm
Lanier plans to create a dual use of the land by sowing pasture grasses beneath timber. This will allow more forage to background their feeder calves, introducing the opportunity to hold their calves to finishing size rather than selling them at weaning stage, thus increasing pounds sold per head of cattle. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Produce
Specialty Crops
Ricky will renovate an old barn into a washing, grading, and storage building for his commercial vegetable operation in Pinnacle NC. The facility will allow him to increase the value of his produce and access more demanding wholesale markets. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Plastic Mulch Vegetable Farming Billy will turn his tobacco farm into a commercial vegetable farm using plasticulture and drip irrigation. This improvement will allow him to maintain his farm after the loss of his tobacco contract. (Information: 919-323-7587)
State Line Berry Farm Pomegranate Project
The plan for this project is to use 8 acres to plant 5 acres of pomegranates (3 different varieties) and two acres of 6 varieties of apples. Pomegranates are gaining in popularity due to publicized health benefits which will also serve as a test pilot for growing pomegranates in NC. (Information: 919-545-4847)
New Town Farms Poultry Processing Facility
The Koenigsbergs have an organic diversified farm business in Union County, and they have specialized in small-scale organic poultry production for the past 15 years. Their project is for the development of an on-farm, open-air poultry processing facility. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Willis R. Byrum, Upgrade Farm Packaging Facility
Bynum will construct a washing facility that meets GAP Certification standards for food safety and stricter handling protocols. This will aid in his vegetable sells to local grocery stores and will help to open markets that are currently closed to him. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Automated Solar powered Germination House
Brian will build a small solar powered germination house where he will germinate his seeds and grow his starts for early planting. This will eliminate his fuel and electricity costs. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Cool with Cool-bot
His award is for the purchase of a new technology that allows farmers to refrigerate a space using a traditional window-unit air conditioner for a relatively inexpensive cost. He hopes to demonstrate that the use of the “Cool-bot” will save small farmers money as they move into larger production of produce. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Float System/Overhead a Greenhouse Conversion,
Gary Fuller will convert an old style tobacco transplant green house into a structure for growing vegetable transplants. This process will reduce the expense of purchasing transplants and reduce the risk of importing diseases and pests. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Three Portable Tunnel Designs
Jones plan to test and compare three “season extension structure” designs and evaluate the trades-offs observed between the higher up-front capital cost of the permanent structure and lower up-front cost portables. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Grafted Tomato Starts,
Greener Visions Nursery plans to renovate an old greenhouse for the production of organic grafted tomato “starts” to sell to customers and to farmers at Carrboro Market. Profitability should be strong as grafted tomato starts are new to the area and are showing yields averaging 30% better which is a good for backyard gardeners and farmers alike. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Mathew Garrett, Mathew Garrett Organic Transition,
Garrett is slowly transitioning a tobacco farm into an organic, diversified family farm. He has been expanding his operation over the last three years and has never been able to meet demand for his products. (Information: 919-259-4101)
From Farm to Fork-Fresh and Local
VanStallduinen started farming at the age of 5; he currently grows vegetables in a green house and plans to diversify his fall and winter produce selections. Using a biomass boiler, he can justify growing out of season vegetables, since the fuel cost is less than half for LP. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Molly Rousey, Salad Fork Entrée Kits
Molly Rouse is an artist and her husband is a chef, together they created a new product line called “Salad Fork Entrée Kits.” A typical CSA kit contains locally grown produce and products and organizes it into a complete “healthy” meal that will require minimal preparation for the consumer. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Coinjock Creek Community Farm Plots
Snowden is a fourth generation farmer that plans to establish Community Farm Plot rentals on his 5 acre farm. The plots will be of various sizes, to accommodate the needs of the lessees. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Hydroponic Lettuce System
Garden and McKeon plan to retrofit an existing greenhouse for a hydroponic lettuce production. They propose to install a NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) system and cool cell technology, which will allow them to produce lettuce year round. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Brothers Farm Market
The Brothers will construct a modern high tunnel that will protect their produce from extreme weather conditions and extending the growing season. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Well & Irrigation System
The proposed system will expand irrigation capacity to additional fields and allow for more acreage production. Lenoir County Extension Service, along with school groups and local establishments will offer outreach to other growers. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Shaken Creek Winery
The Wooten’s will utilize blueberries and blackberries currently being discarded in the grading process, to produce a high quality wine which will allow full utilization of all berry crops from their farm and other growers. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Community Awards
Stokes County: McRay Greene, Saura Pride Purple Potato Transport project, $30,000
The group will receive funding for the development of a transport system that will give them the tools and resources to manage a larger network of growers, as well as supporting increased production, marketing, processing, grading and transport without any additional costs to the farmer. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Rockingham County: Brenda Sutton, Piedmont Local Food distribution Project $30,000
Brenda has headed up a group of area farmers interested in pooling together to market their products over the internet. Her group will receive $30,000 for equipment that will allow farmers to manage an internet based marketing system for sale of local food to regional restaurants. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Caldwell County: Lee Messer, Lee's Rabbit Marketing & Production $29352
Lee’s project is to create a local rabbit marketing and distribution hub in Caldwell County. The money will go towards a heating and a drinking system, as well as the building of a rabbit barn and collection center for his group of 26 growers. (Information: 919-323-7587)
Lincoln County: Clyde Brown, Fruit Processing Facility $30,000
This project will receive $30,000 to develop a processing facility that will allow fifteen blackberry farmers to add value to the otherwise unmarketable berries, and sell them to a ready market of wine producers, jam and jelly companies, as well as open the door to other berry types and farmers in the area who wish to capitalize on second quality fruits. (Information: 919-323-7587)
No- Till Drill
The cooperative consists of 11 active row crop farmers. They shared ownership of no-till drill that allows these farmers to reduce production costs, farm in a more environmentally sensitive manner, and access federal no-till incentive programs. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Innovative Handling Practices of Prawns
The APC will acquire equipment for efficient handling and transporting of live prawn from APC members ponds to the Cooperative’s central facility in Walstonburg where they will be held live or processed for fresh, on-ice sales. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Exotic Mushroom Farming
The coalition includes 10 minority farmers from Duplin, Sampson, Wayne, Johnston, Nash, Bladen, Pender, Onslow and Jones Counties. They will receive hands-on training from NC A & T State University year-round on intensive production of exotic mushrooms in a small farm environment. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Perquimans County Farmers Market
The Perquimans County Farmer’s Market, through a cooperative sustainable and entrepreneurial partnership of community agencies, growers and merchants, provide locally grown and made produce and products to the community. They are adding the services of market coordinator for 20 weeks to help develop new skills in marketing and outreach. (Information: 919-545-4847)
Wilson Farmers Market Program Marketing
The Wilson’s Farmers Market is a past recipient of a community grant which was used to expand the market shelter. Hoping to increase their customer base, the market staff plans to purchase billboard, radio and newspaper space to advertise the market. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Elizabethtown Farmer's Market
The Elizabethtown Farmer’s Market project is the combined effort of town leaders and farmers in the Bladen county area to aid their local economy through building customer/farmer relations and keeping spent produce funds in the county. Project funds will be used to aid with architectural planning and work for the farmers’ market in Bladen County. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Carrboro Farmers' Market Payment Program
To increase farmer sales, the Carrboro market plans to institute wireless capabilities for processing credit and debit cards as well as electronic benefits (EBT) from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program (SNAP). They are planning an outreach campaign to community centers of diverse populations, promoting the health benefits of buying locally grown produce. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Alamance County Cattlemen's Association (ACCA)
The ACCA is constructing a first class facility that will provide area livestock producers with marketing venue for selling their calves at a significantly improved profitability. Calves can be brought to the facility, sorted, weighed, tagged and placed into pens with like weighted cattle to produce truckload lots of 50,000 lbs to high-value buyers. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Value-Added juicing/UV at Piedmont Food
The goal of this project is provide local farmers and other producers with low-cost access to simple, easy to use juice production equipment, enhancing post-harvest opportunities to create value- added products.
Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative
The goal of this project is to significantly increase the amount of local produce purchased by local households and to increase the farmers’ share of consumer food dollars. The grant will fund design, start-up and operations of a cooperative enterprise that sells and delivers boxes of local food to consumers in Moore County. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Roxboro’s Farmers Market
Town and county staffers have worked together to build a new farmer’s market in a location that would be more convenient to and attract a regular customer base. They plan to build a 40x100 structure near Wal-Mart in Roxboro. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Sustainable Agricultural Farm Lending Tool Library
This group of young produce farmers is building an equipment lending library that will allow association members to expand their farming operations without adding the financial burden that would come from purchasing individual farming equipment. (Information: 919-259-4101)
Past Grant Recipient Projects (2009)
Bill Fairchild’s late season-day neutral strawberry production
Bill is working with the Upper Mountain Research Station on testing out strawberry varieties for production on his land. They grow four different types of strawberries there on white plastic, including the late-season day-neutral variety. This variety is attractive to Bill because it would allow him to produce fresh-market berries for at least six months of the year, giving him out-of-season marketing opportunities. Because the strawberries need to be planted in the fall and over-wintered, Bill’s project is in the early phase of setting up beds and preparing the site. At the time of visit he had made some purchases toward his project, but had not been able to dig beds because of the excessive level of rainfall.
Carol Coulter’s Farmstead Homestead Cheese project
Carol’s homestead is a true working old-time homestead with a blacksmith shop, large gardens, and a goat-cheese operation, offering agritourism and home-made goat cheese. She has modeled an affordable milking parlor for replication by small herd producers to contract with her for milk supply. This allows her to expand her cheese production in her impressive cheese-making kitchen without the extra land and workload raising more goats would require. With the RAFI funds she has purchased a cheese press to make hard cheeses, to expand her line and allow her to age cheeses. She now shares a market with another High Country goat cheese producer, and the hard cheese gives her a different market without causing too much competition. She is in the process of hiring a new employee and expanding her production in anticipation of her new capacity.
Collette Nester’s Blue Ridge Farmers Market
Collette Nester’s project is an indoor farmers’ market featuring her pasture raised pork as well as an array of all-local products including meats, cheese, milk, eggs, fruit and vegetables. Collette proved to be an excellent resource for farmers in her region around Alleghany County, and had already laid the ground work for a successful market before the doors were open, through networking and sourcing of a diverse product mix, and completing a marketing strategy. The storefront was not yet available at the time of the site visit. Collette has dealt with challenges from not anticipating the level of capital investment in the start-up phase of the store. Since the visit however, she has opened the store with great success in her first few weeks and is hearing praise from farmers and shoppers alike.
Stacy Martin’s Double Decker Mobile pasture poultry coop
Stacy has been selling her products at the Ashe county farmers’ market since its inception, and has become known for her goat’s milk soaps and her pastured hogs, poultry and eggs. Stacy is currently farming on two different pieces of land she rents, and her project was to develop a mobile chicken coop built from a trailer that would allow her to move from pasture to pasture. At that point she was working with the builder to complete the structure, and making some small changes in the design. Stacy also raises goats on the rolling pasture where she plans to put the mobile unit.
Steve Rivers' Bee Hives
Steve Rivers has worked in a factory his entire adult life, and was introduced to the idea of growing blueberries a few years ago by his neighbor, who was a retired blueberry farmer from Florida. He quickly gained an appreciation for it and has since built a u-pick operation into his fresh market berry business with hopes that it will provide an income to support himself and his college aged son in the near future. In the process of transitioning to organic, he learned about the benefits of keeping honeybees on site to help pollinate the plants and get a much larger yield. When he applied to RAFI, he had already experimented with bees and learned the great benefit to his blueberry crop, but had to overcome the nuisance the honeybees caused to his u-pick customers. Working with his son, the two have now come up with a model for combining the two with the added benefit of marketing blueberry honey along with his berries. Last year they sold berries in the Weaver street market in Carrboro NC, and are looking forward to the added business potential the bees bring.
Gary Brown’s Farm Timber Woodworking Workshop
Gary has been a full-time farmer and part-time carpenter in the off-season his entire life. He came to RAFI with the understanding of farmers’ need to come up with new potential income streams, and used his experience to make the case that it could be done through fine woodworking. Gary believed that there were enough people who could appreciate custom built furniture and cabinets that there could be a market for his products. He also thought that he could have something to offer other farmers who wanted to make use of their farm timber, but without the know-how and equipment or space to do it. His project idea was to build a workshop out of an old quail house with all the necessary tools and space to allow him to teach farmers how to add value to the timber they brought in. Gary said that he has developed a list of farmers from around Rockingham County and southern Virginia who are interested in participating. When I visited him he was pouring the concrete for the expansion of the building, and it was finished in early May. He will start workshops as soon as the harvest season ends.
Paul Marshall’s Dessert Pears
Paul Marshall has worked extensively with county horticulture agents to assess the potential for growing and selling dessert pears in the piedmont. His interest in perennial crops has lead him to small fruit production as a viable income source, and his research with area farmers’ markets and restaurant chefs tell him that dessert pears have real potential as a money-maker. For over a year he has worked to research the right varieties for his climate and is now making that dream into a reality. He has ordered and planted over 140 trees with his demonstration funds on his small plot of land, and is hopeful that the investment will pay off giving him a reliable income, and giving farmers in the Western Piedmont a new option for perennial income.
Alan Flippin’s Tobacco-to-Organic Greenhouse project
Alan has just returned from his third tour of duty in Iraq and anticipates one more before his service contract expires. His Stokes County farm has been in his family for four generations, mainly growing tobacco until the buyout. Although the farm has grown, and tobacco and row crops are still planted on parts of the 100+ acres, Alan’s mission is to turn it into an organic vegetable farm with year-round production. His project is the building of a new greenhouse in an effort to supply his community with fresh vegetables, and supply him with a viable income on the farm. At the time of the site visit, he was having the land graded and prepared for the construction of the greenhouse. He hopes to plant fall crops in it and experiment throughout the winter months on several vegetable varieties.
Appalachian Berries LLC’s marketing processing quality blackberries
Wayne Mitchem grows blackberries for Sunnyridge Farms along with several neighbors in Lincoln and Cleveland County. His project is designed to save blackberry farmers money through the marketing and sale of processing quality berries. According to Wayne, “This year has been especially wet leading up to blackberry season and the need to have a back-up plan is even more pressing if berries get too wet.” Wayne’s blackberry farm was just at the point of bloom at the time of the visit. He expressed his gratitude for a chance to build some cost-reducing opportunities into his business. Wayne also led a tour of the newly built Sunnyridge distribution facility that was preparing for a big year, undertaking the huge task of insulating entire sections of the warehouse for storage and shipment. Wayne has a good relationship with the company agronomist that helps him with pest-management and was looking forward to the season getting started.
Dustin McMurry's Farm Expansion Project
Dustin McMurry took over his grandfather’s farm at the start of the growing season last year and has been operating it sucessfully on his own for over a year. He has taken many lessons from his grandfather’s experience, but at 18, has already demonstrated impressive results from exploring new directions. He sells at 3 local farmers’ markets and manages 7+ acres of vegetables, potted plants, meat rabbits, chickens, honey, and eggs. Dustin’s project was to build a greenhouse, update his filtration system to allow him to expand his vegetable production, and improve irrigation. He was very happy with the new improvements, and was nearly finished with their construction. This expansion allows him to extend his season, pick up new income from selling starts, and most importantly, run his irrigation system without needing to clean out the filter every hour.
Art Duckworth’s Windmill for livestock watering, irrigation, aeration, agritourism
Art Duckworth’s farm is a small scale diversified operation with pastured hogs, cattle, and produce, and soon catfish. He purchased a windmill for several reasons, “I wanted to be off the grid so that my hogs and cattle aren’t dependent on electricity for water, but I also wanted to attract visitors to my farm.” This strategy is paying off for Art with new visitors stopping by to see it. He has especially catered to elementary school classes that want a tour of his farm. At the time of the site visit, he had already erected the windmill and proudly demonstrated its success, turning very little wind into a steady flow of water to his holding tank. Arthur is marketing his farm with the windmill’s image, and plans to host a “farmer field day” to help other farmers take advantage of similar ideas and opportunities to fold agritourism and practical innovation into smart business practices.
Becky Petrick’s Managed Grazing Plan for Sheep
Becky runs a small herd of fiber sheep on her 27 acre farm. To get the finest quality fleece, minimal parasite infestation, and quality grass for grazing, Becky decided to create a managed rotational grazing plan. This project funded a fencing system that allows her to increase her flock, charge higher prices for cleaner fleece, and keep predators and parasites from harming her sheep. At the point of visit, Becky had finished re-designing her fencing system to 3 paddocks instead of four because of the contour of the land, and access to wells. She anticipates more business from internet sales, and from the fiber-arts exposition in Asheville where her product is on display in front of thousands of potential customers.
Thomas Brent Brown’s Forced Air Cooler for Blackberries
Brent Brown operates a small fresh market blackberry farm and sells to Sunnyridge farms about 25 miles away. The problem he faced was that in the process of loading the flats of berries onto his truck, the field heat in the center of the flats would cause the berries to turn red, and he would lose about half of his yield. Brent’s solution to this problem was to replicate the distribution center’s own forced-air cooler right on site of his farm. This would give him assurance of the quality of his product, as well as an agreed upon bonus per flat for allowing the distributor to bypass the use of their cooler when the berries came in for distribution. At the time of my visit, Brent had the cooler fully operational and anticipated the cooler would pay for itself in less than a year.
Cassie Parsons’ Farm to Street Local Food Vending Cart
Cassie Parsons has created a successful pastured pork business with her hogs, and has marketed her meat to restaurants in and around Charlotte, the Triad, and Triangle. From that experience, she has learned that it makes sense to capture the value of the finished product as a farmer. Part of Cassie’s business includes partnering with a community college program to train and employ previously homeless citizens from Charlotte on cooking with local ingredients and running a food business. The students will help prepare the food and will have a role in the sale of it to Charlotte’s downtown customers. After my visit with Cassie, she was gearing up to start sales from the cart after making changes to her “Local Lunch” cart for certification from the health deptartment. Click here to see vending cart...
Mary Roberts’ Certified Organic Grafted Heirloom Tomatoes
Mary’s project represents a growing market of farmers interested in filling their customer’s demand for organic heirloom tomatoes. Her business is growing faster than her production capacity, which shows the opportunities that are available for growers interested in replicating her demonstration project without the fears of creating too much competition. At the time of the site visit, she had just finished the first round of grafting successfully, and had a waiting list of customers ready to order. She is looking forward to perfecting the grafting process, and holding a workshop in her greenhouse for demonstration.
Jerry Simpson’s Solar Powered Well Pump
Jerry Simpson has a career background in raising cattle, and as a retired extension agent, he knows what works. His project shows a trend for cattle producers looking to capture the whole value of their livestock by finishing them on pasture, and his model pasture will surely be a useful demonstration to the wide network of cattle producers in his area. He already has installed the solar powered well pump. He has laid out the plans for fencing in the large pasture for rotational grazing and a two acre organic vegetable plot at the center, with the pump strategically placed to fulfill irrigation and watering needs for the entire operation.
Amy Douglas’ Start-up projects
Amy Douglas grew up on her parent’s farm, learning about vegetable production early on. She has a natural ability to network with surrounding farmers and create markets for their products, and her business is just beginning to show that talent. She started “The Farmer’s Daughter” last year by selling to neighbors, friends and family and has quickly expanded to market into the larger community. Her project includes the construction of an on-site retail building and the laying of black plastic on her small four-acre plot. At the time of the site visit she had several vegetable varieties growing under the newly laid plastic, and a fully functional retail shop selling her own vegetables, jams and baked goods as well as neighboring farmers’ products to balance out a diverse mix to offer the public twice a week from her store.
Christine Vigeant, Waxhaw Farmers Market Sustainability and Development Project
The board of the Waxhaw Farmers Market has worked diligently for establishment of a semi-permanent farmers market in Waxhaw, Union County. The group had to relocate the market after the downtown land they were using was sold for development, and their newly acquired site badly needed tent structures. They received funding for the structures, as well as marketing and management of the Waxhaw farmers market. The market will support approximately 25 local producers and provide the town of Waxhaw with a supply of locally produced food. The review board appreciated the cooperation and excellent organization behind the project.
Denise Kuntz, Glycerine to Greenhouses
Denise’s project was intended for the use of glycerine as fuel for greenhouses. The project will support a non-profit that will utilize the substance, which is in abundance as a byproduct of biodiesel, to understand the best methods for burning it for fuel. There are two test greenhouses which will be used in the initial phase of the project, with hopes of expansion. If the project is successful, Denise’s organization will use the boilers to support several farms cut energy costs associated with heating their greenhouses. The review board was eager to see if this project could be successful because of the great demonstration value for other farmers due to fuel costs being a major concern.
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