Two Union County farmers have received a NC AgVentures Grant, a grant program aimed at supporting family farms. Teresa McFadden and Trish Thompson are among 68 recipients earning grants between $2,000 and $10,000 from the NC AgVentures Farm Grant Program. The funding for the competitive grant is provided through the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission and is administered by NC Cooperative Extension. The grants are awarded for agricultural project ideas aimed at helping family farms increase their capacity.

Teresa McFadden, with Tees Farm and Garden, grows a variety of vegetables and fruits each season, including tomatoes, cabbage, blueberries, and figs. The farm will use grant funds to help install deer fencing to protect the produce from damage and limit contamination.

Trish Thompson, with Pollen Peddlers Apiary, has over 150 colonies and produces raw honey, whipped honey, soaps, salves, and more. Funding from the grant will assist the apiary in constructing an insulated processing facility to expand honey and hive product production.

The North Carolina General Assembly created the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission (TTFC) in 2000 to lessen the financial impact on farmers and tobacco-related businesses caused by the sharp decline of tobacco in the agricultural economy. Through their programs, the TTFC supports local markets, funds training for new jobs, promotes North Carolina products, and makes farms safer.

Cooperative Extension is an educational partnership of the state’s two land-grant universities, North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University, county governments and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA- NIFA). Its mission is to extend research-based knowledge to all North Carolinians, helping them transform science into everyday solutions that improve their lives and grow our state. Read more at: https://agventures.ces.ncsu.edu/grant-program/