Deadline: 13 November 2015
WNC Agricultural Options is now accepting grant applications from farmers diversifying or expanding their businesses. With funding from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, WNC AgOptions is distributing a total of $178,000 to western North Carolina farmers in 2016.
WNC AgOptions is supported by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission and works in partnership with WNC Communities.
Eligible Regions in North Carolina
Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey counties as well as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Grant available
The amount of award can be: $3,000 or $6,000.
Priorities
Priority will be given to applicants who:
- Are diversifying or expanding their operations so that they remain sustainable for this and future generations.
- Currently or previously grew tobacco, particularly during or after 1997.
- Show they follow typical procedures of a legitimate farm business, such as acquiring a NC Department of Revenue E-595EA Tax Exemption number, having a Farm Service Agency farm number; and filing a Schedule F or equivalent Schedule C (or equivalent) with the Internal Revenue Service.
- Generate more than one-half of their household income from crops or products produced on farm.
- Have sufficient experience and expertise to accomplish the projects and/or have identified the proper cooperators to supplement gaps in their skills and abilities.
- Actively participate in grower associations or other commodity group meetings;
- Have sufficiently researched the production methods, markets, expenses and timeline for their projects.
- Are proposing projects that demonstrate successful farming practices, methods, and/or markets to the agriculture community.
- Exhibit working relationships with their local Cooperative Extension Agents.
- Have included two quality letters of support from additional cooperators, which can include purchasers, advisors, consultants, agricultural specialists, other granting agencies or loan officers
- Have NOT received funding from WNC AgOptions from 2004 to 2015 and have NOT received funding from the Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund offered through RAFI,USA from 2009-2011. Recipients who have previously received a total of three WNC AgOptions/RAFI grants are not eligible for a fourth.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants are residents of North Carolina (mentioned above) who demonstrate the economic viability of farms in Western North Carolina.
- Support is provided to individual farmers/farms that are diversifying or expanding their operations to increase farm income and encourage the sustainability of the farm businesses.
How to Apply
Applicants must download the online application form available on the website and send it via email .
For more information, please visit grants Program.
