Agricultural Advancement Consortium Grants
July 1, 2004 June 30, 2006
Dole Foods Project, As Dole Foods builds a bagged salad packaging plant in Gaston County, it has indicated that it also will consider a berry processing facility in eastern North Carolina if growers can supply an adequate stream of produce. Two research projects are investigating the feasibility of increasing the states berry production and whether this would be a profitable option for farmers.
N.C. State University, $149,995, for applied research to develop and enhance production systems and breeding programs for strawberries and blueberries.
N.C. A&T State University, $37,396, to examine the potential for small-scale and limited-resource growers to supply small fruit for a processing facility in North Carolina.
N.C. Sweet Potato Growers Association, $20,000, to increase sales of fresh market sweet potatoes by developing and implementing a comprehensive marketing strategy.
Rural Advancement Foundation International USA, $20,000, to assist independent poultry and rabbit producers by aiding conversion of a processing facility in Siler City to a cooperative business structure
N.C. State University, $12,000, to help establish a value-added center in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The centers goal will be to support projects that maximize the value of N.C. agricultural products through manufacturing or further processing.
July 1, 2002 - June 30, 2004
N.C. Christmas Tree Association, $20,000, to market and promote North Carolina-grown Fraser Fir trees for sale across the United States.
N.C. Coalition of Farm and Rural Families, $14,500, to demonstrate plasticulture to North Carolina farmers as an effective horticulture technology. In plasticulture, black plastic is used as a weed barrier and for moisture control. This project also involved the use of a new potting technique, termed pot-in-pot,ı to sell decorative potted plants.
Operation Spring Plant, $20,000 to provide outreach and training for minority farmers. Training was focused on production management, farm finances and record keeping.
New River Community Partners, $20,000, to assist local agricultural producers in the New River basin with marketing their value-added products in Ashe, Alleghany and the surrounding northwest mountain region.
Rural Advancement Foundation International, $20,000, to benchmark and evaluate the foundationıs farm financial counseling program.
N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, $20,000, to demonstrate a farmstead cheese program. The grant paid for two dairy pasteurizers that were each leased for one year to small dairy farmers trying to develop a marketable cheese product.
N.C. Agricultural Foundation, $7,500, to research and conduct market tests on a soybean-based cooking oil that shows promise as an alternative to traditional vegetable oils.
Advantage West North Carolina, $20,000, to purchase a juice pasteurizer to enable several apple growers in western North Carolina to safely produce apple juice and cider for sale in the regionıs booming tourist market.
N.C. Agricultural Foundation, $10,000, to promote organic pork meat to the natural foods market and to market the product to buyers on the east coast.
N.C. Farm Bureau Legal Foundation, $10,000, to help farmers and farm families transfer their assets from one generation to the next.
Carolina Producers Recycling Cooperative, $20,000, to fund an engineering and analysis report for a cooperative of poultry producers to study the use of composted poultry litter. The project involved composting the Sara Lee companyıs waste stream, or effluent, with the litter to produce a marketable compost product.
North Carolina State University, $6,000, to provide farm families with the training to deal with and recover from the damaging effects of natural disasters, such as hurricanes and flooding.
