The grants, funded by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, help farmers offset the risk of trying new ventures. 

Steven Beltram of Balsam Gardens is one of those farmers. He received a $6,000 grant to expand his produce volume and transition to Certified Organic so that he can sell to large-volume buyers. Until now, Balsam Gardens has sold directly to customers at farmers markets, through farm shares and to farm-to-table restaurants.

“I believe that expanding our wholesale vegetable operation is the most important thing I can do to ensure financial sustainability for our farm and to support my family,” Beltram said. 

Beltram will expand his 5-acre farm in the Balsam area on the Haywood-Jackson countyline to 15 acres, and will also begin growing in Buncombe County. The expansion comes on the heels of a successful 2011 WNC AgOptions project to include broilers and Thanksgiving turkeys in his poultry operation. 

Other grantees in Haywood, Jackson, Swain and Macon counties include: 

• Bryan Bumgarner of Bumgarner Farms in Jackson County, who received $6,000 to expand his cattle feed processing and feeding areas. Bumgarner produces feed for his own cattle and also sells it to farms and feed stores. 
• Jim Ledford of 4 L Livestock in Macon County, who received $6,000 to transition his cattle operation to year-round managed-intensive grazing. The rotational grazing system maximizes herd numbers, reduces feed cost, optimizes land space and maintains grasslands in an ecologically sound way.
• Danny Barrett of Ten Acre Garden in Haywood County, who received $6,000 to add pick-your-own raspberry and strawberry plants to his 10-acre fruit and veggie farm. Barrett, who has farmed since 1967, hopes to create a unique agritourism experience for his customers through the expansion. 
• Patrick Jeremy Breedlove of Breedlove Farms in Swain County, who received $3,000 to upgrade his poultry-producing equipment. Breedlove produces game birds, laying hens and meat chickens but can fill only 30 percent of orders using his current equipment.

Since 2004, WNC AgOptions has awarded nearly $2 million to 423 farm projects. www.wncagoptions.org.