Rick Parker, owner of Mary L Farm in Mt. Ulla, N.C., received a NCVACS 2012 equipment cost share award to help the farm's dairy business expand into artisan cheeses.

The North Carolina Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) program this week announced the recipients of its 2012 equipment cost share awards. Coordinated by N.C. MarketReady, a program of N.C. Cooperative Extension, NCVACS awarded $269,883 to 13 agricultural operations across the state. The program, which has doled out over $1 million to support agribusinesses since it began in 2009, is slated to end this year as funding ends.

The 2012 NCVACS equipment cost share award recipients include:

• Thomas Charles (Marshall, N.C.) – $959
• Delight Foods, Inc. (Morrisville, N.C.) –$28,316
• Fire from the Mountain, Inc. (Zionville, N.C.) – $563
• Rainbow Meadow Farms (Snow Hill, N.C.) – $39,753
• Richard Parker (Mt. Ulla, N.C.) – $28,459
• Cane Creek Pig Farm (Snow Camp, N.C.) – $16,627
• Weeping Radish (Grandy, N.C.) – $48,262
• Bevin Fink (Cleveland, N.C.) – $2,334
• McConnell Farms, Inc. (Hendersonville, N.C.) – $26,034
• Cottle Strawberry Nursery (Faison, N.C.) – $50,000
• Sanders Ridge Winery (Boonville, N.C.) – $9,658
• Ashley Bridges (Shelby, N.C.) – $12,425
• Hickory Nut Gap Meats (Fairview, N.C.) – $6,505

Currently funded by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, NCVACS provides an agricultural producer or processor with up to $50,000 to purchase new or used specialized equipment to start or grow a value-added operation. A value-added product is a raw, agricultural commodity that has been changed in some manner so that it no longer can be returned to its original state, such as wine from grapes.

“The NCVACS program helps N.C. agricultural operations grow and adapt to meet the dynamic needs of their clients, including consumers,” said Brittany Whitmire, program coordinator for NCVACS. “Whether it’s helping grape growers expand a winery or dairy farmers start an artisan cheese operation, the program gives these folks a better chance to succeed in today’s volatile markets.”

Future Funding

The N.C. Value-Added Cost Share Program (NCVACS) was created in 2009 when a $1.2 million grant from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission (TTFC) was secured by Dr. Blake Brown, Hugh C. Kiger Professor, Agricultural Economics, N.C. MarketReady. The program was designed to provide assistance to producers applying for the USDA Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program and to assist producers with the purchase of value-added processing or packaging equipment.

In 2010, NCVACS received additional funding from the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center and TTFC, expanding the program to include equipment cost share assistance to value-added agricultural processors. As of the 2012 equipment cost share cycle, funding support for future NCVACS cycles is uncertain.

Applicants requested roughly $2 million in equipment cost share expenses during the recent funding cycle, or eight times the available budget. “The need for funding support for our farmers and agribusinesses is significant and growing,” said Brown. “We’re exploring options for keeping the NCVACS program up and running.”

Since its inception, NCVACS has presented approximately $800,000 in equipment cost share awards to 41 agricultural producers and 14 processors. The program also provided $236,500 in cost share funding to help farmers offset the costs associated with applying for USDA-VAPG assistance, such as those associated with grant writers and feasibility study consultants. Ultimately, eight recipients of the NCVACS-VAPG assistance received $1.2 million in USDA funding in 2012.

NCVACS is coordinated by N.C. MarketReady, the Cooperative Extension outreach of the N.C. State University Plants for Human Health Institute, located at the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis. Learn more at http://plantsforhumanhealth.ncsu.edu.

Writer: Justin Moore

N.C. State University’s Plants for Human Health Institute (PHHI) is looking for interns to work and study at its state-of-the-art scientific facility at the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis this summer. The Institute places interns in labs and fields with leading scientists for three months, offering hands-on experience with real-world fruit and vegetable research that aims to transform human health.

Students in the Charlotte region – both high school and college – are encouraged to apply at the Plants for Human Health Institute website (http://plantsforhumanhealth.ncsu.edu/employment/internships/) where more details are available.

Christine Bradish, N.C. State graduate student and Kannapolis Scholar, researches raspberries at the Plants for Human Health Institute in Kannapolis, N.C.

The deadline for summer internship applications is March 26, 2012. The positions are paid and full-time from roughly May through August.

“Our internship program is a unique experience,” said Tara Vogelien, director of business operations, Plants for Human Health Institute. “Students have the opportunity to learn and work at the N.C. Research Campus with some of the finest facilities and scientists in the world. That looks great on a resume.”

Charlotte-area students are often involved with groundbreaking PHHI projects. In 2011, a group of Davidson University students played a role in sequencing the blueberry genome with Dr. Allan Brown, molecular geneticist with PHHI. Launched in 2010, N.C. State’s Kannapolis Scholars program immerses graduate students in transdisciplinary research at the N.C. Research Campus to solve complex problems involving functional foods and human health.

About Plants for Human Health Institute
The N.C. State University Plants for Human Health Institute is part of the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis. Its Cooperative Extension outreach is known as N.C. MarketReady. The campus is a public-private venture including eight universities, the David H. Murdock Research Institute (DHMRI) and corporate entities that collaborate to advance the fields of nutrition and health.

Writer: Justin Moore

KANNAPOLIS, NC – Graduate students of Dr. Penelope Perkins-Veazie, professor with N.C. State Plants for Human Health Institute, were recently recognized for their research projects at the American Society of Horticultural Science (ASHS) Southern Region meeting in Birmingham, Ala.

Christine Bradish, a Kannapolis Scholar, received second place in the master’s level competition. Her research project focused on raspberry fruit pigment response to high temperatures during fruiting. The project was conducted at the Plants for Human Health Institute through the jointly funded Kannapolis Scholars program supported by the N.C. Research Campus and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In the PhD competition, Moo Jung Kim, received second place for her research on composition and shelf life of organically grown blackberries, which also was conducted at the N.C. Research Campus. Her work was funded in part by the USDA Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative.

ASHS is the primary professional society for horticulture. According to Dr. Perkins-Veazie the Southern Region is the most active contingent, with most of the leadership positions in the organization held by members from the South. “For students, the Southern Region competition is an important avenue for meeting potential employers for academic, Extension and industry positions,” she said. “Students from the Plants for Human Health Institute gave a great impression, showing the rapid impact and excellent research being done at the Institute.”

In addition to the student awards, the N.C. MarketReady communications team of Leah Chester-Davis, Justin Moore and Megan Bame, who are part of the faculty and staff of the Plants for Human Health Institute, received the Southern Region ASHS Extension Blue Ribbon Communication Award for the Blackberry & Raspberry Growers Information Portal. Dr. Perkins-Veazie contributed to the portal along with faculty from main campus. It brings together as many resources as possible pertaining to business management and production of blackberries and raspberries in North Carolina.

About N.C. State University Plants for Human Health Institute
The N.C. State University Plants for Human Health Institute is part of the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis. Its Cooperative Extension outreach is known as N.C. MarketReady. The campus is a public-private venture including eight universities, the David H. Murdock Research Institute (DHMRI) and corporate entities that collaborate to advance the fields of nutrition and health. Learn more at http://plantsforhumanhealth.ncsu.edu.

About Southern Region American Society for Horticultural Science
The Southern Region ASHS is a regional scientific society of the American Society for Horticultural Science. The Southern Region encompasses the 14 southern states of Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Membership is composed of research scientists, teachers and Extension specialists from universities, state, federal and private research organizations, and industry. www.srashs.org

About Kannapolis Scholars Through a $1 million U.S. Department of Agriculture – Agriculture & Food Research Initiative (USDA-AFRI) grant, a Transdisciplinary Graduate Training Program recruits exceptional graduate students from multiple disciplines who will be provided the opportunity to immerse themselves in transdisciplinary, integrated research to solve complex problems within the broad domain of functional foods, bioactive food components and human health. These graduate students are known as Kannapolis Scholars.

Writer: Leah Chester-Davis

KANNAPOLIS, NC – Two scientists with the N.C. State University Plants for Human Health Institute at the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis are studying more than 300 cabbage varieties as part of the initial phase in a cabbage breeding program.

Dr. Gad Yousef, senior research scientist, and Dr. Allan Brown, assistant professor, recently received grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to begin a study to evaluate the genetic diversity of cabbage. Green cabbage is a rich source of glucosinolates and carotenoids, among other healthy compounds that contribute health benefits. Red or purple cabbage also contains anthocyanins. Despite cabbage’s human health benefits – it helps protect against chronic diseases such as cancer and macular degeneration – the per capita consumption has declined over the last four decades.

Dr. Yousef and Dr. Brown hope to reverse that declining trend. As part of their study, they will evaluate the genetic diversity of a wide range of cabbage germplasm. According to Dr. Yousef, “Our goal is to identify material that will lead to new and economically viable cultivars for North Carolina farmers.” Dr. Brown added, “We believe that improved taste and health benefits will lead to greater consumption of this healthy vegetable.”

Over a two-year period, the researchers will conduct most of their work on green, red and Savoy cabbage in a climate-controlled greenhouse at the Piedmont Research Station in Salisbury, N.C., and in Dr. Brown’s lab at the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis.

According to Brown, this current study is in collaboration with the USDA germplasm repository in Geneva, N.Y. It will add valuable information to the cabbage program which also includes an extensive germplasm collection that the Plants for Human Health Institute received from the Monsanto Company in May 2011.

North Carolina is the fifth-leading cabbage-producing state with an annual crop value of more than $14 million. Nationally, the crop is valued at more than $400 million annually.

About Plants for Human Health Institute The N.C. State University Plants for Human Health Institute is part of the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis. Its Cooperative Extension outreach is known as N.C. MarketReady. The campus is a public-private venture including eight universities, the David H. Murdock Research Institute (DHMRI) and corporate entities that collaborate to advance the fields of nutrition and health. Learn more at http://plantsforhumanhealth.ncsu.edu.

Writer: Leah Chester-Davis

(Download a PDF of the news release.)

N.C. State University’s North Carolina Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) program provided more than $100,000 in matching funds to help N.C. agricultural producers apply for and secure nearly $1.2 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grants. The USDA last week announced the recipients of its Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG), eight of which are N.C. businesses that were assisted by NCVACS.

Agricultural businesses receiving VAPG funding, with the help of NCVACS, included:

• Bobcat Farms (Clinton, NC) – $140,000
• Chapel Hill Creamery (Chapel Hill, NC) – $180,000
• Cottle Farms (Faison, NC) – $300,000
• Honey Mountain Farm (Mt. Ulla, NC) – $120,000
• Nooherooka Natural (Snow Hill, NC) – $130,000
• SleepyGoat Cheese (Pelham, NC) – $22,500
• Smoky Mountain Native Plants Association (Robbinsville, NC) – $20,000
• Sunburst Trout Farms (Canton, NC) – $283,884

Portia McKnight (second from left) and Flo Hawley (far right) are co-owners of Chapel Hill Creamery, a small dairy farm and farmstead cheese-making business that received a USDA-VAPG grant from (far left) N.C. director for rural development, Randy Gore, and (second from right) under secretary for rural development, Dallas Tonsager, with assistance from NCVACS.

Funded by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, NCVACS presented cost share awards ranging from $3,500 to $23,500 to assist these agricultural producers in offsetting the costs of applying for the VAPG funds (such as those incurred by professional grant writers and feasibility study consultants). For every $1 NCVACS invested into helping businesses apply for the VAPG grant, $11.29 were returned to the state via the USDA funding. (View NCVACS Award Recipient Bios)

“Our program played a critical role for producers in that we helped make it possible for them to afford to research, plan and apply for hundreds of thousands of federal government dollars,” said Brittany Whitmire, NCVACS coordinator. “These small agricultural businesses are deserving of larger grants, but often lack the financial and professional resources to pursue those funding opportunities.”

NCVACS assisted applicants with two types of VAPG proposals, including “planning” and “working capital” funding. VAPG planning funds, received by two N.C. producers, will be used to further develop business and marketing plans for particular products offered by each farm. VAPG working capital funds, received by the remaining six N.C. producers, will offset the operational costs of expanding value-added businesses into new markets.

NCVACS currently is accepting applications for its 2012 equipment cost share cycle. The program is separate from the VAPG and any eligible agricultural producer or processor may apply, even if it is not a VAPG recipient. Producers and processors of value-added agricultural products will find guidelines, eligibility requirements and application materials for the 2012 equipment cost share at http://plantsforhumanhealth.ncsu.edu/extension/cost-share-applicants/. Applications must be received by March 1, 2012.

NCVACS is coordinated by N.C. MarketReady, the Cooperative Extension outreach of the N.C. State University Plants for Human Health Institute, located at the N.C. Research Campus. Funded by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, the cost share program was launched in 2009 and will have provided nearly $1 million in direct cost share assistance to value-added producers and processors throughout North Carolina by the end of 2012.

Writer: Justin Moore

(Download a PDF of the news release.)

The North Carolina Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) program, administered by N.C. MarketReady, is now accepting applications for the 2012 equipment cost share funding cycle. The program, funded by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, provides up to $50,000 to agricultural producers and processors seeking to purchase specialized equipment to start or grow a value-added operation.

A value-added agricultural product is a raw, agricultural commodity that has been changed in some manner so that it no longer can be returned to its original state. This change results in increased market value, allowing the producer to receive a higher price for these value-added products compared to the original commodity. Cheese (from milk), wine (from grapes) and bread (from grains) are a few examples.

The NCVACS program works hand-in-hand with the USDA Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) by reducing the costs of equipment purchases that are not funded by the USDA grant. The 2012 cost share cycle allows value-added producers and processors to apply for funding to purchase new or used equipment. Equipment cost share awards will vary from 25 to 50 percent of the total cost of the equipment, up to a maximum of $50,000.

“The NCVACS program supports the development of North Carolina value-added agricultural operations,” said Brittany Whitmire, program coordinator for NCVACS. “NCVACS is one of the few cost share funding sources for equipment, and we’ve seen many recipients grow their businesses and become more successful after being awarded the funds.” (Award Recipient Bios)

Continuing from the 2011 funding cycle, the program’s expanded guidelines for value-added products include non-standard production methods (such as organic), physical product segregation – keeping genetically modified (GM) corn separate from non-GM corn, farm-based renewable energy and some locally produced food products.

Examples of equipment previously funded include an aging cooler for meats, pasteurizing machinery for goat milk, a seasoning applicator for roasted soybeans and fermentation tanks for producing wines.

View applications for the NCVACS 2012 equipment cost share. Applications are due by March 1, 2012. Guidelines and a list of frequently asked questions can be found on the website.

NCVACS is coordinated by N.C. MarketReady, the Cooperative Extension outreach of the N.C. State University Plants for Human Health Institute, located at the N.C. Research Campus. Funded by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, the cost share program was launched in 2009 and will have provided nearly $1 million in direct cost share assistance to value-added producers and processors throughout North Carolina by the end of 2012.

Writer: Justin Moore

Extension agents and growers are able to estimate production costs by entering cost estimates into the budget spreadsheet. Since expenses such as machinery, materials and labor vary by operation, these spreadsheets are designed to automatically calculate estimated business costs, returns and breakeven values based on the data a grower inputs. Sample budgets with production cost estimates for the first three years are also included. Costs can vary greatly depending on the operation.

Ultimately, the budget will help answer the questions: “How much will it cost?” and “Is there potential for profit?”

Download the 2011-2012 Blackberry Budget

Or find the blackberry budget on the website:

• N.C. MarketReady – Enterprise Budgets
• Blackberry/Raspberry Portal – Budgets & Pricing

Visit the Blackberry & Raspberry Growers Information Portal for more information regarding North Carolina blackberries. Contact the local Cooperative Extension center with other questions.

Writer: Justin Moore

Dr. Penelope Perkins-Veazie, postharvest physiologist with the Plants for Human Health Institute, won the ASHS Vegetable Publication Award for 2011.

Dr. Penelope Perkins-Veazie, a postharvest physiologist with the Plants for Human Health Institute, received the 2011 Vegetable Publication Award from the American Society for Horticultural Science, as co-author of “Use of external indicators to predict maturity of mini-watermelon fruit.” 

The article, published in the July 2010 issue of HortScience, presented research findings from a project that sought to determine a means of estimating maturity of mini-watermelons at harvest. Factors such as fruit circumference, weight, ground-spot color and the number of dead tendrils were evaluated, determining that certain characteristics were good indicators of fruit ripeness and pH.

Established in 1985, the Vegetable Publication Award recognizes the author(s) of the outstanding paper in the designated area published in the previous year’s issues of The Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, HortScience or HortTechnology.

View the article abstract on the American Society for Horticultural Science website. Other contributing authors include Edgar L. Vinson III, Floyd M. Woods, Joseph M. Kemble and J. Raymond Kessler, Auburn University, and Angela Davis, USDA-ARS.

Writer: Justin Moore

(Registration & Schedule Brochure)

The Piedmont Farm School is a seven-month educational and outreach program that trains beginning and transitioning farmers. The program is designed to help them operate successful small-scale, sustainable farms. The effort aims to increase the number of local growers and the production of locally grown products within the Piedmont region. It also plans to create a network of local small farms and to help cultivate viable markets for their products. The school involves students from Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Iredell, Montgomery, Randolph and Rowan counties.

N.C. Cooperative Extension personnel developed the curriculum to help meet the growing demand for locally grown food. The school was designed to help meet the needs of people wanting to become farmers with little or no background in agriculture. It will inform new and beginning growers of emerging production and marketing opportunities.

The business planning seminars will be held one evening each month from February through October 2012. Planned by Roberts, the business seminars will give farmers the tools to create new or revised business plans for small-scale, economically sustainable farm enterprises. The school will also include field trips to different working farms.

Among the topics Roberts and Baros will cover are the five areas of risk, forms of business ownership, financial record-keeping and marketing fundamentals. Field trips will include whole farm planning and will focus on livestock basics, fruits, vegetables, specialty crops and agritourism. To learn more visit http://davidson.ces.ncsu.edu or call 336-242-2085 for registration materials. Early bird deadline is Dec. 16. Regular deadline is Jan. 20.

Writer: Justin Moore

The North Carolina Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) program, administered by N.C. MarketReady, recently selected eight agricultural producers and four agricultural processors to receive supplemental funding for value-added equipment purchases.

“This cycle of funding was highly competitive,” according to Brittany Whitmire, program coordinator for NCVACS. The total amount awarded was $167,774, ranging from $475 to $50,000. Recipients are located across the state and are involved in a wide range of value-added agricultural enterprises. A few examples include cost share funds to support expansion of cheese-making facilities, adding a smoker to a meat processing business and expanding a forest products operation.

The NCVACS program, funded by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, directly supports the development of North Carolina value-added agricultural operations. A value-added agricultural product is a raw, agricultural commodity that has been changed in some manner so that it no longer can be returned to its original state. This change results in increased market value, allowing the producer to receive a higher price for these value-added products compared to the original commodity.

The program’s investment of $167,774 will result in equipment purchases valued at more than $500,000. The value-added operations receiving cost share funds will be able to improve efficiencies and increase production with the addition of specialized equipment. The cost share program, which launched in 2009, has provided more than $749,460 in direct cost share assistance to value-added producers and processors throughout North Carolina.

Another cost share cycle will open in spring 2012. Updated guidelines and applications will be available online at http://plantsforhumanhealth.ncsu.edu/extension/cost-share in January. The 2011 NCVACS award recipients are listed below. See profiles of previous award recipients.

NCVACS is coordinated by N.C. MarketReady, the Cooperative Extension outreach of the N.C. State University Plants for Human Health Institute, located at the N.C. Research Campus.

Value-Added Processors

• Richard Huettman, Acre Station Meat Farm, Pinetown, N.C. – Scale and camera to provide feedback on hog carcasses to producers in order to improve consistency and quality in production
• Jennifer Perkins, Looking Glass Creamery, Fairview, N.C. – Small batch candy making equipment for a shelf-stable milk product called Carmelita
• John & Joni Wavra, Ty-Lyn Plantation, Cullowhee, N.C. – Pneumatic shearer for wreath making
• Jody Thompson, Wells, Jenkins, Wells Fresh Meats, Forest City, N.C. – Smoker for meats and meat products; sausage stuffing machine

Value-Added Producers

• Roger Ball, Ball Berries & Produce, Raleigh, N.C. – Pecan cracker, sheller, cleaner
• Portia McKnight, Chapel Hill Creamery, Chapel Hill, N.C. – Updated components for pasteurizer, Camembert system and refrigerator cube for handling and delivery of cheeses
• Darrell Wright, Franklinville, N.C. – Pasteurizer, butter machine and ice cream maker
• Ann and Casey Campbell, Janice Lindley; Lindley Farms, Snow Camp, N.C. – Vat pasteurizer for dairy to make cheesecakes
• Carl Evans, Mountain Harvest Organics, Hot Springs, N.C. – Sawmill and tools for timber framing
• Sally Eason, Sunburst Trout Company, Canton, N.C. – Expanded smoker capacity for trout products and sausage stuffer for jerky
• Bobby Tucker, Tucker Family Farm/Okfuskee Farm, Siler City, N.C. – Pea/bean sheller
• Bruce DeGroot, Yellow Branch Cheese, Robbinsville, N.C. – Curd knives and walk-in aging space for expanded cheese production

Writer: Megan Bame