UMO Announces 2022 AgPrime Funding for Farmers and Agribusinesses
November 5, 2021
Contact: Rhonda Jessup, Director of Public Relations
MOUNT OLIVE – The University of Mount Olive (UMO) Lois G. Britt Agribusiness Center announces the 2022 AgPrime Cost-Share Grant Opportunity in partnership with the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission (TTFC).
AgPrime funding is available to North Carolina farmers and agribusiness owners for new and innovative ideas that can increase farm profits. The University of Mount Olive’s Lois G. Britt Agribusiness Center oversees the program, which will serve 33 NC counties in North Carolina from Montgomery to Currituck.
Dr. Sandy Maddox, Dean of the School of Agriculture and Biological Sciences at UMO, said, “The program is designed to strengthen farms and communities that have been impacted by changes in the tobacco economy. The creativity and innovation that exists, within the thirty-three North Carolina counties included in the AgPrime program, is inspiring and we are excited to be part of helping those farms and agribusinesses attain capital to reach the next level within their business plan.”
UMO AgPrime grants are available to farmers and agribusiness owners in Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Gates, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Montgomery, Moore, New Hanover, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Onslow, Richmond, Robeson, Scotland, Tyrrell, and Washington counties.
Funding proposals of up to $10,000 will be considered for farmers/agribusinesses that are agriculturally dependent and have viable ideas for new and innovative agricultural projects. Priority is to persons who earn at least 50% of their personal income from their farm operation or agribusiness entity, and to current and former tobacco farmers or former quota holders. Funding is made available by the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission and administered by the Lois G. Britt Agribusiness Center at the University of Mount Olive.
“The success of the AgPrime program depends on the innovative ideas for replicable projects that will help farmers expand and diversify their enterprise with the continued transition of tobacco production,” Maddox said. “We are excited to continue our partnership with the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission to bring this important program to our local agricultural communities.”
Those engaged in agriculture in the targeted counties are encouraged to apply for funding and share the opportunity with others that may qualify. AgPrime is designed to help farmers and agribusiness owners test creative ideas, implement new marketing strategies, and find new ways keep more profit on the farm.
The grant application cycle opens on November 8, 2021 and closes on December 16, 2021. For more information visit www.umo.edu/ag. The direct link for the application is www.surveymonkey.com/r/AgPrime2022. Interested applicants are encouraged to reach out to discuss their application. Contact the AgPrime program coordinators for assistance Stan Dixon at 252-526-1587 or Ed Emory at 910-290-1002. For funding opportunities in other counties visit https://agventures.ces.ncsu.edu/ or https://wncagoptions.org/.
The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University is sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists. For more information, visit www.umo.edu.
Pictured: Timothy Carver (left) of Hoke County was one of the Ag Prime recipients in 2019. His project was organic grass fed beef. He is pictured with Stan Dixon (right), Program Coordinator.