RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced that 29 agritourism farms will receive funding for marketing projects.

The Agritourism Marketing Cost Share program is administered by the department’s agritourism office with funding from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission.

“I’m pleased that we are able to award a total of $50,000 in cost-share funding to agritourism farms across the state,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “For many agritourism operations, this funding can provide the help they need to boost their marketing efforts and increase the number of visitors to their farms.”

In its first year, the cost-share program received 77 applications requesting a total of $409,050. After a thorough review of applications, 29 farms were selected to receive grants for projects ranging from directional signage and marketing brochures (from companies similar to MyCreativeShop) to website development and branding. Individual grants ranged from $360 to $6,000.

The following farms received grants:

• High Country Ginseng, Boone
• C.V. Pilson Farm, Cameron
• Flint Rock Farm, Cameron
• Windy Hill Farm, Cedar Grove
• Raised In A Barn Farm, Chocowinity
• Hubb’s Corn Maze, Clinton
• Yadkin Valley Farms, East Bend
• Minka Farm, Efland
• Sanderson Farm, Four Oaks
• Poplar Creek Farm, Green Mountain
• Hickory Creek Farm, Greensboro
• Brothers On Farms, Hayesville
• Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard, Hendersonville
• Wise Acres Organic Farm, Indian Trail
• Good Karma Ranch, Iron Station
• Addison Vineyard Farms, Leicester
• English Farmstead Cheese, Marion
• Renfrow Farms, Matthews
• Granville Corn Maze, Oxford
• Wehrloom Honey, Robbinsville
• Briar Creek Nursery, Rocky Mount
• Bradley Farms, Saluda
• Creekside Farm, Selma
• Huckleberry Trail Farm, Siler City
• Celebrity Dairy LLC, Siler City
• The Farmers’ Daughter, Taylorsville
• Medlin Family Farm, Wake Forest
• Yellow Wolf Farm, Walkertown
• Cold Mountain Corn Maze, Waynesville

North Carolina is home to more than 700 agritourism farms, making it one of the nation’s top states for agritourism. Operations vary from pick-your-own strawberries and choose-and-cut Christmas trees to weekend wedding venues and monthlong farm stays. For more information on agritourism farms in the state, go to www.visitncfarms.com.