Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture offers many programs and resources to support local farmers and producers. A pillar of our core goals is to help producers grow and sustain their business by providing the support they need. We offer these programs to producers of all levels of experience. From aspiring to seasoned growers and producers, we invite you to explore and take advantage of our producer support programs.  

Blue Ridge CRAFT Workshops and Trainings

  • Attend a Training Workshop
  • Host a Workshop
<
>
Blue Ridge CRAFT (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training) provides free or low cost educational workshops for aspiring, beginning, and experienced farmers. We offer a range of topics, everything from produce safety to chainsaw operation workshops. 

​If you are an aspiring farmer looking to learn from experienced mentors or an established farmer interested in sharing your knowledge and improving your mentoring skills, Blue Ridge CRAFT offers a supportive community and valuable resources. 

To see our current workshop schedule and to sign up, click the link below. 
​The Blue Ridge CRAFT program is centered around knowledge and skill sharing, encouraging mentorship and community building among farmers and local producers.
​
To facilitate that, BRWIA encourages folks who have knowledge or expertise that they would like to share to host a "workshop" or skill sharing event, where they present on a topic of their choice, usually at their farm or place of business.

​Presenters can be joined by extension agents and other farmers or knowledgeable parties as well. You can find examples of previous workshops at filemyllc.net/workshop-notes. 

Find Your Market

  • Sell on the High Country Food Hub
  • Be a Vendor at the King Street Farmers Market
<
>

Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture operates the High Country Food Hub. The High Country Food Hub is a year-round online farmers' market. We offer fresh produce, meat, dairy, bread, artisan foods, cut flowers, body care products, and plants.

​If you offer any of these products and would like to sell via the Food Hub, click below to learn more and fill out the application. 
Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture also operates the King Street Farmers Market. We offer a spacious, outdoor market every Tuesday from May through October from 3:30-6:30pm. In the winter months (December - March) on Saturdays from 10am-1pm, we offer an indoor/outdoor farmers' market. 

​To learn more and apply to be a vendor, click the link below. 

Sell In Bulk to Food Access Programs

  • Local Food as Medicine
<
>
Local Food As Medicine (LocalFAM) is BRWIA's food access program, which enables community organizations to provide their neighbors with fresh, nutritious food, supplied by local producers.

The food is free to our recipients, but producers are paid full retail price for their products. All producers with eligible products listed on BRWIA's High Country Food Hub are automatically considered for the program. 

To be eligible to sell produce for the FarmShare program of LocalFAM, you need to be FarmShare certified. Click the link below to get certified.

 Find Work or Post Your Labor Needs

  • Find Work on a Farm 
  • Find Crew to Hire for Your Farm
<
>

The Farm Labor Link is a great way to find job postings from local farms looking to hire. 

Through this webpage, you can explore what farms are hiring, learn about their practices and methods, and apply for a job that is right for you. 

Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture believes farm interns and workers play a vital role in our sustainable-agriculture community. Click below to find a farm job and join the community. 
Blue Ridge CRAFT believes labor plays an important role in our sustainable-agriculture community. We would like to help you recruit farm interns, apprentices, and employees!

If you would like to list farm labor opportunities on our website, please complete the form linked below. We will then contact you about adding any additional information. 

Apply for Scholarships 

  • Betsy Lawson Willis Education Scholarship
<
>
The Betsy Lawson Willis Education Scholarship, launched in 2023, honors BRWIA’s founders who championed women's roles in agriculture. A generous donation from Numina established an endowment, ensuring this scholarship supports women in agriculture for years to come.
​
Each year, this scholarship will aid women farmers in pursuing education to advance their careers. Applicants must be actively pursuing careers in agriculture, even if not currently farming or working in the field.

Western NC Shared Resources 

  • Find Equipment to Rent Near you 
<
>
Click below to see the Western North Carolina Shared Resources sheet. Here you will find a directory of Equipment that is rented by  Extension offices and other Agricultural Organizations by county. You can also find notes on pricing, restrictions, and contatcs. 

Post Hurricane Helene Recovery Resources

  • Assistance for Farmers
  • Grants & Funding
  • More Disaster Resources
  • Livestock
  • Food Safety
  • Sell Product
  • Mental Health
<
>
Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture and NC State Extension are gathering a needs evaluation for specific farm supplies. Please contact Kendra Phipps or Laney Baker directly with any farm supply needs. 

Contact your local Cooperative Extension to get connected to resources, which will be run by Soil & Water Conservation or USDA Service Centers (Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service.)​

Requesting Assistance

Recovery Funding

Updated 10/14/2024
  • WNC Communities: WNC Immediate Disaster Needs Grant - WNC Communities recognizes that farmers in the region have immediate disaster relief needs to stabilize their farm businesses and to support a resilient regional food system. The goal of this program is to provide resources quickly, while making reasonable efforts not to duplicate other funding sources. 
  • Mtn Bizworks: WNC Strong: Helene Business Recovery Fund - Providing vital and rapid relief loans to Western North Carolina small businesses impacted by Tropical Storm Helene. Apply online. Businesses impacted by Tropical Storm Helene & based in one of the 32 NC counties covered in the SBA’s Helene Disaster Declaration Area can apply for rapid recovery loans of up to $100,000 to meet immediate needs while waiting for federal loans, insurance payouts, or other relief. ​
  • ASAP: Appalachian Grown Farmer Immediate Needs Grant is now open. Farmers may apply for up to $500 to cover immediate needs and expenses towards cleaning, replanting, repairing, or other costs not covered through insurance or other programs that will allow the farm to quickly recover. Qualifying farms must be Appalachian Grown certified.
From Carolina Farm Stewardship Association's Running Resources for Helene Response and Relief
  • How to Apply for FEMA Assistance After Hurricane Helene | NC Gov. Cooper 
  • Farm Aid Emergency Grants: $500 Emergency Grants are given with the assistance of our Hotline team members, who answer calls on 1-800-FARM-AID, connecting farmers to appropriate resources and recommending emergency grants when support is urgently needed.
  • AgSouth Farm Credit: 844-AGSOUTH to reach a loan officer. 
  • USDA Recovery Assistance Programs for Farmers:
    • Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP): NAP provides financial assistance when natural disasters cause low crop yields, crop loss, or delayed planting for uninsured crops.
    • Tree Assistance Program (TAP): TAP assists orchardists and nursery growers in replanting or rehabilitating eligible trees, bushes, and vines damaged by natural disasters.
    • The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP): EQIP is a conservation program that provides financial and technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to integrate conservation into working lands. It may be used for hurricane recovery in several ways, including obstruction removal, clearing and snagging, land smoothing, repair of access roads, and repair of fences for prescribed grazing and protecting sensitive areas.
    • Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP): Extended ECP and EFRP signup that begins Oct. 15, 2024, and runs through June 1, 2025, in states affected by Hurricane Helene.Waiver of onsite inspection requirement for non-engineering practices for ECP and EFRP. Executed Emergency Response (ER-850) authorization of emergency National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) circumstances to expedite FSA approval of practices involving surface debris removal, fence restoration, and non-ground disturbing activities. 
    • Marketing Assistance Loans (MAL): Additional time for producers to deliver commodities to a buyer to repay MALs with sale proceeds. Postponement of MAL foreclosure letters applicable to losses or damages due to hurricanes for up to 90 calendar days.
  • Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA): Benefits are now available in 25 counties as well as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. People in these counties have 60 days from October 1 to file an application for Disaster Unemployment Assistance at des.nc.gov. The deadline to apply is December 2. Farmers are included!
  • Small Business Disaster Loans: Disaster loans are now available for businesses and residents in declared disaster areas to help communities recover and rebuild. Apply online by visiting sba.gov/hurricane-helene. For more help: Call: 800‐659‐2955 or email [email protected].
​
Updated 10/7/2024
Farmer & Producer Resources for Disaster Relief 

Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture and NC State Extension are gathering a needs evaluation for specific farm supplies. 

Please Contact Kendra Phipps or Laney Baker directly with any farm supply needs. 
​
Contact your local Cooperative Extension to get connected to resources, which will be run by Soil & Water Conservation or USDA Service Centers (Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service.)
For relief from the USDA’s FSA:
If you have been affected by Hurricane Helene, we want to remind you,
 "CAMERA BEFORE CHAINSAWS" According to USDA's FSA, follow these steps:
1. Document damage with dated photographs, videos, and third-party verification (non-family if possible).
2. Make every effort to report farm damage to your local USDA Service Center to request assistance (if the office doesn't answer, be sure to leave a voicemail). 
Call your local USDA service center to seek pre-authorization to maximize your chances of getting cost-share reimbursements for repairs. If no one answers, leave a voicemail describing the damage and the repairs needed. If the line is down, you may call any county office in your state. (Be prepared to leave your name and description of damage (include both emergency and long-term) and a list of repairs you are requesting funding for.
3. Farmers should start taking extensive notes in addition to pictures:

  • What damage you’ve experienced
  • What repairs you need to do
  • What costs you incur in  implementing repairs
  • RECEIPTS!

4. If possible to wait, do not start permanent repairs and field restoration without FSA authorization. You may do emergency repairs, e.g. gates, fencing, etc


LINKS
Form to share information with us to receive updates
Disaster info from USDA
RAFI Disaster Information
Directory of county offices (If your county's phone is down, you may call other county offices.)

For those NOT registered with FSA: 
A message from RAFI: 
We’re getting word from the state about what will be in motion for emergency assistance for those farms not registered with FSA.  One thing that might get overlooked is that farmers should have a non-family member see the damage first hand, and can attest in writing to the damage, it will increase their chances of getting support.


We’re trying to mobilize cash assistance grants for farmers so that farmers don’t have to count on reimbursement assistance and have the upfront cost burden.  But we understand this might be for repairs that come slightly later after the immediate survival relief work on the ground.  

Livestock

  • WNC Regional Livestock Center: Contact: Yvonne Coburn with Civilian Disaster Response at 828-216-4496.
  • Request livestock management assistance and supplies from NCDA&CS and NC Cooperative Extension by completing this form. 
  • NC Disaster Hay and Livestock Resources Assistance Portal 
  • Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP): ELAP provides financial assistance to qualifying farmers who have lost animals, honeybees, or farm-raised fish during certain natural disasters. 
  • Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP): LIP provides assistance to farmers who have had an excess of livestock deaths due to natural disasters. LIP payments are equal to 75 percent of the average fair market value of the livestock.
  • Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) provides compensation to eligible livestock producers who have suffered grazing losses due to drought or fire on land that is native or improved pastureland with permanent vegetative cover or that is planted specifically for grazing. Learn more about LFP.
  • Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) – provides livestock producers, who have approved applications through the 2021 Livestock Forage Disaster Program for forage losses due to severe drought or wildfire, emergency relief payments to compensate for increases in supplemental feed costs. No producer applications required.  

Sell Product

  • BRWIA's High Country Food Hub (For those who were already Food Hub producers)
  • BRWIA's King Street Market (Open market for the rest of October)
  • Watauga County Farmers Market
  • WNC Farm Product Purchaser: Empowering Mountain Food Systems Project has funds to purchase products from growers in the region. Growers whose markets are closed and who have products to sell, please email [email protected]. 
  • Crops for mass feeding should contact [email protected].
  • WNC From the Ground Up is BUYING produce, meat, and dairy from impacted farmers to distribute to communities in need: 828.331.0334 or [email protected]
  • Greenville Feed & Seed Food Hub is BUYING produce from LFPA-approved minority farmers impacted by the hurricane in Upstate SC for distribution to communities in need: email Wholesale Manager Kyle McCluskey at [email protected].
  • Contact Alyssa at TRACTOR Food & Farms: [email protected], (828) 372-2028. 

Mental Health Resources

  • For farmer-specific mental health crisis counseling in NC, farmers call 844-325-3276.  Calls accepted 24/7.  Farmers should ask to be connected to the free mental health counseling sessions. They can provide 4-6 free sessions per individual, or more if time and resources permit.
  • Anyone can call 988, 24/7, for suicide/crisis support.  When anyone calls 988, your call is routed to the first available crisis call center in NC. 
  • Mental Health ProBono Referrals for WNC: This list is comprised of providers willing to offer pro bono individual sessions or groups for individuals impacted by Hurricane Helene in WNC.
  • New Leaf Behavioral Health (in Raleigh): Free short-term, crisis counseling via teletherapy to individuals in the affected areas (all ages, individuals/families) and to relief workers; Tel: 919-781-8370; Email: [email protected]
    Mention that you are a resident impacted by the Hurricane or helping with relief efforts we'll get you routed to our program for free help.

​
P.O. Box 67 | 969 W King Street
 Boone, NC 28607 | 828.386.1537
Email: [email protected]
© 2023 Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture | Most Rights Reserved

Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture is a non-profit tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)3 of the IRS code (Federal ID # 34-2011588). 

Financial information about this organization and a copy of its license are available from the State Solicitation Licensing Branch at 919-814-5400. The license is not an endorsement by the state.