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| Christine Bredenkamp (fourth from left), a N.C. State University horticulture extension agent, oversees farm training for SCC on Nov. 7 in Bryson City. Pictured with Bredenkamp are, from left: Margaret Masie, Graeme Potter, Chris Leeks, Jeff Darnell and Rob Hawk. SCC will hold its second Appalachian Farm School on Tuesdays from Jan. 12 through March 1. |
The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina awarded $5,500 in grant funding to Southwestern Community College’s Small Business Center for the second annual Appalachian Farm School, which starts Jan. 12.
The Appalachian Farm School is an opportunity for new and existing small-to-medium size farm owners to get the tools they need to create or revise their business plans for economically sustainable enterprises. Last year’s school drew 26 farmers.
“We are so thankful to the CFWNC for its support of this training,” said Tiffany Henry, director of SCC’s Small Business Center. “When we launched this effort last year, we were blown away by the response from area farmers. There is a definite need for the Appalachian Farm School in Jackson, Macon, Swain Counties and the Qualla Boundary, and this grant funding will allow us to have all the resources we need to help area farmers continue to be successful.”
The school is offered from 6-9 p.m. on eight consecutive Tuesdays (throughMarch 1) at SCC’s Swain Center in partnership with NC Cooperative Extension and the NC Department of Agriculture. The fee is $75.
Sessions at this year’s farm school include farm evaluation and goal setting, gaining insights on marketing products, easy ways to understand the important numbers, current issues facing agribusiness as well as funding options and other resources.
To register for the Appalachian Farm School or get more information about SCC’s Small Business Center and the variety of services it offers, including free upcoming seminars and confidential counseling, contact Henry at t_henry@southwesterncc.edu or 828.339.4211.
For more information about The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, visit www.cfwnc.org.
Southwestern, which WalletHub ranks among the Top 10 community colleges in the nation, serves Jackson, Macon, Swain Counties and the Qualla Boundary. For more information about SCC and the programs it offers, visit www.southwesterncc.edu or call 828.339.4000.
