US (NC): Greenhouse grant helps pepper farm expand
“We’ve just been good friends growing up and went to N.C. State,” Shelton said. “Once we got out of school we wanted to diversify into produce whereas traditionally our families have been tobacco and grains production and now the produce side, we think that is a better opportunity long-term than tobacco. We started growing cucumbers in 2015 and added on acreage and started growing peppers in 2016. We added a little more in 2017 and this year we are still growing cucumbers and peppers is our main crop.”
Shelton and Webb were among 27 grant recipients statewide through the program this year.
The pair used the $9,500 to pay about half of the cost of a 200-by-35-foot greenhouse where they are currently growing about 260,000 pepper plants.
“It’s an old greenhouse we bought secondhand but everything inside of it is new,” Shelton said. “It paid for a lot of the fans and heaters and the T-rail system that holds the plants up, which makes it unique compared to a traditional tobacco greenhouse that would be a little different than that. Currently inside we have jalapeños, banana and some bell peppers in there right now and we will seed a little more next week, some more bell peppers and some specialty-type peppers as well.”
Read more at The Wilson Times (Drew C. Wilson)