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Specialty Crops are new crops that have not been commerically grown in a particular region. Ranging from exotic purple potatoes, to more commonly known crops like lettuce, producing specialty crops generally introduces farmers to a new way of growing. The North Carolina Specialty Crops Program provides crop production information, marketing reports and links to articles published online. We are a resource for farmers, entrepreneurs and consumers within the specialty crops market. | |
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SPECIALTY CROPS RESEARCH PROJECTSEach year, research projects and educational programs are held throughout North Carolina. Many of these are open to the public, use the interactive map to discover what's happening in a county near you.
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OPPORTUNITIESSARE
Grants Posted Working on a SARE, Golden Leaf or other grant opportunity? If this opportunity is in value-added or alternative agriculture and in some way assists North Carolina tobacco farm families transition to or add new enterprises, then assistance in writing and putting together the grant package is available to you. To obtain assistance, contact Blake Brown, blake_brown@ncsu.edu, (919) 515-4536. To find additional information and to check out current grant opportunities in the value-added and alternative agriculture area go to www.cals.ncsu.edu/value-added |
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ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTERJoin the mailing list to receive enewsletters via email. |
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The Specialty Crops Program is funded in part by: Updated April 9, 2008 |
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Garland Gourmet
Mushrooms and Truffles as part of a project
they are managing with funds from the NC Tobacco
Trust Fund Commission.
There
is a strong market for heirloom tomatoes. Consumers
say they taste better and have thinner skins
than “regular tomatoes.” Consumers
also have a nostalgic attraction to the “ole
timey” varieties that Grandma used to
grow. Heirloom varieties come in many interesting
colors and shapes and have fun names that make
them stand out from the standard industry tomato.
The market for ORGANIC heirloom tomatoes is
particularly strong.... Dr. Randy Gardner,
has developed several new disease resistant
experimental hybrids with heirloom qualities.
Hopefully, these new hybrids will have the
flavor of heirlooms but with the desired characteristics
of standard commercial tomatoes, e.g., disease
resistance, uniform size, and good shipping
characteristics. 
