C & J Farm

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Location:

Murfreesboro, NC

County:

Northampton

Description:

Grain Bin Program

Total Project Costs:

$24,500 (NCIF $9,610)

People:

Curtis Branch, a former teacher for the Washington, D.C., public schools, began farming at C&J Farm in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, in 1997. Curtis and his wife, Jacqueline, farm 100 acres of their own and lease an additional 400 acres for wheat, corn, soybeans, cotton and watermelon. The Branches have been active stewards of their land, utilizing natural resource conservationto plant buffers that manage runoff and using no-till farming practices. They know that investing for the long term and diversifying are key to their past and future success— they have invested in their farm equipment and plan to expand into pasture-raised pork, a natural alternative to industrial hog production.

In order to finance these plans, however, the Branches must receive competitive, stable prices for their crops, a difficult prospect for small, independent family farmers like C&J Farm. Yet, without access to affordable grain storage, farmers must sell their harvested grain at harvest time, when the market is typically flooded with supply and prices are low. Storing grain in order to obtain more favorable pricing through spot selling and the futures market is one viable strategy to boost income from the sale of commodity crops.

Role of NCIF:

The Branches turned to the Natural Capital Investment Fund for help in replacing their farm’s dilapidated grain bin with new on-farm storage. NCIF’s Grain Bin Project pairs cost-share grants with a microloan to enable small, limited-resource farmers to purchase a new 5,500 bushel grain bin at an affordable price. NCIF also provides farmers with training on how to “play the market” to boost grain revenues and operate the bins effectively. Funding for the cost-share grants comes from the North Carolina Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund. The Branches were one of the first participants in the program, installing the bin in early 2009. The Trust Fund has provided NCIF with funding for grain bin grants to 20 farmers, and 15 have installed bins under the program as of December 2010.

Impact:

By providing Curtis Branch with a way to increase his grain revenues, NCIF’s Grain Bin Project has enabled him to continue diversifying his farming operation, a critical strategy for keeping limited-resource farmers and African-American family farms in business.

Company website:

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Meet Curtis Branch

Read more about NCIF's work with Curtis Branch