LANDING INNOVATION: N.C. A&T State University lands an agriculture business innovation center with a $1.9 million USDA grant to enhance food-related businesses for underserved communities.

• Author: Saylor, Teri

On a chilly morning in January, the warm, humid air inside a greenhouse beckons a visitor to New Ground Farm, a multigeneration farm in Pembroke.

Connie Locklear pulls a handful of rainbow-hued carrots from the long rows that stretch end to end.

Her husband Millard Locklear explains the crop of rainbow carrots are part of a profitable niche farming model the couple has created on a portion of the 100 acres of land that has been in the Locklear family for five generations.

"When we looked at farming this land, we learned the profitability of crops like squash is in the pennies, but the profitability of multi-colored carrots is over a dollar a pound," he said. "We stay up-to-date on specialty crops, and we have talked with chefs who deal in flavor, so flavor is what we go after."

The Locklears produce gourmet vegetables for chefs across the state and beyond. In addition, Connie Locklear crafts homemade jellies, jams, pickles and herbal teas and tinctures (herbal extracts) to sell to local customers. The couple also teach classes about the value of growing and eating fresh foods.

As members of the Lumbee Tribe, preserving the past and embracing the future is the Locklears' north star. They are North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University's 2022 Farm Family of the Year.

After retiring from earlier careers --she was a teacher's aide and he was an engineer - the couple began farming about 10 years ago. They say they benefited from their relationship with N.C. A&T and its programs, including the Small Farm Leadership 360 Initiative, a hands-on, in-depth learning experience designed to help small farmers build a profitable business.

The school's long history of effective education is one reason it was awarded a $ 1.9 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture to establish an Agriculture Business Innovation Center.

The center will enhance agriculture-based business development opportunities nationwide. It will primarily focus on outreach to socially disadvantaged populations and historically underserved communities.

"The center's primary goal will be to increase the number of successful agricultural businesses through tailored training and incubation of startups," Mohamed Ahmedna, dean of the college stated in a press release.

The Agriculture Business Innovation Center will assist farmers in various ways including:

* Providing technical assistance to food and agricultural producers, offering production...