Client: Sunset Berry Farm & Produce
Project/Grant Application Lead: Kent and Jennifer Gilkerson
Title: Kent & Jennifer Gilkerson, Owners
Funding Received #1: $100,000
Funding Organization #1: USDA
Funding Opportunity Title #1: Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program (FLSP)
Funding Received #2: $99,213
Funding Organization #2: USDA
Funding Opportunity Title #2: Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program
The WV Grant Resource Centers’ Client Spotlight series is a monthly feature highlighting the incredible work our clients are doing to secure local, federal, and private funding to empower their communities and economies. See all previous Client Spotlights here.
A Sweet Surprise: Sunset Berry Farm secures $199K in USDA grant funding
This month, the West Virginia Grant Resource Centers Client Spotlight is shining on Sunset Berry Farm & Produce in Alderson, West Virginia. This summer, Sunset Berry Farm & Produce was awarded two U.S. Department of Agriculture grants — totaling $199,213 — to support their workforce development and food access efforts.
In October 2023, Jennifer and Kent Gilkerson, Sunset Berry Farm & Produce owners, applied for Grant Centers support, aiming to find and apply for grants that could help bridge food security gaps in their region.
“We reached out for help to apply for funding opportunities that will allow us to feed more people across the state, especially low income folks in food desert areas who do not have adequate access to healthy foods,” Jennifer Gilkerson said.
Working closely with Grant Writer Jessica Shaw, the Monroe County-based business received technical assistance with grant writing and proposal development, proposal instruction, letters of support and commitment, input into the funder portal, and final submission support over the following months.
The following summer, Sunset Berry Farm & Produce received not one, but two awards to support their efforts.
“We were so excited to learn the first grant was approved for funding, and then a second award was unbelievable!” Gilkerson said.
These awards, Gilkerson said, will help the Sunset Berry team address recurring challenges and help launch a regional agriculture effort.
“With the assistance from Grant Centers, we have applied and been awarded $100,000 to address our labor issue and another $100,000 to develop profitable year round freeze-dried products that can be sold to schools so farms can access the billion dollar farm to school market,” Gilkerson said. “The grant application process is long and complicated and we simply would not be able to write a successful grant on our own.”
Gilkerson credited Shaw with making the team’s grant writing goals achievable.
“We can’t express how much we appreciate the opportunity to work with Jessica Shaw,” Gilkerson said. “Jessica is organized, efficient and always responds promptly. She listens and is extremely attentive to the needs of her clients. Jessica is truly an expert in her field and an asset to the small business community providing a service that allows us to achieve goals that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.”
Strengthening the workforce with FSLP
In recent years, the Gilkersons have focused on prioritizing infrastructure projects around their farm to optimize productivity, including the installation of a “farm-wide irrigation system, deer fencing around the 30-acre production area, mulch layer, water wheel transplanter, two tractors, walk-in cooler, and more.”
“These investments have positioned Sunset Berry Farm to be able to scale up production and to be able to grow more successfully,” Gilkerson said.
The first award, a $100,000 Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program (FSLP) grant, will support the hiring of a new staff member and decrease unharvested food waste, which has been a persistent challenge for the small team.
“The labor grant will allow us to hire skilled workers or train unskilled workers that hopefully will choose to stay with us long term,” Gilkerson said. “We look forward to harvesting 100% of our crops in 2025.”
In addition to preventing food waste and growing the team, the FLSP funding will also enable the Gilkersons to expand employee benefits, including “paid sick leave, overtime, and incentives for meeting quotas,” Gilkerson said, adding, “This will attract and retain more skilled workers.”
Bridging food security gaps with freeze-dried produce
The second award, a $99,213 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant, will support the Promoting Year-Round Farm-to-School Benefits through Freeze-Dried Initiatives project, which aims to expand agricultural awareness among local youth, produce and increase access to freeze-dried produce, and conduct a feasibility study.
This effort is a partnership between Sunset Berry Farm & Produce, West Virginia University Cooperative Extension, West Virginia Department of Education, West Virginia Department of Agriculture, and six schools across Monroe County, Pocahontas County, and Summers County, West Virginia.
“The freeze dried project has the potential to be groundbreaking, not only for our farm, but to farms across the state and beyond,” Gilkerson said. “Public schools alone spend $100 million a year on food, but only a tiny fraction is purchased in-state.”
One persistent challenge for farmers, Gilkerson noted, is the “misalignment” of the school calendar and growing season.
“Freeze-dried products can be crucial to bridge the farm to school gap,” Gilkerson said. “The project will also create jobs and improve food access across the state.”
Keeping local students involved and engaged with the project can also help them learn about their local food systems.
“A strong local food system is critical for long term sustainability of small communities in that it makes us self-sufficient and lessens our dependence on other states and countries, improves the environment, creates jobs and promotes more healthy eating habits by having access to fruits and vegetables,” Gilkerson said.
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