The W.C. Breeze Farm is a 270-acre research and education facility located approximately 8 miles north of Hillsborough, North Carolina, at 4909 Walnut Grove Church Road, Hurdle Mills, NC. In 2004, the land (historically used for pasture, meadow, and limited row crops) was generously donated to NC State University, along with a charitable remainder trust, by Colonel Breeze and family with the intent that it be used to research and promote sustainable farming practices. Colonel William Hughes Breeze was a long-time farm family patriarch, NC State alumnus, and 30-year Air Force veteran serving as a bomber pilot during World War II.
Working lands at Breeze Farm are comprised of 30 acres of pasture, 32 acres of cropland, and 20 acres available for the incubator farm program. The remainder is forested.
Breeze Farm.
Donations - Friends of Breeze Farm:
It takes a lot of time, resources, and money to run the Breeze Farm. If you are interested in donating, please use this link: go.ncsu.edu/friendsofbreezefarm.
Your money can help us:
- Increase our infrastructure
- Support farm maintenance
- Allow for expansion
- Start our Agrivoltaics project, as described in the video below
Incubator - Ag Business:
The Breeze Farm is one of 8 incubator farms in North Carolina. This gives people interested in farming the space and opportunity to start farming small-scale, to see if it is a career they are interested in pursuing. It is a low-cost option that does not require the participants to take out costly loans. Currently, the Breeze Farm has the infrastructure to support 4 farms. With more funds and donations, this program could be expanded to allow more people interested to participate. Humble Umbel Farms is one example of a successful farm resulting from the Breeze Incubator Farm.
Agrivoltaics at the Breeze Farm:
Vision for agrivoltaics at Breeze Farm.
Moving forward, NC State University and N.C. Cooperative Extension wants to implement agrivoltaics on the Breeze Farm. This practice strategically uses solar panels, allowing plants to grow on the soil underneath them, thus harvesting the sun twice. For more information, see this video:
Thank you for your interest in the Breeze Farm!
Incubator Farm at Breeze Farm
Donate to Breeze Farm!
go.ncsu.edu/friendsofbreezefarm
Contact Information:
Mike Ortosky, Extension Agent for Community & Rural Development
Email: jmortosk@ncsu.edu
Phone: (919) 270-6528
