Today, the Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded a total of $5,417,644 million in funding. The Board awarded $2,359,000 in funding to support projects through the Open Grants Program, $2,060,000 in funding to support scholarships for students to attend North Carolina community colleges, and $748,644 in funding to support a project through the Community-Based Grants Initiative in the Southeast Prosperity Zone. The Golden LEAF Board also awarded $250,000 in funding for projects through the Flood Mitigation Program.

The Foundation also granted $500,000 to the University of Mount Olive for design and infrastructure costs to support development of a new livestock/forage training facility that will enable expanded content and experiential learning, and additional credentials offered to prepare more students for entry-level and higher positions at regional ag businesses. The facility will also serve as a research and training site for students and faculty, host training opportunities for farmers and events for high school students, and expose high school students to agriculture related career pathways.