In the Press

In response to the recent rapid growth of their business, 60-acre Holt Orchards has added a packing line to their apple operation.

A 2017 AgOptions grant was the catalyst that expanded their sales and resulted in growth that exceeded expectations. 

Tracy and Todd, a brother/sister team, improved their apple orchard with the addition of a stand-alone cooling shed for bushels. The shed extends the availability of their apples throughout the season, allowing them to open to new markets.

Holt Orchards in Flat Rock, NC has a legacy worth saving. A brother and sister team, Todd Kirmss and Tracy Cavagnaro, left their jobs in 2009 to come back to the family orchard full-time. 

The orchard was originally their stepfather’s dream. Markie Holt planted 15 acres of apple trees in the early 1980s when Todd and Tracy were teenagers. Markie married their mother, Virginia, soon after; she did the bookkeeping and Markie grew the apples.