Four CAES freshmen pursuing degrees in the food, agricultural, natural resources and human sciences are receiving funding, mentoring and skill-building opportunities thanks to a grant from the Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program, a national, competitive grant program offered through the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Bailey Rayford ’99 has deep roots in North Carolina agriculture. A fourth-generation farmer, she and her two brothers, Sean and RayMond Turner, own and operate T&T Farms in Iredell County, an ornamental nursery that supports their commercial landscaping company and a logistics company. Around 400 acres, some of the land has been in the family since 1904.