Bladen’s Bloomin’ is operating an agricultural leasing program offered by the Bladen County Economic Development Commission. Grant funds will be used to leverage financing for a blast freezer to be bought by Bladen County and leased to the Carolina Blueberry Cooperative Association to expand their cold storage capacity. This means that existing growers and other farmers will produce more blueberries, thereby expanding income for farmers in the area by more than $2 million annually.