Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund awards more than $10 million for conservation easements on 4,377 acres

The N.C. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund recently awarded more than $10 million to help communities across the state protect farmland and promote agricultural enterprises. 

More than $9.5 million went towards obtaining conservation easements on 4,377 acres of land across the state. This includes over $600,000 in funding for 316 acres of easements in priority areas in the Upper Cape Fear River Basin for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Regional Conservation Partnership Program.

“A recent study conducted by the American Farmland Trust shows that North Carolina could lose over one million acres of farmland by 2040 if development continues at its current rate,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “These ADFP Trust Fund awards will help preserve over 4,300 acres of farmland and keep families on the farm, but we have a lot more work to do to curb agricultural land conversion.”

The following is a list of awarded conservation easement projects:

• Alamance County received a total of $565,684.50. With that, $241,980.50 will be used to help purchase a conservation easement on a 116-acre farm, $131,590.50 to preserve 62 acres of a farm and $192,113.50 to preserve 106 acres of farmland.
• Brunswick Soil and Water Conservation District received $379,331.80 to help purchase a conservation easement on 67 acres of farmland.
• Buncombe Soil and Water Conservation District received a total of over $1.118 million. With that, $172,500 will be used to help purchase a conservation easement on a 38-acre farm, $129,000 to preserve 29 acres of a farm, $440,778.80 to preserve 113 acres of farmland and $376,171.91 to permanently protect 95 acres of farmland.
• Conserving Carolina received $111,562.63 to preserve 66 acres of farmland.
• Foothills Conservancy of NC serving Cleveland County received a total of $275,931.31. With that, $189,256.31 will be used to help purchase a conservation easement on a 171-acre farm and $86,675 to preserve 52 acres of a farm.
• Haywood Soil and Water Conservation District received a total of $534,428. With that, $167,785 will be used to help purchase a conservation easement on a 39-acre farm, $220,498 to preserve 72 acres of a farm and $146,145 to preserve 82 acres of farmland.
• Hyde Soil and Water Conservation District received $499,997.50 to help purchase a conservation easement on 151 acres.
• Johnston Soil and Water Conservation District received a total of $851,985.71. With that, $294,470.25 will be used to help purchase a conservation easement on a 51-acre farm, $469,990.85 to preserve 84 acres of a farm and $87,524.61 to preserve 10 acres of farmland.
• Mainspring Conservation Trust serving Cherokee and Jackson counties received a total of $651,644.50. With that, $305,944.50 will be used to help purchase a conservation easement on 101 acres, $165,350 to preserve 48 acres of a farm and $180,350 to preserve 58 acres of farmland.
• Orange County received $189,645.15 to help purchase a conservation easement on 110 acres.
• Piedmont Land Conservancy of Guilford County received $382,701.01 to help purchase a conservation easement on a 122-acre farm.
• Saluda Community Land Trust of Polk County received $500,000 to help purchase a conservation easement on 189 acres.
• Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy serving Buncombe County received $137,475 to help purchase a conservation easement on a 94-acre farm.
• Three Rivers Land Trust serving Davie, Iredell and Robeson counties received nearly $1.6 million. With that, $333,737.50 will be used to help purchase a conservation easement on a 350-acre farm, $387,450 to preserve 321 acres of a farm, $378,200 to help purchase a conservation easement on a 503-acre farm and $495,550 to preserve 415 acres of farmland.
• Triangle Land Conservancy serving Chatham and Johnston counties received a total of $693,485.31. With that, $333,789 will be used to help purchase a conservation easement on a 110-acre farm and $359,696.31 to preserve 148 acres of a farm.
• Wayne County received $329,906.50 to help purchase a conservation easement on 113 acres.
• Working Lands Trust serving Caswell, Cleveland, Guilford and Rockingham counties received a total of $685,843. With that, $125,300 will be used to help purchase a conservation easement on a 42-acre farm, $285,450 to preserve 164 acres of a farm, $100,800 to help purchase a conservation easement on a 31-acre farm and $174,293.13 to preserve 54 acres of farmland.

The following is a list of awarded agricultural plans and agricultural development projects:

• Clay Soil and Water Conservation District received $4,500 for a project, Sprout and Grown Green, to involve high school students in local food production.
• The Lois G. Britt Agribusiness Center at the University of Mount Olive received a total of $180,000. With that, $30,000 to develop Cost of Community Services Studies for Harnett and Rockingham counties and $150,000 for a project, Value-Added Livestock Feeds and Expanded Market for NC Small Grains, to conduct a cost-benefit analysis on non-GMO feed.
• Macon Soil and Water Conservation District received $14,000 to develop a Farmland Protection Plan for Macon County.
• Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District received $14,000 to develop a Farmland Protection Plan for Mecklenburg County.
• Sampson Cooperative Extension received $13,505 for a project, Sampson VAD Improvement Project, to conduct outreach and increase public awareness of the Voluntary Agricultural District program.
• Southwestern NC RC&D received $58,000 for a project, KT’s Orchard Cold Storage System, to increase markets for local foods.
• Watauga County received $474,450 for a Livestock Slaughter Facility project that will increase the region’s capacity to slaughter and process local beef.

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