Three Rivers Land Trust conserves 250 acres of farmland in Davie County

June 24, 2021

Three Rivers Land Trust is excited to announce the permanent conservation of 250 acres of land located in Davie County. The farm, owned by Sam and Blair Howard, is in small grain production. This conservation easement is just the beginning of the legacy that Sam and Blair Howard want to leave, as they plan to conserve more property in the future. When reflecting on this project, Sam expressed, “I am most excited about the preservation of farmland for future generations. Three Rivers Land Trust was excellent to work with. They were super responsive and I wouldn’t have been able to navigate this process without their help.”

This particular property has frontage on both Highway 64 and Godby Road, which is near Mocksville, NC. The easement area buffers Hunting Creek for 0.6 miles, a WS-III Class stream that is a tributary of the Yadkin River. This easement is just one of the eight projected farmland conservation easements planned for Three Rivers Land Trust this year alone. “We are excited to have worked with Sam and Blair on this conservation easement in Davie County, one of the counties we serve that hasn’t had much farmland conservation, but is facing development pressures from every side,” TRLT Director of Conservation Crystal Cockman remarked. “Saving farmland in this county while we still can is an important goal of ours.”

This conservation easement aids Three Rivers Land Trust in their mission to conserve farmland for future generations. “Conservation comes in different forms,” remarked Executive Director Travis Morehead. “We [TRLT] have a particular focus on conserving farmland. Agriculture is the foundation of our society, so each acre of farmland conserved is important for future food and fiber production.”

The primary purpose of the conservation easement is to protect the land from permanent development and to allow for continued agricultural uses. Three Rivers Land Trust has conserved over 16,000 acres of local farms in our 15-county footprint. This conservation easement was made possible by funding from the North Carolina Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund.

To learn more about how to protect your own property or learn more about farmland easements, contact Crystal Cockman at 704-647-0302 or crystal@threeriverslandtrust.org.

To become a member and support TRLT in their conservation mission, please contact Michael Fulk, Associate Director, at 704-647-0302 or michael@threeriverslandtrust.org.