Farmland Preservation In North Carolina

By Crystal Cockman

August 3, 2016

In North Carolina, agriculture and agribusiness account for one-sixth of the state’s economy and employees, and more than 17 percent, or $84 billion, of the $482 billion gross state product. It’s no wonder then that farmland preservation is viewed as important to the future of our state.

One of the ways we work to preserve agricultural lands in our state is through Voluntary Agricultural Districts. The purpose of the Agricultural District Program is “to encourage the preservation and protection of farmland from non-farm development.” Counties adopt Voluntary Agricultural District Ordinances (VAD) and Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District Ordinances (EVAD), which provide for creation of an Agricultural Advisory Board to administer the programs. The boards determine where agricultural districts will be located and review and approve applications for qualifying farmland.

Currently, 87 out of 100 counties have VAD programs, and 27 counties have EVAD programs. A little over half, 54, counties have farmland protection plans that have been approved by the NC Department of Agriculture. Benefits of being in a VAD include recognition and public education about agriculture including signage; increased protection from nuisance suits including noise, odor, dust, or slow moving farm vehicles; waiver of water and sewer assessments; public hearings held by the Agricultural Advisory board are required for proposed land condemnation; and increased eligibility for funding. You can download an informational brochure here for more details on the eligibility requirements for and benefits of enrollment in the VAD and EVAD programs: http://www.ncadfp.org/documents/vadbro.pdf.

The North Carolina Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation (NCADFP) Trust Fund was created in 2005 to support the farming, forestry, and horticulture communities within the agriculture industry by supporting the purchase of agricultural conservation easements, funding public and private enterprise programs that promote profitable and sustainable farms, and funding conservation agreements targeted at the active production of food, fiber, and other agricultural products. This fund will pay for a portion of a purchase of a conservation easement on farmland. Conservation easements restrict the development rights of a piece of property, but allow other uses including farming and forestry.

The US Department of Agriculture has a similar program, the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), which “provides financial and technical assistance to help conserve agricultural lands and wetlands and their related benefits.” There is an Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) component where the USDA pays for a portion of the purchase of conservation easements, which protect the agricultural use and conservation values of the land.  The Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) may contribute up to 50% of the fair market value of the agricultural land easement, 25% can be a donated easement or bargain sale, and 25% has to be a cash match. NCADFP can contribute this cash match component.

For both of these programs, grants have to be applied for in order to have a chance of obtaining funds for purchase of the easements. These grant cycles are usually in December for the NCADFP Trust Fund and in January for the ACEP. Local governments and non-profits are able to apply for these grants, but are limited to only two applications per year for permanent conservation easements through the NCADFP Trust Fund. If you are interested in exploring this option for your farm to keep it as agricultural land in perpetuity for the benefit of future generations, please contact The LandTrust for Central NC at landtrust@landtrustcnc.org or by phone at 704-647-0302.

*Pictures on this page are of Rocky Pee Dee Farms in Anson County (top banner), and the Almond Farm in Stanly County, both protected by USDA and NCDA funded conservation easements.