North Carolina Officials Concerned About Loss Of Farmland To Development
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina agriculture leaders and farmland preservation advocates will gather in Raleigh on May 13 to push for increased state funding aimed at protecting farmland from rapid development.
The Farmland Preservation Division of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will host Farmland Preservation Advocacy Day at the Steve Troxler Agricultural Sciences Building before participants head to the North Carolina General Assembly to meet with lawmakers.
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is expected to address attendees.
Organizers say the event is designed to highlight the growing loss of agricultural land across North Carolina and the need for additional resources to preserve working farms and forests.
Among the goals being promoted during Advocacy Day are:
- Increasing annual farmland preservation funding from $5 million to $25 million;
- Securing $11 million for federal partnership projects;
- Providing $1 million for conservation easements through the Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural Districts program;
- Extending and expanding the state’s conservation tax credit.
According to the Department of Agriculture, North Carolina has more than 8 million acres of working farmland and forests, but those lands continue to disappear because of residential and commercial development.
State officials also cited concerns about future land use tied to the expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure and the growing demand for data centers.
The Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund was established in 2006 to support farming, forestry and horticulture operations through conservation easements and other preservation efforts.
Since its creation, the program has invested $118 million to permanently conserve more than 42,000 acres of farmland and forestland statewide.
However, agriculture officials say demand for funding far exceeds available resources.
During the most recent grant cycle, requests for farmland preservation funding totaled $59 million, while only $3.1 million in new funding was available.
Officials said the gap leaves many farms vulnerable despite support from landowners and local communities seeking to preserve agricultural land.
Farmland Preservation Advocacy Day will begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 13, at the Steve Troxler Agricultural Sciences Building on Reedy Creek Road in Raleigh.
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Hey uh them scientologist missionaries ain’t that great a people (heat up the ice caps up for future Canadian shipping routes/make the planet warmer for the next life forms 🦎) and they’re dead set on bringing gladiator, roots and he’ll raiser to life…. Oh honey that kenly Olive Garden in 50 years will be totally worth it….just blame AI and threaten jobs 🫠
Our commissioners sold it for tax dollars. It was a trade. We can’t be angry now. They got a 300% raise.
Seems like they keep throwing money at the same old problems and not addressing the root causes.
Why are farms being sold?
Why are people moving to the county?
Two basic questions that bring forth additional questions.
Think Differently.
How about encouraging next generation farmers? Why are farmers continuously selling their farmland to non-farmers? What can be done to encourage a farmer-to-farmer transaction instead?
How about encouraging people to live in towns/cities, where infrastructure exists? Remove double-taxation for property. Why not further invest in existing towns/cities to make them walkable epicenters for residents?
Seems like we keep throwing money at the effects and not the causes.
I have faith in the elders of Johnston County and in their defense…the generations meant to inherit these jobs in agriculture and large amounts of land…..may have made bad choices and we just have to accept that.
You are SPOT ON in your comments.
Many European countries have done this for years. Another indication of how ignorant we are as we look at the future.
But our Big Land of the Free attitude will do us in…… Ignorance is not Bliss.
Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund is owned and operated by State Government, specifically under the Executive Branch. The State is now seeking federal dollars (which comes with strings attached) to buy up more private land and place it into the hands of State ownership.
When our government owns all the farms capable of producing crops at a sustainable level, do you trust them the manage that….does history teach us that this practice then could be weaponized against a population that has become solely reliant on grocery stores to supply food?
I don’t know about y’all, but I’d much rather get my tomatoes from my own garden, or from my neighbor, rather than Food Lion or Publix.
There needs to be a balance … people like and desire a homestead country life. Can’t stand the crime, traffic, and congestion of cities and eve smallesh towns.
Stop the constant “evaluation” increases in property values. Reduce or eliminate taxes for “the present use value” tax properties to make it more affordable for farm families to keep their land in the family. Include the total property in the present use value tax system.
Have counties stop competing for “business entities” and stop the tax incentive give aways.
Promote farm education and career choices for agricultural endeavors. We are finding out the the “college” direction isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Just like we are now supporting “trade education” for the construction industry.
The biggest thing … changing people’s hearts to be stewards of God’s creation, not continually taking from it.
Everybody,please go to youtube and watch realestate mindset. Mitch can mathematically prove in court how school bonds and property taxes have helped destroy the the economy and average people. They’ve been at it several years. The courts are trying to skip him. He gives the formulas to check your county. Nearly all governments use the same software and manipulate the data outside of the tax software so values can be increased to get the desired result. Over 30 states have been found breaking the law. Its quite interesting
We need to build up not out , stop building new homes and remodel existing homes, if not demolish the old house and build a new house. Stop selling land to developers, stop letting new subdivisions be built, protect what land we have left. Focus on face lifts for the towns make cities look welcoming ,don’t leave towns looking like plug houses .