North Carolina Agriculture Projects Receive $7.6 million in Grants

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) has just announced grants of 7.6 million dollars from the Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust fund. 

These 41 awards to local governments and non-profit organizations will be used to
protect farmland and promote agricultural enterprises that lead to the long-term viability of local farms. 

Funded projects include 3 term conservation agreements from 25-50 years, 16 permanent easements protecting 2703 acres, and 22 agricultural development projects ranging from local farmland protection plans to grain bin cost share for low-income farmers to a regional shared-use value-added center. Additionally the North Carolina General Assembly has just allocated $4 million to the ADFPTF for 2008.

For more information, contact Maximilian Merrill of the NCDA&CS or Gerry Cohn of American Farmland Trust.

Hickory Nut Gap Farm to be protected through a partnership of the ADFPTF, Buncombe County, and the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy.

gates County rallies Against the OLF!

Gates County is 150 miles east of Raleigh, but 75 local citizens made the trek on March 13th to hold a rally in front of the governor’s office to urge the Navy not to build an Outlying Landing Field (OLF) in their community. The OLF, previously proposed for Washington County, would allow Super Hornet jets to practice touch down and take off landings, bringing noise and restrictions on farming activities, but without the economic development opportunities that come with full military bases.

AFT’s Southeast States Director Gerry Cohn spoke at the rally, outlining the burden that would be placed on the local farm sector with the loss of land and restrictions on grain crops that attract migratory birds that might interfere with plane traffic. In particular, Cohn listed the 15 local businesses supported by Miller Farms, a 200-year-old family farming operation that leases land from 22 families, all of whom would be negatively impacted by the proposed OLF site. Support the citizens of Gates County against the OLF!

A new farm bill, what’s in it for North Carolina ?

After years of work, we have a new 2008 Farm Bill. What does it mean for you and your community? From the foods we eat, to protecting farms from development, to helping keep our drinking water clean—the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 has many programs that affect all of us everyday.

• What’s in the new farm bill and why is it important?
• Find out what’s next for the farm bill and how we can make sure the promises made in the legislation are turned into programs on the ground.
• Get an in-depth look at North Carolina's agricultural profile from a state and district level including production and payment information.

North Carolina Gets $8 Million for Farmland Preservation

Twenty-one years after the adoption of North Carolina’s farmland preservation legislation, farmers and conservationists will see 2007 as the year the issue has finally broken through in the public awareness. The General Assembly’s FY08 budget, signed by Governor Mike Easley at the end of July, included an allocation of 8 million dollars to the North Carolina Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund (ADFPTF).

Funding Underway for North Carolina Farmland Preservation

With only two months between the announcement of North Carolina’s first major cycle for farmland preservation funding and the due date for applications, 53 local government entities and non-profit conservation organizations generated proposals to the NC Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund (ADFPTF). More

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Counties Planting the Seeds for Agricultural Viability

Even in tight budgetary times, county governments across North Carolina are seeing the value of supporting their local agricultural sectors.  As counties wrap up their budget process for the fiscal year, there is a developing trend of governments providing seed funding for the preservation and viability of their local agricultural sectors. Read more

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a guide for farmers and local governments

Intended as a working document for farmers, planners and county commissioners, our Planning for an Agricultural Future: A Guide for North Carolina Farmers and Local Governments mixes a discussion of existing planning tools with specific examples from North Carolina communities that have developed innovative ways to support the agricultural sector.

local projects

North Carolina’s Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund (ADFP Trust Fund) is promoting local farmland protection activities. Under the auspices of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the ADFP Trust Fund has awarded a round of pilot project cost-share grants; conducted a series of educational workshops; and expanded outreach activities to promote farmland preservation awareness among the general public.

In the picturesque North Carolina mountains, farm families face a range of pressures. Residential development from vacationers and retirees has rapidly driven up land prices and positioned new neighbors next to traditional farms. The end of the federal tobacco program has created economic uncertainty for many small farmers who relied upon burley tobacco production as the backbone of their agricultural operations. Through the Farm Prosperity Project, AFT is collaborating with a diverse team to document how effectively new high value crops and farmland preservation techniques can enhance small farm prosperity.

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Contact Us
Southeast Office
Gerry Cohn, Southeast Director
P.O. Box 584
Hillsborough, NC  27278
(p) 919-732-7885 (f) 919-732-7859
gcohn@farmland.org