(The Center Square) — North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler has repeatedly warned that the state could lose more than 1 million acres of farmland to development by 2040.
It’s a top concern for the state’s largest industry, with the agriculture department working to resist the trend through its Ag Development and Farm Preservation Trust Fund.
To date, the fund has helped preserve more than 30,000 acres, and a new program at the Department of Agriculture aims to honor those “that have taken the ultimate step in protecting precious working lands that are vital to the future of agriculture in North Carolina.”
The recently announced NC Forever Farms program highlights how the state’s farmers can permanently protect their property from conversion with agricultural conservation easements through the department’s Farmland Preservation Division.
“A special thank you goes to the farmers, foresters, and landowners that have committed to keeping their land as a natural resource that will benefit future North Carolinians,” Troxler said.
The Agriculture Department is requesting $15 million in recurring funds in the next biennium budget to expand the trust fund in the coming years.
A July 2022 report from the American Farmland Trust found North Carolina ranks second in the nation in potential farmland loss by 2040, behind only Texas. The report projected 1.1 million acres of farmland would be converted from agricultural use based on current development numbers, but could increase to 1.6 million acres if development accelerates.
Currently, North Carolina is home to about 8.3 million acres of farmland, according to the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
Earlier this month, Troxler announced the economic impact of agriculture in North Carolina hit a record $103.2 billion this year, based on new figures from N.C. State University economist Mike Walden.
That figure represents the economic value of growing, processing and delivering food, natural fiber and forestry products, calculated using the latest statistics from the USDA. Last year, the economic impact was pegged at $92.9 billion.
Troxler noted the industry employs one-fifth of its workforce.
In addition to the NC Forever Farms, the commissioner also recently unveiled a new NC Friends of Farmland Award to be presented annually to “an individual or group that delivers exemplary service in the preservation of working lands in North Carolina and provides extraordinary efforts to foster growth, development, and sustainability of North Carolina family farms.”
The inaugural award was presented to Johnston County native Dewitt Hardee on May 19. Hardee served as the Agriculture Department’s Farmland Preservation Director from 2006 until his retirement in 2021, when he coordinated the preservation of nearly 30,000 acres.
Hardee now supervises the Johnston County Soil and Water Conservation District as he works to list his own farm as a NC Forever Farm.
“Please join me in congratulating Dewitt Hardee as the inaugural recipient of the North Carolina Friends of Farmland Award,” Troxler said. “Farmland preservation in North Carolina requires the partnership and cooperation of many farmers, landowners, government entities, and nonprofit organizations, and there is still much work to be done.”
