Source: NCDA&CS, 7/13/18

The N.C. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund recently awarded more than $4.6 million to help communities across the state protect farmland and promote agricultural enterprises. Conservation easements were obtained on 2,590 acres of land across the state through the grants.

“This is an important day for farm families in North Carolina,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “These easements ensure that these working farms remain in production for many years to come and help to keep agriculture as our state’s top industry.”

The following is a list of awarded projects:
• Alamance County received $181,935 to preserve 88 acres of a dairy farm and $164,805 for a conservation easement on 75 acres of cropland.
• Beaufort Soil and Water Conservation District received $147,855 to help purchase a perpetual conservation easement on 159 acres of cropland.
• Buncombe Soil and Water Conservation District received $198,650 to help purchase a perpetual conservation easement on an 85-acre farm and $268,950 to preserve 135 acres of farm and forestland.
• Cabarrus Soil and Water Conservation District received $116,516 to preserve 59 acres of cropland.
• Conserving Carolina received $327,250 to help purchase a perpetual conservation easement on 75 acres of a farm in Henderson County.
• Duplin Soil and Water Conservation District received $47,474 to help purchase a 20-year term conservation easement on 246 acres of cropland.
• Eno River Association received $39,655 to help purchase a perpetual conservation easement on a 37-acre farm in Orange County and $84,460 to preserve 56 acres of farm and forestland in Orange County.
• Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina received $273,125 to purchase a perpetual conservation easement on a 194-acre farm in Burke County.
• Haywood Soil and Water Conservation District received $269,979 for a conservation easement on a 34-acre farm and $202,220 to preserve 49 acres of a beef cattle farm.
• The LandTrust for Central North Carolina received $135,425 to preserve a 135-acre farm in Randolph County.
• Mainspring Conservation Trust received $635,727 to help purchase a perpetual conservation easement on 192 acres of cropland in Cherokee County and $114,025 to preserve a 31-acre farm in Cherokee County.
• Mitchell Soil and Water Conservation District received $80,437 to help purchase a perpetual conservation easement on a 108-acre farm.
• The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will use $27,554 for transaction costs on a donated perpetual conservation easement of 15 acres in Jackson County.
• Orange County received $64,000 for a perpetual conservation easement on a 68-acre farm.
• Piedmont Land Conservancy received $180,285 to help purchase a perpetual conservation easement on 110 acres of a dairy farm in Randolph County and $468,255 to preserve a 154-acre farm in Rockingham County.
• Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy received $190,000 for a perpetual conservation easement on 125 acres of a beef cattle farm in Mitchell County and $61,250 to preserve an 89-acre farm in Mitchell County.
• The Southwestern N.C. Resource Conservation and Development Council received $128,484 for a perpetual conservation easement on 20-acre farm in Haywood County.
• Swain Soil and Water Conservation District received $65,800 for a project to expand facilities for Swain County High School’s FFA animal husbandry program.
• Triangle Land Conservancy received $62,045 to preserve a 34-acre farm in Chatham County.
• The Working Lands Trust received $20,758 to help purchase a perpetual conservation easement on 108 acres of forestland in Halifax County and $87,819 to preserve a 106-acre farm in Caswell County.

The N.C. Beehive Grant Fund awarded $25,000 for 17 grants. These grants are for certified beekeepers for beehives and materials to create beehives with a maximum grant of $2,400. The N.C. Beehive Grant Fund received over 340 eligible applications, totaling over $500,000 in grant requests.

The following is a list of awarded beehive grants:
• Gary Shoemake of Brunswick County
• Phillip Barfield of Caswell County
• Paul Coy Jr. of Craven County
• Kenneth Randall of Dare County
• Ryan Chamberlain of Durham County
• Leigh Arnold of Forsyth County
• Paul McMahan of Gaston County
• Tammy Blake of Hyde County
• Jim Rosensteel of Lee County
• Russell Schmidt of McDowell County
• Michael Munley of Mecklenburg County
• Michelle Mejia of Mitchell County
• Barry Harris of New Hanover County
• Richard Thomas of Perquimans County
• Gladys Hutson of Union County
• Tom Wells of Wake County
• Kurt Ullberg of Wilson County