The Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fundrecently awarded more than $1.8 million to help communities across the state protect farmland and promote agricultural enterprises, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced today.

“The trust fund was able to assist 19 projects with funding this year,” Troxler said. “Although there’s a lot more work to be done, I am pleased with the progress counties and conservation groups are making to protect our valuable agricultural resources.”

Below is a list, by county, of applicants that received grants:

Alamance

• Alamance County received a grant of $100,000 toward the purchase of a perpetual conservation easement on 36 acres of Jeff D. Wilkins’ crop and livestock farm.

Anson

• The Land Trust for Central North Carolina was awarded $154,630 toward the purchase of a perpetual conservation easement on 131 acres of farm and forest land owned by John Bishop of Kannapolis. The land is located in Anson County.

Buncombe

• The Southern Appalachian Highland Conservancy received $31,609 to assist with the purchase of a perpetual conservation easement on a 10-acre produce farm owned by Annie Louise Perkinson of Fairview.

Cabarrus

• Cabarrus County Soil and Water Conservation District received $175,000 to assist with the purchase of a 50-year conservation easement on 54 acres of a livestock and poultry farm owned by Thomas E. Porter Jr. of Concord.

Caswell

• Piedmont Conservation Council received $15,000 to assist with the development and adoption of a farmland protection plan for Caswell County.

Catawba

• Catawba County Planning, Parks and Development Department was awarded $15,000 to help with the development and adoption of a county farmland protection plan.

Chatham

• Triangle Land Conservancy received $192,000 toward the purchase of a perpetual conservation easement on 98 acres of a crop and dairy farm owned by Janice Lindley and Patricia Ann Campbell of Snow Camp.

Chowan

• Chowan Soil and Water Conservation District received a grant of $4,000 to help pay for educational meetings and other outreach to landowners on behalf of the county’s Voluntary Agricultural District.

Duplin

• Duplin County Soil and Water Conservation District was awarded $150,000 toward the purchase of a perpetual conservation easement on 172 acres of farm and forest land owned by Francis Parks of Calypso.

Durham

• Durham County received $139,500 toward the purchase of a perpetual conservation easement on a 96-acre dairy and goat farm owned by David Krabbe and Kathryn Spann of Durham.

Haywood

• Southwestern N.C. Resource Conservation and Development Council Inc. received $73,138 toward the purchase of a 30-year conservation easement on 36 acres of a beef cattle farm owned by George L. Smathers of Canton.

Lincoln

• Lincoln County Soil and Water Conservation District was awarded $15,000 to aid the development and adoption of a county farmland protection plan.

Perquimans

• Perquimans County Cooperative Extension received $4,000 to help pay for educational meetings and other outreach to landowners on behalf of the county’s Voluntary Agricultural District.

Richmond

• Richmond County Cooperative Extension was awarded $4,000 to help pay for educational meetings and other outreach to landowners on behalf of the county’s Voluntary Agricultural District.

Swain

• Swain County Soil and Water Conservation District received $15,000 to help with the development and adoption of a county farmland protection plan.

Union

• Catawba Lands Conservancy received $286,446 toward the purchase of a perpetual conservation easement on the 114-acre Howey Family Farms of Monroe.

The trust fund also awarded grants to the following organizations for projects of regional impact:

• Duplin County and Duplin County Cooperative Extension received $86,000 to help purchase livestock handling equipment for the proposed southeastern regional area livestock handling and marketing facility. The facility will serve Brunswick, Duplin, Jones, Pender, Sampson and Wayne counties.
• The N.C. Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation received a grant of $300,000 to assist with creating a 30-year landowner agreement program for the preservation of working farms and forests under the military training route in the following eastern N.C. counties: Beaufort, Bertie, Duplin, Edgecombe, Franklin, Halifax, Harnett, Johnston, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Nash, Onslow, Pamlico, Sampson and Wake.
• North Carolina’s Eastern Region received $45,000 to help with the development and adoption of farmland protection plans for Carteret, Craven and Pamlico counties.

The trust fund’s purpose is to support projects that encourage the preservation of qualifying agricultural, horticultural and forest lands while fostering the growth, development and sustainability of family farms. Grants can be awarded for agricultural agreements that promote the active production of food and fiber on farm and forest lands; public and private enterprise programs that promote profitable and sustainable farm and forest lands; and the purchase of conservation easements on farm and forest lands.