County considering Farmland Preservation Fund

Published 11:03 am Tuesday, August 5, 2025

By Mike Barnhardt
Enterprise Record

Davie County commissioners have never been shy about their advocacy for farmland preservation.
The county established agricultural districts, and have purchased land and are planning for an agriculture center.
And now, they’re considering adding another incentive that could preserve Davie farmland – establishing a Farmland Preservation Fund. A public hearing on the ordinance change for that fund is scheduled for next month.
“We’ve always talked about our heritage, and I think this type of program could help sustain (farmland) for generations to come,” said Brian Barnett, county manager.
The new program would be funded from penalties that are assessed when present use valuation (farm tax credits) properties are taken away from the farm-use exemption, as proposed, not to exceed $100,000 per year.
Landowners could access funds from the program to use to obtain conservation easements or other costs related to keeping the land as farm use for generations. The projects would be overseen by the Davie Soil & Water Conservation District Board and the Davie Agriculture Advisory Board. County commissioners would have final approval.
Travis Morehead, executive director at Three Rivers Land Trust, supports the proposal. North Carolina, he said, North Carolina ranks second among states that lose farmland to development, first in farmland lost to low-density development.
Barnett presented the mission statement while giving a brief description to commissioners last week:
“Establish a program for preserving the county’s agriculture farmland in a manner that directs and accommodates responsible growth and development, while encouraging the preservation of qualified farmland, and to foster growth, development, and sustainability of farmland in Davie County.”
Arnold Weatherman, a Davie farmer and member of the soil and water board, had thanked commissioners earlier in the meeting for their support of farmers. “Our agricultural community is our whole community, all of us,” he said.