Preserving North Carolina’s Number 1 Industry

To Fund Projects To Encourage The Preservation Of Qualifying

Agricultural, Horticultural, And Forestlands To Foster The Growth, Development, and Sustainability of

Family Farms….

North Carolina agriculture is an over $66 billion business annually. The NC ADFP Trust Fund plans to sustain the agricultural economy by preserving the lands that produced these products for the economy. The success of the program will maintain farm family income and retain agriculture-related jobs as well as increase public awareness about the importance of farm families to North Carolina’s economy.

Preserving North Carolina’s Number 1 Industry.

County-wide Economic Benefit

An American Farmland Trust survey showed that for every dollar in taxes received from working lands only 34 cents in services is paid by the government. However, services paid to residential development are an average of $1.15 per dollar of taxes received. Therefore, it is a net gain of revenue for the tax base and thus an economic benefit for any county to preserve working lands.

Quality of LifeWhen farms are kept in

agriculture it maintains the quality of life that each North Carolinian enjoys everyday. Rural working landscapes are an integral part of our heritage that must be preserved for future generations. If we do not save our agricultural areas we will destroy the rustic landscape that attracts and retains people and industry to North Carolina.

Ability to buy locally grown products.

Maintaining the agriculture industry in North Carolina allows consumers to purchase and consume products from local agricultural producers.

North Carolina Farmland Preservation Program

• Established in 1986 by the North Carolina General Assembly

• NCGS 106-735 to 744• First Appropriation was in 1998• $250,000• Twelve Years after establishment of

Trust Fund

Farmland Preservation Funding

0200,000400,000600,000800,000

1,000,0001,200,0001,400,0001,600,000

1998

-199

9

1999

-200

0

2000

-200

1

2001

-200

2

2002

-200

3

2003

-200

4

2004

-200

5

2005

-200

6

State Funding

1998 -2003 NC Farmland Preservation Summary

• 33 Farms• 4,700 acres• Average Cost ~ $540 per acre• Total Grants Awarded - $2,384,500• Leveraged Value - over $26 million• Grant ration of $1.00 of State Funds per

$10.00 of local, federal or donate value

What is the North Carolina Agricultural Development & Farmland Preservation Trust Fund?

In September 2005, the General Assembly passed House Bill 607 establishing the NC ADFP Trust Fund. The legislation also established a 19-member Trust Fund Advisory Committee to advise the Commissioner of Agriculture on the prioritization and allocation of funds, the development of criteria for awarding funds, program planing, and other areas of the growth and development relating to farming in North Carolina.

NC ADFP Trust Fund Advisor Committee

• Ag Commissioner Steve Troxler- Chairman

• Bruce Andrews - NC Dept. of Commerce• Andrew Branan - NC Farm Transition

Network• Gerry Cohn - American Farmland Trust• Jimmy Gentry - NC State Grange• Billy Guillet - NC Rural Economic

Development Center• Bill Holbrook - Farmer• Jane Iseley - Farmer• Dr. Ed Jones - NC Cooperative Extension

Service• Paul Meyer - NC Assoc. of County

Commissioners

• Edgar Miller - Conservation Trust for NC

• Erica Peterson - NC Agribusiness Council

• Ned Hudson - NC Assoc of Soil & Water Conservation Districts

• Gilistine Richardson - Black Farmers & Agriculturalists Assoc.

• Robert Slocum Jr. - NC Forestry Assoc.• Jackie Thompson - Farmer• Dr. Alton Thompson - NC A&T State

University• Manly Wilder - NC Division of Soil &

Water Conservation• Steve Woodson - NC Farm Bureau

What tools are there out there to preserve North Carolina farms?

2007 - 2008 Appropriations

$8 Million

To fund public and private enterprise programs that will promote profitable and sustainable farms. To fund farmland

conservation agreements.

To support the purchase of agricultural conservation easements.

Conservation Easements

A written agreement between a landowner and a qualified conservation organization or public agency (Grantee) in which the landowner promises to keep the land for agricultural purposes and the Grantee is granted the right to enforce the covenants of the agreement and to monitor the property.

Agricultural Agreements

A written agreement between a landowner and a qualified conservation organization or public agency (Grantee) in which the landowner agrees to bring into or maintain farmland in active production of food, fiber, and other agricultural products for a specified period of time. This is also known as a “term agricultural easement.”

Programs that Promote Sustainable Agriculture

Public and private enterprise programs that promote profitable and sustainable family farms through assistance to farmers in developing and implementing plans for the production of food, fiber, and value-added products, agritourism activities, marketing and sales of agricultural products produced on the farm, and other agriculturally related business activities.

Who is eligible to submit a proposal?

North Carolina counties

Non-profit conservation groups

NC ADFP Trust Fund Grants

Agricultural Development Projects

Conservation Agreements (Term Easements)

Conservation Easements (Perpetual Easements)

Who can apply? (Farmers can partner with these groups

to submit an application.)

Nonprofit Conservation Organization

County Agency – ex. Soil & Water Conservation District,

Cooperative Extension

Matching Fund Requirements

Matching Fund Requirements

Approved Countywide Farmland Protection

Plan?

Match 30 percent of the Trust Fund monies.

Yes. No.

Match 30 percent of the Trust Fund monies.

Enterprise Tier Two or Three County

Enterprise Tier One County

Match 15 percent of the Trust Fund monies. Match not required.

Match Requirements

• Non-Profits 30% Match required• Tier Two and Three Counties

– with a Farmland Protection Plan- 15%– without a Farmland Protection Plan- 30%

• Tier One Counties– with a Farmland Protection Plan- 0%– without a Farmland Protection Plan- 30%

2007 - 08 Grant Timeline• October 2, 2007 - Grant Application

Announcement• November 2007 - Regional Workshops• December 14, 2007 - Application Deadline• May 30, 2008 - Preliminary Selection Report

to Commissioner• Mid June 2008 - Announcement of Selected

Projects for Funding

ADFP Trust Fund Fall 2007 Workshops

Location Dates Time Venue

Lake Junaluska – Haywood County October 31 9:30-3 Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center

N. Wilkesboro – Wilkes County November 1 9-12 Edwin McGee Center

Columbus – Polk County November 2 9-12 Polk County Convention Center

Fayetteville - Cumberland County November 6 9-12 Cumberland County Cooperative Extension Office

Mt. Olive – Wayne County November 7 9-2 Mt. Olive College

Concord- Cabarrus County November 19 9:30-3 Cabarrus Arena & Event Center

Burlington - Alamance County November 20 9-12 Alamance County Cooperative Extension Office

Weldon - Halifax County November 29 9:30-3 Halifax Community College

Elizabeth City – Paquotank County November 30 9-12 Pasquotank County Cooperative Extension Center

Current Activities

• Rule Making – Comment Period Ended October 15– Adopted by Commissioner of Agriculture– Effective Date (December 1, 2007)

• Open for Grant Applications• Public Relations & Education• Staffing & Resource Development

ADFP Trust Fund Contact Information

• 2 West Edenton Street, Raleigh, NC 27601

• 1001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1001

• Phone: (919) 733-7125• ncadfp@ncmail.net• www.ncadfp.org