0263-GCG-FoothillsConservancy ESG23 12-13 - Flipbook - Page 26
Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina
Farmland
Preservation in
the Foothills
By Michael Gaffney, GIS and Conservation
Specialist
Due to intense population growth and poor land
use strategies, North Carolina’s farm lands are
being converted rapidly into urban development
and suburban sprawl. According to the American
Farmland Trust’s “Farms Under Threat 2040” report,
North Carolina stands to lose nearly 1.2 million acres
of farmland by 2040 under the business-as-usual
scenario. This is the second highest amount of
agricultural land lost by a state in the entire country.
At Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, we believe
it is vitally important to preserve our region’s farmland
for both economic and environmental reasons.
We work with land owners to conserve signi昀椀cant
farmland so our state can continue to produce food
and 昀椀ber, and to show that farmland preservation
is important to our citizens near and far, and goes
beyond just the interests of those personally working
the land .
Projects like the 291-acre Beam Farm in Rutherford
FCNC is currently working with Lee’s One Fortune
Farm (pictured above), among other local agriculture
leaders to develop a community agriculture program
for Oak Hill Community Park Forest. The program will
boost the amount and availability of healthy produce
in our region, educate local communities about
the importance of local food and farms, and uplift
new and beginning farmers by providing access to
farmland to hone their craft and grow their markets.
24
County provide signi昀椀cant habitat for native species,
protect drinking water and, contain fertile farmland
soils that sustain a variety of crops and secure our
food supply, as well as preserve the local agricultural
economy in Rutherford County.