The Buncombe County Farmland Preservation Program's purpose is to encourage the voluntary preservation of farm and forestland from development, to support economic viability of agriculture, and to help navigate farm succession in Buncombe County. The program is administered by two staff members of the Buncombe Soil and Water Conservation District and includes the development and holding of permanent conservation easements on working farms and forests; the administration of the Voluntary Agricultural Districts (VAD) and Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural Districts (EVAD) programs; and conducting services that support and promote local agricultural viability.
This work is tied to ordinances, plans, and goals set by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners (BOC) - the first of which is the Farmland Preservation Ordinance. This ordinance was the first of its kind to be adopted in the state by the BOC in 1989. The ordinance created the Agricultural Advisory Board as a way for local farmers to represent their community needs by serving on the Board. This Board reviews, makes recommendations, and votes on applications for Voluntary Agricultural Districts, Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural Districts, and conservation easements. In addition to the Agricultural Advisory Board, the Land Conservation Advisory Board oversees conservation easement projects in the County by serving as a link between the County and our non-profit conservation agencies such as land trusts in the region.
In 2020, the County adopted its first Farmland Protection Plan to research the current state of agriculture in Buncombe and make recommendations for enhancing its viability. In 2022, the BOC created a goal to Lastly, our work is also directly tied to the 2025 Strategic Plan goal to “Preserve farmland and environmentally sensitive tracts”.
In an effort to showcase the importance of land conservation in Buncombe County, our staff has put together a story map that you can access here – check it out to learn more!