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Ag department grants will help preserve rapidly vanishing farmland and forests in North Carolina

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published September 18, 2024 at 6:34 AM EDT
The view of Waterford from the Phillips Farm. This area is targeted for development by Historic Fields, LLC.
Raphael Schweber-Koren, npr.org
File: The view of Waterford from the Phillips Farm. This area is targeted for development by Historic Fields, LLC.

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture has awarded $8.8 million in grants for a program to help preserve rapidly vanishing farmland and forests in the state.

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said as development pressure continues to build, the preservation grant funding is an opportunity to help farmers who wish to stay on their land.

A study by the American Farmland Trust found that North Carolina had the second-highest amount of threatened farmland in America.
Annette Weston
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston