According to the American Farmland Trust, the United States is losing 40 acres of farm and ranch land every hour to new development.

Since 1982, America has converted 24 million acres of agricultural land to developed uses. That is roughly the size of Indiana and Rhode Island combined.

Farmland loss is particularly significant in North Carolina. Four counties in our state are ranked in the top 50 for farmland loss, with Iredell County ranked 38th in the nation for likely farmland conversion. In fact, 5.5 acres of farmland have been lost or compromised in North Carolina every hour for the past 15 years.

This rapid loss of farmland highlights the significance of much-needed farmland conservation work in our state. Protecting our viable agricultural land from development so farmers can provide for our community’s needs into the future is critical. With this in mind, Three Rivers Land Trust has announced it has received a grant from SC Johnson to support local farmland conservation efforts in the Piedmont and Sandhills of North Carolina.
The $25,000 grant from SC Johnson will be used to continue TRLT’s work with interested farmers in their 15-county footprint to permanently protect their farms through conservation easements.

“With more than 60 farmland protection projects in progress currently, TRLT is actively seeking to conserve over 9,600 acres of farmland in the coming years, relying on federal and state grants and private foundations,” Executive Director Travis Morehead said. “Without the support of TRLT members and funding from organizations like SC Johnson, we would not be able to do this critical farmland preservation work in our region.”

“Protecting farmland protects many other natural resources as well, including wildlife habitat and biodiversity,” Associate Director Crystal Cockman said. “Preserved farm properties are managed by private landowners using sound soil and water conservation practices that protect the soil from erosion and local surface waters from contamination.

“TRLT is honored to be recognized by SC Johnson, and we are excited about what’s on our horizon due to their support.”

To learn more about how to protect your own property, contact Emily Callicutt, TRLT Land Protection Specialist, at 704-647-0302 or emily@trlt.org.