Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Preserving disappearing farmland



Time is short to preserve farmland in North Carolina. Open land is disappearing quickly and by the 2025 time frame driving through the scenic countryside will be a thing of the past unless something is done soon to save farms from the onslaught of developers greedy to turn fields into homes and shops.

The Perry family has taken a small step to preserve 50 acres of their farm and he is trying to get other area farmers to do the same. This is a small step that could help save at least a small portion of open land that farmers and land owners could easily take.
News and Observer
July 24, 2007
Peggy Lin, Staff Writer

Time short for farmland preservation
Development puts a premium on land in Wake, other urban counties

Larry Perry and his brother never want to see subdivisions on farmland that has been in their family since before the Civil War.

Last year, they gave up the right to put houses on 50 acres of their farm in exchange for $475,000 from Wake County and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Perry tries to persuade other farmers to do something similar. He gives talks in Wake and Johnston counties and welcomes visitors to his farm near Zebulon.

"People say I wish we would have done this or that," Perry said. "But it's too late after it's got asphalt on it."

As farming has ebbed following the 2004 tobacco buyout, conservationists hope to catch the wave of aging or retiring farmers looking for other uses for their land. It's a race against developers who are swooping into previously rural areas, such as eastern Wake County. Read more...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

My family and I are going through the land trust to save our family farm which has been in our family for over 200 yrs. I really feel panicked by what I see as greed spreading throughout the country and people selling out their culture and heritage to developers or even worst...being forced to sell due to the increase in taxes due to multi-million dollar homes going up next to their farms. The government MUST step in and take the role of other countries. Ireland does not allow land to be "flipped" for 10-15 years, I understand. Also, other countries prohibit the sell of farm land.
This is an issue that needs immediate attention before it is too late.