NC Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund Grants

NC Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
Amount: Up to US $500,000
Last Updated: December 10, 2025

Summary

The NC Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund Grants aim to fund projects that preserve agricultural, horticultural, and forestlands, ensuring the sustainability of family farms. With North Carolina facing significant farmland loss, these grants support efforts such as securing conservation easements and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. This funding is critical for maintaining the agricultural economy and protecting vital resources for future generations.

Overview

Mission To fund projects to encourage the preservation of qualifying agricultural, horticultural, and forestlands to foster the growth, development, and sustainability of family farms. According to the American Farmland Trust, North Carolina is the second-most threatened state for farmland loss in the United States. In an American Farmland Trust study from 2020, it was determined that 732,000 acres of agricultural land in North Carolina was converted from 2001 to 2016. This conversion was the second-most of all the states in the country. In an American Farmland Trust study from 2022, North Carolina was projected to lose the second-most acres of farmland in the United States by the year 2040. Funding Purposes To secure agricultural conservation easements on agricultural, horticultural, and forestlands for active production of food, fiber, and other agricultural products.To support public and public-private enterprise programs that will promote profitable and sustainable agricultural, horticultural, and forestlands through assistance to farmersTo support the preservation of agriculture/military-designated uses through conservation easements.To support county-level agricultural plans that promote farmland preservation and the agricultural economy.

Eligibility

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