Join Farm Bureau in Raleigh for farmland preservation
Advocates are calling for increased funding to protect working farms and forests.
File photo
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, under the leadership of longtime Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, will host a Farmland Preservation Advocacy Day on Wednesday, May 13, at the General Assembly in Raleigh.
The event aims to rally support for increased funding to protect North Carolina’s working farms and forests.
The Haywood County Farm Bureau is organizing a trip to ensure local voices are heard. A charter bus will depart from the Haywood County Farm Bureau office, located at 1520 Asheville Road in Waynesville, at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, and return the evening of May 13. Hotel accommodations have been secured for attendees.
This advocacy effort comes at a critical time. During the most recent funding cycle, farmland preservation requests across the state totaled $59 million, yet only $3.1 million was available, leaving many farms unprotected despite strong local support.
Event organizers will encourage legislators to increase recurring funding to $25 million, provide additional support for federal partnership projects, expand conservation programs and enhance tax credits that help preserve agricultural land.
Haywood County Farm Bureau is covering the cost of transportation, lodging and meals for Haywood County attendees, with Farm Bureau members receiving priority. Residents from other Western North Carolina counties are also welcome to join if space allows, with estimated costs of $75 for a bus seat and $101 per hotel room. Shared rooms can reduce expenses.
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Participants from other counties will need to schedule their own meetings with legislators in advance. Haywood County attendees will have assistance with scheduling.
Community members, farmers and advocates are encouraged to take part in this important opportunity to support the future of agriculture in North Carolina.
Those interested in attending should contact Mandy Stasi, county liaison for Haywood County Farm Bureau, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.452.1426. While the NCDA&CS requests RSVPs by April 30 — especially for those wishing to speak — Haywood County will continue accepting participants until the bus is full.
