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Henderson County wins $424,571 state grant to expand farmland preservation
Summary
Henderson County received a $424,571 Agricultural Growth Zone (AGZ) grant and matched it with $396,974 to support conservation easements, farmland protection and resilience after Hurricane Helene, county staff told the LGCCA on April 21, 2026.
Angela Price, coordinator for Henderson County’s Farmland Preservation program, told the Local Government Committee for Cooperative Action on April 21 that the county was awarded a $424,571 Agricultural Growth Zone grant from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and matched the award with $396,974 from county funds, totaling approximately $821,545.
The grant will support conservation easements and other tools to preserve agricultural land, Price said, a priority after the county saw farmland losses related to Hurricane Helene. The program is administered by a Farmland Preservation Taskforce the county established in April 2024 to protect farming operations, retain rural character and support local food production while managing development pressure and rising land values.
Price described how conservation easements allow landowners to retain ownership and continue farming while restricting non‑agricultural development. She said the funding aims to help farmers remain profitable and reduce the pace of conversion to nonfarm uses. Vice Chair J. Michael Edney noted the county’s role in matching the grant and advancing the taskforce’s work.
Next steps include deploying the AGZ funds under the program’s eligibility rules and working with landowners and local conservation partners to identify priority properties. The county did not provide a specific timeline for parcel selection or the number of acres the funding will cover; those details are to be developed by staff and the taskforce.
