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Farmland Protection Advisory Board presents annual report, highlights $250,000 grants program and strategy update
Summary
The Farmland Protection Advisory Board told county commissioners about grant funding, outreach and a formal strategy-plan update. Board members said Durham is the first county in the state certified for an NRCS agricultural easement program and described a $250,000 annual grant program with awards up to $10,000.
Nicole Connolly, chair of Durham County's Farmland Protection Advisory Board, presented the board's annual report and outlined program highlights and priorities.
Connolly described three cornerstones of the board’s work: endorsing conservation easements in partnership with county Open Space; running the Voluntary Agricultural District program, which offers public signage and land-use notice for participating farms; and administering an annual agricultural grants program. "This is an annual granting program where we have $250,000 that we are able to provide to farmers in our community," Connolly said, adding that grants typically fund projects up to $10,000.
Board members and staff emphasized outreach and partnerships. Celeste Burns, Open Space and Real Estate division manager, noted the county’s certification with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service for its Agricultural Land Easement program and said the status could streamline certain approvals. At the meeting Burns said, "we are the 1st in North Carolina to be certified," a point commissioners praised.
Connolly said the board is revising a 2009 strategy plan with the Foothills Regional Commission to reflect recent county planning work and the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), and that the update has included surveys, interviews and community sessions conducted since late 2024. The board asked commissioners to continue supporting visibility for farmland programs and to help expand market access for farmers.
Commissioners thanked the board and asked follow-ups on school partnerships, the Veil Trail, and options for recognizing landowners who place easements on their property. The Farmland Board committed to continue outreach and to return with a refined strategy plan later in the year.
