RALEIGH, NC — On May 13, 2026, a delegation of Chatham County residents, elected representatives, and staff attended the statewide "Farmland Preservation Advocacy Day" in Raleigh to advocate the NC General Assembly for farmland preservation funding support. They joined more than 150 farmland preservation advocates from around the state to request a recurring allocation of $25 million for farmland preservation through the NC Agricultural Development and Preservation Trust Fund, a program of the NC Department of Agriculture.

"Farmland preservation in Chatham County needs support from the General Assembly and the state of North Carolina," said Andrew Waters, Chatham County's farmland preservation coordinator. "Our farmland preservation program in Chatham County was established to work hand-in-hand with the state of North Carolina, but over the last several years state farmland preservation funding has been cut while the statewide demand has risen." For example, Waters explains, in the most recent grant cycle, statewide requests for farmland preservation funding totaled $59 million, yet only $3.1 million in new funding was available for awards.

The Chatham County delegation included Amanda Robertson, chair of the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, Dave Eskelund, chair of the Chatham County Agriculture Advisory Board, and Lynn Mann, chair of the Chatham County Soil & Water Conservation District Board. County staff included Waters, Soil & Water Conservation District Director Susannah Goldston, and Intergovernmental Relations Manager Lindsay Ray. The delegation met with staff from the office of Rep. Robert Reives, attended a farmland preservation presentation by NC Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler, and connected with other farmland preservation advocates from across the state.

For more information about Chatham County Farmland Preservation, individuals may contact Waters at andrew.waters@chathamcountync.gov or (919) 545-8447.