What is an Agricultural District?
The purpose of the Agricultural District program is to encourage the preservation and protection of farmland from non-farm development. This is in recognition of the importance of agriculture to the economic and social well-being of North Carolina.
What Have We Accomplished?
Since we updated the program in 2016, Fifty-six Stanly County farms have signed on as Voluntary Agricultural Districts. This means that 13,449 acres of farmland have been preserved.
Why have Agricultural Districts?
The State of North Carolina passed the Farmland Preservation Enabling Act in 1985, authorizing counties to establish farmland preservation programs, including agricultural districts.
Stanly County adopted a Voluntary Farmland Preservation Program Ordinance, creating the Agricultural Districts Advisory Board (ADAB) and procedures for establishing Voluntary Agricultural Districts.
The purpose of the ordinance is to promote the preservation of farmland in Stanly County so that development and growth will be accompanied by the protection of farms from non–farm development and other negative impacts on properly managed farms, recognizing the importance of agriculture to the economic and cultural life of the county.
- Review and make recommendations concerning the establishment and modification of agricultural districts.
- Review and make recommendations concerning any ordinance or amendment adopted or proposed for adoption.
- Hold public hearings on public projects likely to have an impact on agricultural operations, particularly if such projects involve condemnation of all or part of any qualifying farm.
- Advise the governing board of the county or city on projects, programs, or issues affecting the agricultural economy or way of life within the county.
- Perform other related tasks or duties assigned by the governing board of the county or city.
