“The trust fund was able to fund 18 projects this year,” Troxler said. “The conservation easements, agricultural projects and plans will help to solidify agriculture and agribusiness as North Carolina’s top industry.”
Below is a list of applicants that received grants:
• The Association for the Preservation of the Eno River in Orange County was granted $75,000 to assist with the purchase of a perpetual conservation easement on 75 acres of the Pope Farm.
• The Haywood Soil and Water Conservation District received $317,013 to assist with the purchase of a perpetual conservation easement on 116.4 acres of the Glance Cove Farm.
• The Land Trust for Central North Carolina received $175,000 for the purchase of a perpetual conservation easement on 220 acres of the Williams Farm in Cabarrus County.
• The Catawba Lands Conservancy received $106,700 to assist with the purchase of a perpetual conservation easement on 134.2 acres on the Elmore Farm.
• Duplin County received $81,327 to assist with the purchase of a perpetual conservation easement on 78 acres on the Butts Farm.
• The Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District received $100,000 to assist with the purchase of a perpetual conservation easement on 42.6 acres on the Nesbitt Farm.
• Alamance County received $112,713 to assist with the purchase of a perpetual conservation easement on 75 acres on the Stephens Farm.
• The Lincoln County Soil and Water Conservation District received $405,438 to assist with the purchase of a perpetual conservation easement on 120 acres on the Houser Farm.
The trust fund also awarded grants to the following organizations for projects of regional impact:
• The Lois G. Britt Agribusiness Center at the University of Mount Olive received $98,000 to aid in the development of farmland protection plans in Chowan, Currituck, Lee, Pasquotank, Perquimans and Wilson counties and to study the cost of community services in Lee and Wilson counties. The Lois G. Britt Agribusiness Center also received $81,581 for an economic impact study of agricultural development of value-added soybeans in Alamance, Bladen, Chatham, Cumberland, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Moore, Nash, Orange, Robeson, Sampson, Vance, Wake, Wayne and Wilson counties.
• Davie County received $12,000 to develop a farmland protection plan.
• Johnston County Economic Development Office received $50,000 35,000 for a canola livestock meal, cooking oil and biofuels study for Harnett, Johnston, Sampson, Wayne and Wilson counties.
• The N.C. Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation received $46,500 for a project to improve soil health for cover crops statewide and a $20,000 grant to promote soil health statewide through the Mobile Soils Classroom.
• The Durham Soil and Water Conservation District received $22,000 for the Conservation Equipment Rental Program for Chatham, Durham, Granville, Orange, Person and Wake counties.
• Caldwell County Cooperative Extension received $10,000 for the purchase of farm equipment.
• The Southwestern N.C. Resource Conservation and Development Council received $24,000 for the Western N.C. High Tunnel Education, Production and Marketing Initiative for Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties.
• Mountains Valley Resource Conservation and Development Council received $10,000 to develop a grazing strategy for underutilized land in Buncombe, Cleveland, Henderson, McDowell, Madison, Polk, Rutherford and Transylvania counties.
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