by North Carolina’s Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler from his February column “From the Tractor” for the department’s monthly newsletter the Agricultural Review:

This year has gotten off to a fast start with the department working on a lot of issues. I cannot say that is unusual though because I believe agriculture is at a pivotal junction right now, where we need to be sure we are looking ahead and investing for tomorrow.

If you have read my column for very long, you know farmland preservation is a topic that comes up often. In fact, some folks are likely tired of me mentioning it, but it is an issue that we absolutely have to stay focused on if we are going to ensure we have viable farmland for the future.

Our state is experiencing rapid growth, with a number of large manufacturing projects underway that are fueling more planned development around their sites. Farmland is being bought up with future development in mind and that is the reason it is imperative that we continue to work with farmers interested in conserving their farmland. We have to focus on farmland now because developers are absolutely focusing on farmland now.

For example, I read an interesting article in the News & Observer recently that talked about development taking place near Pittsboro in light of the development of the 2,500-acre VinFast electric vehicle and battery site being built in Chatham County.

The article mentioned that Pittsboro’s population had jumped over 25 percent from 2010 to 2020, up from 800 people to over 4,500. Additionally, it noted that plans are in the works for the 8,500-acre Chatham Park planned community about three miles east of Pittsboro.

What stood out to me is that the park is expected to draw 60,000 people to the area by 2045 and have 22,000 homes. It is also projected to have 22 million square feet of business and commercial space. We are working hard on farmland preservation and in 2023 we have recorded 34,000 acres in permanent conservation easements since 2006. Comparing what we have been able to preserve in 17 years to this one large project shows the magnitude of the challenge we face.

These two developments associated with this plant alone represents roughly a third of what has been conserved, and the developers of Chatham Park have envisioned its growth through 2045 – 21 years from now. We have secured $106.3 million since 2008 for farmland preservation projects. This year’s application requests are $55.2 million for 132 applications. The previous record for requests were nearly $30 million. The interest is there, but we need to invest in agriculture like we invest in attracting new industry. Let’s not forget that agriculture and agribusiness feed us.

Water issues, including the availability of water and flooding following tropical storms and hurricanes, are other areas that I expect we will be talking about with much more regularity.

As you can read about in this issue, our Soil and Water Conservation Division is working with local soil and water conservation districts and towns and communities to mitigate flooding through its Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance Program.

We have been able to secure $38 million in funding from the General Assembly for the Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance Program previously, with another $20 million earmarked for 2024. Applications are being accepted now through Feb. 23 for this year’s program.

This is a good start, but the need outpaces the available resources. Previous requests for project funding were over $311 million. We are going to continue to lobby for funds to continue this vital work across the state. This is the kind of investment that produces much more in benefits as these proactive measures help move water more quickly and more efficiently following storms.

So far, debris removal has been completed on over 435.6 miles of stream. I hope you will read the article about the StRAP program.

We will continue to work on these major issues, plus others, as we focus on finding out how to balance being one of the most desired spots in the country to live, work and vacation with protecting the resources that make our state attractive in the first place.