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

A couple of items recently caught my eye and I thought I would share with readers.

The first I wanted to mention was the Department of Environmental Quality’s newly released numbers regarding carbon sequestration from agriculture that was included in the state’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory.

Specifically, the report noted that “forests, natural lands, and agricultural lands sequestered an estimated 34% of the state’s gross greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, a much higher amount than reported previously.” The previous amount was 26%.

Additionally, the net emissions of greenhouse gases have fallen 38% between 2005 and 2020 in North Carolina.

The other recent release is the 2022 Census of Agriculture from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This nationwide Census also includes agricultural information from North Carolina producers. Before you think that is a typo, the Census is conducted every five years and it is intended to provide a snapshot of the state and nation’s agriculture industry.

A few things stood out to me as positive points, but the ongoing loss of farm and forest lands that we continue to see in the numbers, only reinforces the fact that farmland preservation must remain a focus for our state and our ag industry.

Farm and forest land loss and its greater impact on our environment is where the two reports come together to paint a powerful picture of lost potential.

The American Farmland Trust ranks us second in the country in projected land loss by 2040, estimating that development of farm and forest lands will result in the loss of 1.1 to 1.6 million acres.

If we lose over a million of our 8.1 million acres of farm and forestland as is project by 2040, it will significantly change the complexion of our state. And, that change will also reduce the environmental benefits gained from farm and forestland including carbon sequestration, watershed protection and water quality, and erosion control just to name a few.

Seeing what I see in terms of development when I travel around the state, I know we need to really dig in on farmland preservation efforts and investments in agriculture’s future.

The Census numbers showed we have the largest number of farms in Randolph, Chatham, Buncombe, Johnston and Duplin counties. What it doesn’t show is the major development plans and building taking place right now in Randolph, Chatham and Johnston counties.

Some of the well-known projects plan to occupy 1,800 acres in Randolph County, a 2,500-acre site in Chatham County and another 8,500-acre site in Chatham County. And that is just the beginning as additional growth will likely take off around these megasites.

Farmland preservation helps ensure we have the natural resources we’ll need to continue to feed ourselves and others, but it also helps us maintain the green, lush landscapes we are known for. The benefits extend significantly beyond that by filtering and recharging ground water, improving soil health, reducing erosion and sequestering carbon.

These two reports show me we need to be strategic in investing for the future when it comes to farm and forest lands. We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact our state and our farmers are feeding people.