Voluntary Agricultural District Program

Board Members
Sam Bellamy
Chip Carroll, Chair
Pearly Vereen
Jody Clemmons, Vice Chair
David Knox
Mamie Caison, ex officio
Kirstie Dixon, ex officio
Mark Blevins, ex officio
Voluntary Agricultural
District Program
What is the Voluntary
Agricultural District
Program?
The Voluntary Agricultural District Program
Encourages the preservation and protection of
farmland from non-farm development. Recognizing the importance of agriculture to the state’s
economic and cultural life, the North Carolina
General Assembly authorized counties to establish
programs encouraging farmland preservation.
This statutory authority is found in Chapter 106,
Article 61, of the NC General Statutes.
The Brunswick County Voluntary Agricultural
District is governed by an Agricultural Board
composed of five members approved by the Board
of County Commissioners. The County Soil &
Water Conservation District Director, the County
Extension Director, and a Brunswick County
Planner II all serve as ex officio members of the
Agricultural Board. The Board is responsible for
approving membership applications.
Why should I be a part of the
Agricultural District?
The Voluntary Agricultural District program
increases awareness of the agricultural community
and its way of life.
•
provides protection from nuisance law suits
•
participants will not be required to connect to
the county water or sewer system or be
assessed charges until the farm is connected to
water and sewer services
What are the
requirements?
To be classified as farmland under this program, the farm must contain a minimum of ten
contiguous acres. Other requirements include:
•
participation in the “Farm Present-UseValue Taxation” program
•
Certification by Cooperative Extension and
Natural Resources Conservation Service
that two-thirds of the land area contains
soils actively used for agricultural,
horticultural, forestry, livestock or wildlife
production or that two-thirds of the soils are
favorable for major crops common to
Brunswick County
•
Participation in a Conservation Agreement
that prohibits non-farm use or development
What is the cost
of the program?
A one-time fee of $50 to join the Voluntary
Agricultural District Program covers two items:
•
partial cost of a sign designating a farm’s
membership
•
the cost of filing a required document with
the Brunswick County Register of Deeds
Additional expenses for participation in the
program are covered by Brunswick County
Government.
What if, after joining the
Voluntary Agricultural
District Program, I decide I
do not want to participate
anymore?
This is a voluntary program. The normal
term for the agreement is ten years; however,
participants can revoke the agreement at any
time by notifying the Agricultural Board in
writing and paying a $30 fee to cover the cost
of filing a required document with the Brunswick County Register of Deeds.
For more information, contact:
Brunswick County Center
North Carolina Cooperative Extension
P. O. Box 109
Bolivia, NC 28422
910-253-2610
Natural Resources
Conservation Service
P. O. Box 26
Bolivia, NC 28422
910-253-2830 ext. 3
Brunswick County Soil and Water
Conservation District
P. O. Box 26
Bolivia, NC 28422
910-253-2830