Removing development rights can help make land more affordable for new farmers because they will no longer have to compete with developers, Ranells said. He said agricultural conservation easements also prevent land from being broken down into smaller lots.
“That fragmentation of land, once it’s done, essentially, will never be reverted to contiguous farmland acreage,” Ranells said. He added that these smaller lots are more difficult to operate as profitable farms.
North Carolina Growers Association Deputy Director Lee Wicker said farmers are struggling to make enough money for retirement and are often left with no choice but to sell their land for development.
Developers are interested in farmland because it has already been cleared, often making it more affordable.
“It’s the cheapest possible way to stand something up — and the quickest,” Wicker said.
Ranells said the local food system is especially important during crises that interrupt the national and industrial food systems, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The less land devoted to farming, Rannells said, the more vulnerable people are during these crises.
Davis said the agricultural land development results in excessive water runoff, thus increasing flooding in North Carolina.
When land is developed, impermeable surfaces such as rooftops and roads prevent rainwater from infiltrating the soil, creating stormwater runoff, Davis said.
Davis said that to avoid additional flooding concerns, the agricultural easements have impervious surface limits, which restrict how much of an area can be taken up by surfaces that cannot be penetrated by rainwater.
Wicker said while he supports efforts to preserve farms, he thinks the state needs to do more to support farmers themselves.
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