Farmland Protection | Food Systems

This functional plan provides recommendations to help protect prime farmland and support the agricultural sector in Buncombe County, recognizing that while the county has successfully preserved farmland over the years, it has experienced a decline in farm economic activity. Some of the recommendations in this plan include:

• Continuing to support farmland protection through existing policies;
• Increasing county funding to support transaction costs for the purchase of conservation easements; 
• Increasing outreach and education initiatives to connect farmers with preservation tools and resources; and 
• Continuing to promote best practices for the conservation of land and natural resources.