WAYNE COUNTY, N.C. — Wayne County will receive $40,000 in state grant funding for two local agricultural initiatives as part of a historic investment aimed at protecting North Carolina farmland and strengthening the state’s agricultural economy.
The N.C. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund awarded a total of $51.2 million in grants for farms and agricultural projects across the state, including two awards administered locally through Wayne Cooperative Extension.
Wayne Cooperative Extension was awarded $32,000 for the Farm Credit Farmers Market, an agricultural development project serving the local community.
An additional $8,000 was awarded for the Wayne VAD/EVAD Signs & Update project. The funding will support Wayne County’s Voluntary Agricultural District and Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District programs, which are designed to recognize and support farmland preservation efforts.
Combined, the two projects bring $40,000 in Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund grants to Wayne County.
Wayne was one of more than 40 counties across North Carolina included in the latest round of awards.
“I want to sincerely thank the General Assembly for its historic investment in farmland preservation and for recognizing the importance of protecting the land that sustains us,” N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said. “This support will make a significant, lasting difference for farm families and rural communities across North Carolina.”
The General Assembly’s 2026-27 budget included $46.9 million in nonrecurring funding and another $2 million in recurring funding for the Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, representing the largest single-year investment in the program’s history.
The fund supports agricultural conservation easements as well as agricultural development projects, agricultural plans and Agricultural Growth Zones.
Agricultural conservation easements provide landowners with a voluntary way to protect working farms and forests. State agriculture officials say preserving those properties helps maintain the land needed for agricultural production while supporting rural communities and businesses that depend on farming.
“We are thankful for this historic support, but demand for farmland preservation remains high,” Troxler said. “We will continue working with the General Assembly and our partners to keep farmland preservation a priority.”
Farmers and landowners interested in participating in the state program must work with a qualified nonprofit conservation organization or county government as part of an Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund grant proposal.
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