Wake County Invites Public on Farmland Planning

Jun 12, 2025
By Farms.com

Survey Aims to Guide Future of Farmland Conservation Efforts

Wake County is seeking public input to update its Farmland Protection Plan through a short online survey.

The county has already protected 342 acres and six farms through conservation easements since adopting a preservation ordinance in 2022.

This community-driven update will build on past efforts and develop new tools to preserve farmland. It includes potential strategies like conservation funding, connecting farmers, and protecting working lands. A group of County staff, farmers, and conservation partners is guiding the planning process.

“We’re developing the Farmland Protection Plan to help keep local farms in our community and ensure family farmers have the support they need,” said Wake County Commissioner Vickie Adamson.

The urgency is clear. From 2017 to 2022, Wake County lost 14,685 acres of farmland, as reported by the 2022 Census of Agriculture.

The number of farms declined nearly 4%, and the average farm size dropped to 94 acres. At the same time, land values rose 26%, putting farmland at risk of development.

Financial data supports farmland preservation. A 2024 Cost of Community Services Study showed that farmland costs only 24 cents per tax dollar in services, compared to $1.09 for residential areas. Farms contributed a $5.7 million surplus to offset other costs.

The county’s farmland conservation journey began in 2001 with the Voluntary Agricultural District Program and grew through plans like the 2013 Agriculture Economic Development Plan and 2021 PlanWake.

In 2022, new conservation tools were introduced. Now, with growing challenges, Wake County is asking residents to participate in the farmland survey before the end of July to help shape the next phase of agricultural protection.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.