Voluntary Agricultural District Program

Your Agricultural Land is a Valuable Asset to the Citizens of Randolph County

Citizens of Randolph County derive many benefits from your farmland: clean water and air, plant and animal habitat, fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy products, horticultural products, and scenic rural vistas. Now you can enroll in a program that demonstrates your pride and commitment to agriculture, and celebrates your contribution to the exceptional quality of life in Randolph County.

Purpose

To promote agricultural and environmental values and the general welfare of the county by increasing identity and pride in the agricultural community and its way of life; encourage the economic health of agriculture; and to increase protection from non-farm development and other negative impacts on properly managed farms.

Public Benefits

• Preserves open space in the county.
• Provides economic diversity in the county.
• Increases opportunities to produce locally grown agricultural commodities.

Farmer Benefits

• Informs new landowners of farm presence and potential of dust, noise and smells associated with agriculture possibly reducing conflicts between neighbors.
• Requires that farmland be used as a last resort if land is considered for a public project that may condemn land.
• Land enrolled in the program will not be assesses fees or required to connect to water and sewer service if they plan not to use the service.
• Recognition, by signage, telling passersby that the farm owner is committed to an agricultural way of life in Randolph County.

Who Qualifies

Landowners qualify for inclusion as a Voluntary Agricultural District if they meet the following conditions:

• Be participating in the farm Present Use Value Taxation program or is otherwise determined by Randolph County Tax Department to meet all the qualifications of this program set forth in G.S. 105-277.3
• Be certified by the National Resources Conservation Service as being a farm having a conservation plan.

A Voluntary Agricultural District must consist of at least 20 contiguous acres of qualified farmland or two or more tracts of qualifying farmland that contain a minimum total of 20 acres and are located within one-half mile of each other.

Stipulations

• Prohibits non-farm use or development of land for 10 years
• Maximum creation of three lots within 10-year period.
• The property owner may at a any time voluntarily revoke agreement by submitting a written notice to the Agricultural Advisory Board.

For additional information please review a copy of the Randolph County Voluntary Agricultural District Ordinance available at the Cooperative Extension office.