Brown Family Farm

September 1, 2021/in Farmland Conservation, French Broad River Valley, Land Protection and Landowner Stories /by sahcadmin

The Buncombe County Farm Heritage trails winds through scenic farming communities in the Leicester, Sandy Mush, and Alexander areas of the county. Now, views of rolling pastures and forested hillsides along the farm trail at the Brown Family Farm have been permanently protected. Thank you to all the SAHC members and supporters who have made farmland preservation possible here and throughout the region!

“The Brown Family Farm is a great example of farmland protection working for conservation-minded landowners,” says Farmland Conservation Director Jess Laggis. “Margaret and Grover Brown wanted to retire from farming, and their twin sons, Robert and Stephen (and wife Angela), wanted to expand the existing cattle operation. The easement provides the means for this farm operation to continue without the need to parcelize the land and inhibit the next generation’s farm use. AND, it’s just stunning, and anchors the viewshed on both sides of South Turkey Creek Road, a route beloved by motorists and cyclists for its scenery.”

The 175 acres now permanently protected at the farm contain important agricultural soils, undeveloped forested and nonforested habitat for wildlife, frontage along South Turkey Creek Road, and stream corridors. The land has been in agricultural use for as long as anyone can remember. The current Brown Family Farm was established in 1952, originally organized as a dairy farm.

“The farm is a 4th generation family farm,” says Angela Brown on behalf of the family. “The farm was a dairy farm until 1995 when the dairy industry in western North Carolina took a downturn. In 1995 the farm converted to beef, tobacco and hay production. We no longer grow tobacco, and the farm is now focused on beef cattle and hay production. Our hope is that Grover will be able to ease into retirement, but for the time being he is still actively farming as he has for years. Stephen and Robert have stepped in to help Grover to continue on the farm work into the future, and they plan to continue farming. Our goal of preserving our farmland is to keep it a farm from now on as our family and family before wanted.”

Conservation of the farm was made possible by a grant from the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture, Brad and Shelli Stanback, a grant from Buncombe County, and donation of a portion of the conservation easement value by the landowners. Mountain Valley RC&D helped SAHC secure grant funding from NC Dept. Agriculture to make this project possible.

“We are incredibly excited that through dedication from SAHC and partnership with Buncombe Land Conservation Advisory Board’s transaction cost funding, both Brown Family Farm and Full Sun Farm will be protected permanently as working farmlands,” says Ariel Zijp, Farmland Preservation Coordinator. “By protecting these two properties, SAHC will bridge gaps in designated priority regions of Farmland as well as strengthen relationships with conservation partners and land stewards in the community.”

Partner Perspective: Buncombe County Farmland Conservation, Ariel Zijp, Farmland Preservation Coordinator

“As Asheville grows as a tourist destination, and development soars, Farmland Preservation is a high priority for Buncombe County. Land Protection completed by our non-profit land trust partners aligns strongly with the Buncombe County 2025 Strategic Plan Goal: Preserve farmland and environmentally sensitive tracts of land. By protecting Farmland, we are not only protecting land from development, but we are also protecting farm family’s livelihoods, protecting fertile agricultural soils which took a thousand years to form, protecting scenic mountain viewsheds which draws millions of tourists a year, protecting Asheville’s vibrant foodshed on which the restaurant industry depends, and securing land access to farming generations to come. Thank you to Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy for continuing to move forward this imperative land protection mission.”

Full Sun Farm

September 1, 2021/in Farmland Conservation, French Broad River Valley, Land Protection and Landowner Stories /by sahcadmin

Full Sun Farm, Sandy Mush, NC. Photo Credit Michael L. Pittman

Vanessa Campbell and Alex Brown have a passion for growing fresh, healthy produce. They enjoy being outdoors, and bring that joy to their farming endeavors at Full Sun Farm. Looking toward the future, they wanted to ensure that the land would continue to be available for farming for future generations. This year they donated a conservation easement on 32 acres of their farm in the Sandy Mush Community of Buncombe County, and plan to work with SAHC to protect the remainder of the farm as well.

Rogers Cove – 236 MORE Acres

July 16, 2021/in Farmland Conservation, French Broad River Valley, Land Protection and Landowner Stories /by sahcadmin

Mark and Laura Rogers worked with Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy to protect 236 more acres of beautiful farmland in the Crabtree community of Haywood County. These agricultural conservation easements join land that they and other members of the Rogers family worked with SAHC to conserve in 2017 – bringing the total of protected farmland in Rogers Cove to 620 acres! In addition to protecting productive agricultural land for future generations, farmland preservation in the cove protects scenic views from Crabtree Bald and Crabtree Mountain Road.

Farmland conservation projects can take many years to come to fruition. Mark and Laura had planned for this property to be permanently protected when they began working on conservation efforts with SAHC and other family members several years ago.

“Conservation of this land and the previous project were intertwined; they were really planned together from the beginning,” says Laura. Researching conservation options 15 years, Mark contacted SAHC in 2006 and embarked on an ambitious effort to secure farmland which had been in the Rogers family for generations and prevent future loss to subdivision and development. Read more

Mathes Farm

March 16, 2021/in Farmland Conservation, Highlands of Roan, Land Protection and Landowner Stories /by sahcadmin

Thanks to conservation supporters like you, 45 more acres of farmland and forest in Avery County in the Highlands of Roan have been permanently protected.

“Visitors and residents of the Roan enjoy stunning scenic views,which include portions of the Mathes Farm in Beech Bottom,” says Farmland Program Director Jess Laggis. “Development of this tract could have devastated views of Yellow Mountain from 19E and from Yellow Mountain, and from the motor route of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. Now, these stunning views are protected, and the land can continue to be used for farming for future generations.”

The property owned by Rickie and Shannonrae Mathes hosts a Boer goat operation called “Sh-Nanny-Gans.” Shannonrae says that Boer goats are a particularly excellent, large breed of goats. Read more

Sinkhole Creek Farm

November 13, 2020/in Farmland Conservation, Highlands of Roan /by sahcadmin

In a picturesque landscape just south of the Roan Massif, farms with rolling fields, pastures, and forests contain a rich repository of stories and memories, along with agriculturally important prime soils and stream sources. Sam and Ronda Silver, the seventh generation of a local farming family, wanted to make sure that their beautiful Century Farm would be passed down to future generations intact. So, they worked with SAHC to protect 111 acres with an agricultural conservation easement. Read more

Sandy Hollar Farms

July 20, 2020/in Farmland Conservation, French Broad River Valley, Land Protection and Landowner Stories /by sahcadmin

In June, you helped purchase a conservation easement on 49 more acres of productive farmland in the lovely Sandy Mush community of northwestern Buncombe County. Sandy Hollar Farms is a Buncombe County attraction, with seasonal events like pick-your-own Christmas trees, pumpkins, and berries.

This idyllic slice of farmland is primarily used for row crops, fruits and berries, and Christmas tree production. According to landowner Curtis Hawkins, Sandy Hollar Farms is one of the biggest producers of blackberries in the county. They also grow squash, green beans, pumpkins, and other fresh produce, which goes to small retailers and farmers’ markets. There is a small herd of sheep and goats on the farm, along with llamas as pets, and landowner June Hawkins periodically gives natural dye and spinning demonstrations. Read more

Bowditch Bottoms – 87 Acres

July 2, 2020/in Black Mountains, Farmland Conservation, Land Protection and Landowner Stories /by sahcadmin

Bowditch Bottoms with Celo Mtn in background

Bowditch Bottoms with Celo Knob in the background, photo by Catherine Pawlik, Carolinas’ Nature Photographers (CNPA)

The Bowditch Bottoms project has been a long time in the process – beginning in 2014 – and we are thrilled that it successfully closed in June! This 87-acre property in Yancey County contains important soils, farmland, undeveloped forested and non-forested habitat for wildlife, headwaters to the South Toe River, and intact wetland and riparian corridors. It is visible from the Mount Mitchell Scenic Byway and several higher-elevation vantage points in the Black Mountains and the Highlands of the Roan. Read more

Byrd Farm – Mitchell County

February 6, 2020/in Farmland Conservation, Highlands of Roan, Land Protection and Landowner Stories /by sahcadmin

Byrd Charolais Farm – Mitchell County (Highlands of Roan Area)

The Highlands of Roan are known for rare and fragile ecological communities as well as magnificent, panoramic views studded with scenic mountain farms. At the end of 2019, SAHC permanently protected 127 acres of beautiful family farmland in Mitchell County, preserving bucolic views along NC Hwy 226. The Byrd Charolais* Farm is an agricultural gem, with water conservation practices in place and a long heritage of mountain farming. One of just a few farm preservation projects SAHC has completed in the Highlands of Roan, the property is now permanently protected for future generations.

* Charolais are a breed of cattle which originated in France in the historic Charolais region. Read more

Hogeye Bottomlands – 88 Acres

January 23, 2020/in Farmland Conservation, French Broad River Valley, Land Protection and Landowner Stories /by sahcadmin

Farmland Preservation at Hogeye Bottomlands in Sandy Mush Community

In the Sandy Mush farming community, scenic views of fertile bottomland, rolling pastures, and distant mountain ridges create a stunning backdrop for those who work the land. Now, SAHC has conserved another tract of farmland here, adding to a network of protected agricultural lands and wildlife corridors throughout Sandy Mush.

Farmers Aubrey and Rieta Wells graze cattle and produce hay on the 88-acre Hogeye Bottomlands — now permanently protected through a conservation easement.

Sections of Sandy Mush Creek and Hogeye Branch run through the tract, which contains prime soils (a designation for soils of national importance) as well as soils of statewide and local importance. Almost half (45%) of soils on the tract are considered prime, locally or statewide important soils. Found along waterways and formed over long periods of time, these soils are important agricultural resources — and relatively rare in mountainous areas. Unfortunately, the low-lying, fairly flat bottomlands where we find these soils are also sought after for easy development. Both Aubrey and Rieta grew up in families with long farming traditions and wanted to see this farmland protected for future generations.

“We’d like to see the Sandy Mush area stay as undeveloped as possible,” shares Aubrey. “It’s one of the few places in the county you can still go to see the beauty of natural spaces and farmland.” Read more

National Junior Honor Society Volunteers

October 20, 2019/in Farmland Conservation, Our Community Farm, Stewardship Stories, Volunteer Stories /by sahcadmin