DAVIE COUNTY SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
Voluntary Agricultural Districts
What is the Voluntary Agricultural District (VAD)?
The purpose of the Davie County Voluntary Agricultural District and the Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District Ordinance is to protect and encourage the improvement and voluntary preservation of its agricultural and forest land. This is in recognition of the importance of agriculture to the economic and cultural life of the county. The ordinance also limits an agricultural or forestry operation from potential nuisance complaints.
The General Assembly of the State of North Carolina authorized counties to undertake a series of programs to encourage the preservation of farmland. On January 7, 2008 the Davie County Board of Commissioners adopted the Davie County Voluntary Agricultural District and Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District Ordinance.
This ordinance allows for the creation of the Davie County Agricultural Advisory Board. This board reviews and decides all applications for qualified farmland and agricultural districts. The board also advises the County Board of Commissioners on issues that will affect the agricultural community.
What are the qualifications for becoming a member of the Davie Voluntary Agricultural District?
1. The farmland must be real property that is engaged in agriculture work as defined by General Statute 106-581.1. To verify that the property meets this definition, the following forms of documentation will be considered, among other things:
a. The property is participating in or eligible to participate in the Present Use Value Program
b. A farm sales tax exemption certification issued by the NC Department of Revenue
c. A copy of the the farm owner's or operator's Schedule F form from their most recent federal tax return
d. A sound forestry management plan that demonstrates the plan is being applied
2. Farm must comply with federal and state soil and water conservation practices and be certified by the USDA as suitable for farming.
3. Participants must sign a conservation agreement that prohibits non-farm use or development for at least ten years. Landowner may revoke the conservation agreement by giving written notice to the board. The Enhanced Voluntary District however is irrevocable for the ten year period of the program.
To join the Voluntary or Enhanced Agricultural Districts program, you must submit an application with the fee to the Davie County Cooperative Extension Service. If not accepted into the program the application fee will be refunded. Successful applicants will receive Agricultural District signs and conservation agreement recording fees. (See our "Partners" under the "MORE" tab at the top of the page to connect to the Cooperative Extension website).
CONSIDER JOINING THE V.A.D IN DAVIE COUNTY AND PROMOTE FARMLAND PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION