In a region once known for its booming tobacco industry, Durham County has lost more than 40,000 acres of farmland since 1974—a 71% reduction—as new housing developments make headway and farmers struggle to afford rising costs. More than 16,000 of those acres have been lost since 2007, and farmers are hardly making the profits they used to, with annual net incomes averaging less than $1,000—down more than 80% since 2007.
On Tuesday, consultants presented the 2026 Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Plan—the first of its kind since 2009—to Durham County commissioners. The 97-page report details past efforts to preserve farmland, the challenges farmers are facing, and recommendations for the county to work toward protecting more open land.
“Durham County is a great place to farm,” said farmer Gerry Cohn, a consultant on the plan. “It has the land, it has the leadership, and it has the market opportunities.”…