Buncombe County, NC Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)

Section 58-56 sets the eligibility and process for the county's Farmland Preservation Program. S. S. 160D-903, be managed under soil-conservation-service erosion control practices for highly erodible land, and be subject to a conservation agreement that bars nonfarm use or development for at least ten years, except for creating up to three lots that meet county and municipal zoning and subdivision rules. A Voluntary Agricultural District (VAD) or Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District (EVAD) must consist of at least 50 contiguous acres of qualifying farmland, or two or more qualifying farms totaling at least 50 acres within one mile of each other.

Landowners apply to the county's agricultural advisory board or farmland preservation coordinator, and the application is routed to the planning department, tax assessor, and the Soil and Water Conservation District/NRCS office for evaluation within 30 days; the advisory board then has 60 days to decide, and a denial can be appealed in writing to the board of commissioners within 30 days, whose decision is final. Certified VAD/EVAD land is marked on county maps kept at the register of deeds, code enforcement, Soil and Water Conservation District, cooperative extension and land records offices.

EVAD land gets additional benefits under Sec. S. 160D-903 even while up to 25 percent of gross sales come from nonfarm products, plus a higher cost-share funding tier and a waiver of county utility assessments.