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

S. S. Chapter 153A. The county is divided into six regions built from its townships, including Great Swamp, Buck Swamp and Fork; Nahunta, Pikeville and Stoney Creek; and Goldsboro, Saulston and New Hope, and every enrolled tract belongs to the region where its acreage falls. A new district must start with at least 100 contiguous acres of qualifying farmland, or three or more qualified tracts within a half mile of each other totaling at least 100 acres. To certify as qualifying farmland, an owner must be enrolled in the state present-use-value taxation program, hold Natural Resources Conservation Service certification that at least two-thirds of the land carries prime agricultural soils, follow erosion-control practices on any highly erodible acreage, and sign a ten-year conservation agreement barring non-farm development except for up to three lots that meet county zoning and subdivision rules.

Landowners apply to the seven-member Agricultural Advisory Board, which includes one representative per region plus an at-large member; the board must act within 60 days of the application, after routing it to the cooperative extension office, tax assessor, NRCS, county manager and planning department for comment, and after holding a public hearing advertised weekly for two consecutive weeks. The Board of Commissioners sets the enrollment fee, which must accompany the application. Once enrolled, the county posts notice at the register of deeds warning buyers that farm and forestry activity, including pesticide spraying and manure spreading, can occur in the district at any hour, and public agencies must request an Advisory Board hearing before condemning any interest in qualifying farmland inside a district.