Voluntary Agricultural District (VAD)
The State of North Carolina passed the Farmland Preservation Enabling Act in 1985,
authorizing counties to establish farmland preservation programs, including agricultural
districts. Forsyth County adopted an ordinance establishing procedures for creating
Voluntary Agricultural Districts in 2008. The purpose of the ordinance is to promote
the preservation of farmland in Forsyth County so that development and growth will
be accompanied by protection of farms from non–farm development and other negative
impacts on properly managed farms, recognizing the importance of agriculture to
the economic and cultural life of the county.
Forsyth County’s Voluntary Agricultural District Program enhances the identity of
the agricultural community by encouraging the voluntary preservation and protection
of farmland from non-farm development.
For more information visit the links below, contact us by email or call (336) 703-2850.