Wendell will always have one of its largest farms, if there are any left.
On Thursday, the Triangle Land Conservancy and the Wake County Board of Commissioners collaborated to complete plans that represent the single greatest donation of funding for farmland preservation in North Carolina.
A father-son team, James and Matthew Bailey, decided to participate in the Wake Soil and Water Conservation District’s Farmland Preservation Program, contributing 125 acres of their 129-acre farm.
This implies that development will never be permitted on the land.
James stated, “We wanted to act in the farm’s best interests.” We were interested in ensuring that the soil, wildlife, and plant life were all safeguarded. Everything. And I’m excited about how the county will support us in making the correct decisions so that this will always be a top-notch farm.”
The Bailey family will continue to own the land privately. Although it won’t be accessible to the general public, the county will work to ensure that the area is preserved for the production of food and habitat for wildlife in the future.
“This is another important step to ensure that we’re saving important land for producing food and we’re protecting wildlife habitat and our water quality,” said Vice Chair Susan Evans of the Wake County Board of Commissioners. “We’re losing so much farmland every year, so we’re proud to partner with the Bailey family to preserve this land for future generations.”
The estimated value of the 125 acres is $2.5 million.