To secure county certification as qualifying farmland in a Voluntary Agricultural District, a farm must:
(A) Be participating in the Farm Present-Use-Value Taxation Program established by G.S. §§ 105-277.2 through 105-277.7, or is otherwise determined by the county to meet all the qualifications of this Program set forth in G.S. § 105-277.3, and the farm, or farms, will be identified by parcel identification number (PIN);
(B) Be the subject of a conservation agreement between the county and the owner of such land that prohibits non-farm use or development of such land for a period of at least ten years, except for the creation of not more than three lots that meet applicable county building and subdivision regulations. Permitted land use in the conservation agreement include agriculture, aquaculture, agritourism, forestry, horticulture, outside recreation, packing, processing, storage, marketing of agricultural products, and maintenance of drainage ditches and roads. Prohibited uses include any or all construction or placing buildings, roads, signs, billboards or other advertising, utilities (excluding utilities in the public interest), or other structures on or above the ground that does not support permitted land use, dumping or placing of soil, or other substance or materials as landfill, or dumping or placing of trash, waste, or unsightly or offensive materials. A conservation agreement designated by the landowner to sustain, encourage, and promote agriculture must be executed by the landowner and recorded with the Advisory Board, which shall record a certified copy of such with the County Register of Deeds. The landowner will be given at least a 24-hour prior notice by the Agricultural Advisory Board before a compliance inspection of the land enrolled in the conservation agreement; and
(C) Be located in the unincorporated area of the county.
(Ord. passed 8-6-2007)