Snow Camp, NC – Chatham County marked a major milestone in farmland protection with the Stensvad Farmland Preservation Ceremony, held on Friday, January 23, 2026, at Stensvad Farm in Snow Camp.
The event celebrated the successful closing of the 58-acre Doug and Linda Stensvad Conservation Easement, completed in partnership with the Triangle Land Conservancy. This project represents the first farmland preservation effort finalized with financial support from the Chatham County Farmland Preservation Program, underscoring the County’s commitment to protecting working farmland and local food systems.
“Preserving farmland is essential to protecting our local food supply and the long-term health of Chatham County,” said Amanda Robertson, Chatham County Board of Commissioners Chair. “Our farms sustain our economy, our environment, and our families. By safeguarding agricultural land today, we are ensuring future generations have access to fresh, locally grown food and a resilient food system that strengthens our entire community.”
Robertson’s sentiment echoes the reason the Stensvads chose to donate their land. “We want to preserve this land to prevent future development and keep it producing food,” said Douglas Stensvad.
“With the closing of the Stensvad conservation easement, Chatham County celebrated the first official project of the Farmland Preservation Program completed with County funding assistance,” said Andrew Waters, Chatham County Farmland Preservation Coordinator. “While this is the first, we have several additional projects in our pipeline and look forward to many more milestones in the months and years ahead.”
This is part of a larger trend. According to a recent report by the American Farmland Trust (AFT), Farms Under Threat 2040, by 2040, farmland acreage in the U.S. could shrink to 4,269,613 acres—a loss of 1,678,100 acres—if estimates of “runaway sprawl” hold true. North Carolina is not exempt; the state ranks first in the nation for farmland loss due to low-density residential development, according to the same study.
“The Farmland Preservation Program is important to Chatham County because right now North Carolina is one of the states with the highest loss of farmland in the nation” said Katie Kenlan, Chatham County Commissioner, District 4. “Chatham County has more registered farms than any other county in North Carolina, and because of that, we want to make sure we have a strong farmland preservation program.”
The ceremony was attended by members of the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, Doug and Linda Stensvad, County staff, and project partners as Chatham County Agriculture Advisory Board, Chatham Soil & Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors, and Triangle Land Conservancy recognizing a significant step forward in preserving Chatham County’s agricultural heritage.
For more information about this project or the Chatham County Farmland Preservation Program, individuals may visit the Farmland Preservation section on the County website or contact Andrew Waters, Farmland Preservation Coordinator, at andrew.waters@chathamcountync.gov or (919) 545-8447.