As you travel throughout Perquimans County and look in the fields, you may notice that some communities have unique signage like the one pictured.
Maybe you’ve wondered what these signs mean or why are they here?
Signs like these represent a member of the Perquimans County Voluntary Agricultural District Ordinance. The program was adopted in 2009 to promote agricultural values and the general welfare for the five townships making up Perquimans County. Agriculture is an important part of this county and the Perquimans VAD program was designed primarily to help protect and preserve agricultural lands and activities but also to inform residents of the agricultural makeup of this county. Non-farming families may be attracted to purchasing land in Perquimans County so hopefully this ordinance will make potential landowners aware of the possible agricultural activities that will be taking place nearby. These agricultural activities could include noises emitted from machinery use, smells from livestock operations, or siting of pesticide applications in accordance with state regulations to name a few.
Farmers that apply their land to be a part of the VAD must be participating in the counties taxation program, it must be in farm use for a period of at least ten years, the land must be managed in accordance with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and it must be located in the unincorporated area of Perquimans County. Maps and information on the location and establishment of these districts may be accessed at our county Planning, Tax, Register of Deeds, and Inspections offices. As towns and cities are constant with growth and development, hopefully ordinances like these will help to protect that farmland that produces the food and fiber that we need.
For more information about Perquimans County's Voluntary Agricultural District, contact Dylan Lilley, Field Crops Agricultural Agent with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service at 252-426-5428. (Cooperative Extension Service is the community education branch of the College of Ag and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University).