Survey reveals development pressure as top concern for Wake County farmers

Located in Willow Spring, Porter Farms & Nursery has been a favorite destination for fresh strawberries since becoming Wake County's first Certified Roadside Farm Market in 2005. But as the farm has grown in popularity, so has development pressure. Owner Ashley Porter says he receives multiple offers to sell his land nearly every day.

Porter isn't alone. For the farmers who still work Wake County's fields, those phone calls have become routine. According to a new Wake County survey, 89% of local landowners said they have recently been contacted about selling their land for development, even though 75% said they have no plans to sell within the next five years.

“The findings come from two companion surveys the County launched in summer 2025 to explore the future of local agriculture: one for landowners and farmers and one for the general public,” said Donald Mial, chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners. “Overall, we collected responses from more than 1,000 people. The surveys were designed to better understand landowners' priorities, future plans for their properties and farmland preservation.”

The message from both groups was clear. Ninety-six percent of respondents from the general public said preserving farmland, forests and agricultural land is critical to Wake County's future. The same percentage said the county is losing too much of that land to development. Ninety-five percent supported expanding protections for local farmland.

Respondents identified development as the top threat to agriculture in Wake County. Among those surveyed, 590 residents cited the loss of farmland to residential growth and infrastructure as their biggest concern, followed by rising real estate prices and limited access to land for farmers looking to expand or get started.

That pressure is especially strong in certain parts of the county. The most intensive development has occurred in and around Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Morrisville and Garner, with growth spreading along major highways. Wake County's remaining farmland is concentrated in the eastern and southern parts of the county, near Wendell, Zebulon, Rolesville, Knightdale and Fuquay-Varina, where farms increasingly border new neighborhoods.

“As greenspaces are disappearing in Wake County at a rapid pace, we need the respite of farmland and forests for multiple reasons: local agriculture, preservation of historical culture, tree canopy and environmental protection. Farming is our heritage,” wrote one survey respondent.

Even with growing pressure on farmland, agriculture remains North Carolina's leading industry, contributing $111.1 billion to the state's economy in 2022 and supporting more than 777,000 jobs statewide, according to NC State University's Agriculture and Agribusiness Report. The industry accounts for roughly one in six jobs statewide and ranks first in the nation in the production of sweet potatoes, tobacco, poultry and eggs.

The survey results shaped Wake County's first Farmland Preservation Plan, a long-term strategy to protect farmland, support agriculture and guide preservation efforts across the county.