VAD Participating Farms

Voluntary Agricultural Districts (VADs) are a state program administered here in Durham by the Durham Soil and Water Conservation District and the Durham Farmland Protection Advisory Board to protect and preserve agricultural lands. Landowners who join this program voluntarily commit to prohibit non-farm use of their land and forego developing their property for a period of ten years. To qualify, a farmer must participate in the Present Use Value tax program. VADs may be identified by attractive signs with a logo like the one at the top of this page. Signage throughout the county recognizes these farms and reminds passersby that they may experience slow moving equipment on the roads, dust or smell from farm activity, and that the farmland is here to stay. Present-Use Value link: 2023-08 Present-Use Value Program Guide.pdf