generate over 50 percent of their household incomes. The current agricultural marketing and
production infrastructure systems favor very large farms that can produce the volume necessary to
survive on low profit margins; however, for the size and scale of the majority of Transylvania farms,
the current infrastructure does not fit.
The long-term viability of agriculture in Transylvania County is threatened by the lack of young people
starting new operations or taking over existing farms. For the past few decades young adults have
been given more opportunities to pursue post-secondary degrees and find professional work. For
those youth who do not attend a college or University, many have found employment opportunities
with service and trade occupations. In both situations, the opportunities equate to a lifestyle that
involves less risk and more income than working full-time in production agriculture. Although
children of farmers express se and would like to see it remain in
operation, many do not choose to take over management of the farming operations. In some instances,
the farm is sold by the older generation farmer, or the land is bequeathed to heirs who, in turn, often
divide and sell it. Conversations among agricultural activists indicate that there is renewed interest in
farming among young adults; however, most do not seem to be coming from farming families and thus
have no land to start an operation. Some of the related challenges include identification and selection
of successors, aligning the strategic plan for the operation with the succession plan, assessing current
and future farm operator knowledge and skill requirements, and gap training to successfully transition
farmland from retiring operators to their chosen successors (Whitmire, 2007).
Both the high price and limited availability of
land to purchase and/or lease for agricultural
production purposes poses a significant threat
to the future of farming in Transylvania
County. Rental land for pasture, crop and
forage has become scarce for those seeking
additional acreage, and land for sale in the
County is generally priced
development, either residential or commercial.
Both the limited availability of land and its
high cost may be partially attributed to the
popularity of Transylvania County as a place
to retire and/or own a second home; 15 percent of the homes in the county are for seasonal,
recreational, or occasional use (Census, 2000) and 26 percent of the tax bills for improved land in
Transylvania are mailed to addresses outside of the County (Transylvania County Tax Records, 2008).
Residential development has consumed a significant amount of farmland and, subsequently, increased
the value of remaining land to the point that farm revenues are often unable to cover the purchase
costs. In 2007, the average net income for all farms in Transylvania County was $75 per acre; in 2002, it
was $309 per acre (USDA, 2007). Land in the Cplains, which cannot be developed but is
influenced by market prices of developable land, is regularly priced at $10,000 per acre on the real
estate market. Considering a theoretical annual interest payment of $500
6
on an acre of floodplain,
purchasing land at current market prices is clearly not feasible for an agricultural operation. Thus, the
price of farmland compounds the problems of the aging farmer population and farm scale because
6
Based on a 5% interest rate