08/18/2026
🌱A historic win for Austin-Kidd Farm and agriculture in Mecklenburg County!
Austin-Kidd Farm is proud to be one of the first Voluntary Agricultural District/Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District farms in Mecklenburg County!
This designation represents more than recognition for our farm. It represents a commitment to protecting agriculture, preserving working farmland, and ensuring that farming continues to have a place in the future of Mecklenburg County.
Established by the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners in 2025, the Voluntary Agricultural District program helps protect qualifying working farms from the pressures that can come with non-farm development. The program increases the visibility of local agriculture, helps reduce conflicts between farms and surrounding development, and gives farmers a stronger voice in conversations about land use and the future of their communities.
For Austin-Kidd Farm, a farm with roots dating back to 1910, becoming amongst Mecklenburg County’s first Voluntary Agricultural Districts is another chapter in a story that has spanned generations. As our surrounding communities continue to grow and change, this designation helps affirm something important: agriculture still belongs here.
It’s not just a win for us. It’s a win for our community. Protecting working farms helps strengthen our local food system, preserve the agricultural heritage of Mecklenburg County, and maintain open spaces that support healthy soil, water, wildlife, and pollinators. As our county continues to grow and develop, preserving farmland also helps ensure that agriculture remains part of our landscape, our communities, and our future for generations to come.