ALAMANCE COUNTY

Beautiful Alamance County is home to a rich agricultural history. Today, as in the past, the great majority of its farms are family-owned. While you can still see a familiar field of NC tobacco being grown here, you can also find wheat, corn, and soybeans, tree fruits and vegetables, livestock, flowers, mushrooms, nursery plants, vineyards, managed forests, indoor farms, bees and honey, wool and fiber, and places to visit for a farm-tourist experience.

The 2017 Census of Agriculture showed a notable increase in the number of new farmers in this county since 2012, with almost 100 farms selling directly to consumers. Queries come in at the Cooperative Extension office every week from folks wanting to put land to agricultural use. We are excited about the farming future of our county.

Alamance County, located between the Triangle and the Triad, is witness to agricultural land loss seen in many parts of North Carolina. But we are people who know the value of farm products and farm work, and our county places a high priority on the economic and cultural benefits of local agriculture. We depend on people not involved in agriculture to learn about it, to experience the pleasure of fresh food and locally-made agricultural products, and to spread the word.

While you’re making plans to visit a local farm or pub or winery, you might want to add a few other activities to your itinerary: Enjoy a Burlington Royals baseball game; visit a Revolutionary War battleground; learn about our region’s textile history at Glencoe, Saxapahaw, and Bellemont; see a performance of Paperhand Puppet Intervention; work up an appetite hiking at Historic Cedarock Farm and Park; and shop at the local antique mall or the outlet mall. Make it a day, make it a weekend, and come back soon!