19-04-2025
'Small Farms, Big Impacts': It's Lee County Ag Week
More small farms are emerging in Lee County and beyond, and over the next week, they'll be celebrated locally.
Lee County Ag Week kicked off Thursday with a breakfast at the McSwain Center that featured discussions of agriculture in Lee County.
County Extension Director Bill Stone said this year's theme, 'Small Farms, Big Impacts,' recognizes the emergence of more small farms across the county. He said Ag Week is designed to celebrate the role these farms play in the economy, stewardship of the land and the preservation of the rural character of the community. Stone noted that it is the fourth annual Lee County Ag Week.
'By recognizing the importance of these small farms, while continuing to support businesses and operations of all sizes, Lee County can ensure a vibrant agricultural sector for years to come,' Stone said.
Jimmy Randolph, CEO of the Sanford Area Growth Alliance, also spoke, including about the important relationship of agriculture and economic development.
'I don't think the importance of that relationship can be overstated,' he said. 'For our community, agriculture was the basis for our economy at the beginning for the City of Sanford and the County of Lee. I'm excited to say that relationship is still strong and that agriculture is still an incredibly important part of the local economy.'
'We have conserved and maintained agriculture,' he said.
Randolph noted that the county commissioners took an innovative approach to the conservation of farmland.
'They worked with other organizations to put in place a policy that would allow us to support the conservation of farmland in a really big way,' he said. 'I'm really excited about that and appreciative of the effort the commissioners have put in to understanding the opportunities and investing it.'
Sanford Mayor Rebecca Wyhof Salmon gave an update on the Pilgrims Sanford Agricultural Marketplace, where ground was broken late last year.
'We can begin to envision what this project is going to look like. This will kick off the City of Sanford Central Green. The farmer's market is fantastic. It's not just a building,' she said.
Salmon noted that the first week of this year's market drew more than 1,400 people to shop and look at the items available. She also said the target date to open the new marketplace is spring of 2026.
Lee County Commission Chair Kirk Smith said the county is growing rapidly, and that as of 2024, it had 67,615 residents.
'You can drive down Tramway Road and see building here and building there,' he said. 'We're building a library and an athletic park, and we've got some other things on the agenda.'
Smith said the growth means pressure for services like police, fire and city and county government.
'But that pressure also extends to the farms and forest lands,' he said. 'In 2021, the General Assembly adopted the Farm Act of 2021. From that act, Dr. (Bill) Stone and his staff, and the agricultural advisory board, Triangle Land Conservancy and others, sat down and updated and Lee County's agricultural development and farmland preservation ordinances.'
He noted that by doing this, farmland would be preserved and maintained in the future.
Attendees also got a chance to hear from local farmers Aaron and Hunter Ayers of Ayers Family Farm.
The farm, which raises a variety of crops and livestock, has been in existence since 1941.
Hunter Ayers spoke about the relationship that farmers have with all of the stakeholders who were present in the room.
'They allow us to do what we do and do it well,' she said. 'I just want to say thank you to SAGA, the Board of Commissioners and everyone here. You've always done a great job to make room for farmers.'
Both men praised the farmer's market for giving them and other farmers a place to sell their goods locally.
'We love being farmers in Lee County,' Hunter said. 'It's what we do. We value the community and what you do for us.'
They later closed their presentation by noting 'what farmers ask of you.'
'Farmers across the nation face daily challenges. If there are three things farmers would ask of you, they would be: One, pray for farmers across the U.S. Two, support your local growers. Three, provide a voice for agriculture.'
'The future of agriculture (in Lee County) is pretty good,' said Sarah Kirby, interim associate dean and director of the NC State Extension.
