Lobeco Farms Conserved

Farmland is getting developed at an alarming rate

Located North of the Whale Branch River, Lobeco Farms was a working farm for over 100 years.

Unlike many of the other farms the area it has survived the passage of time. That’s remarkable given what’s happening throughout South Carolina. We are losing farmland at an alarming rate to haphazard development.

Indeed, South Carolina is at high risk for future farmland loss, according to American Farmland Trust’s Farms Under Threat: 2040 data, with over 280,000 acres of farmland converted between 2001 and 2016, giving our state the eighth highest “threat score” in the nation.

Beaufort County has experienced significant farmland loss over recent years, too.

According to Beaufort County, this is primarily due to the rapid urbanization and development pressures in the region. Between 2001 and 2016, Beaufort County lost about 14% of its farmland, amounting to approximately 16,000 acres. The trend has continued, with ongoing development projects and an increase in residential areas contributing to further reductions in agricultural land.

Once that land is gone, it’s lost forever. The loss of each farm means the loss of our heritage, local food, a chance to purchase fresh, in-season vegetables, and the foundation of our rural economy.

Taking action to save an important farm

Thankfully, when an agricultural investor put Lobeco Farms up for sale, local landowners saw the urgency of saving the farm and conserving it with the Open Land Trust.

Together, they purchased the farm with the goal of conserving it for future generations. This visionary conservation effort and act of generosity is an example of how local landowners can work together, or as separate families, to conserve at-risk farmland.

Farmland conservation allows for continued and evolving agricultural uses and landowners are often reimbursed for the sale of their development rights. It’s a critical step to reverse a trend of farmland loss in our region and provide the next generation of farmers an opportunity to work the land.

Thanks to the landowners, and the Beaufort County Rural and Critical Land Preservation Program that provided conservation funding, this farm will remain a part of the economic and social fabric of our community. To find out more about farmland conservation in Beaufort County please contact Kate Schaefer, Director of Land Protection, at 843-521-2175 or kate@openlandtrust.org.