Newspapers / University of North Carolina … / Sept. 16, 2009, edition 1 / Page 3
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{The Blue Banner} Page 3 Flvlnn ^ c I T3li3f©rro Pollock” St3tf Pho y«iiy ^ioud Farm, located In Fairview, was used in the Farmlands Value Project, a study conducted by UNCA faculty and students. Project shows residents will pay to protect farmlands By Ashleigh Joyner Staff Writer AMJOYNER@UNCA.EDU UNC Asheville faculty and students con- ucted the Farmland Values Project and determined that the farmlands of Western Orth Carolina are so valued that residents are willing to pay to ensure they remain a permanent fixture of the community. The project is important for people that ive in WNC because it helps us to under stand what it is we value about farmland,” said Leah Mathews, associate professor and the director of the project. Mathews, along with 17 UNCA students and facnitv members from Old Dominion University and Appalachian State Univer sity, conducted research over a four-year period. “We confirmed that people really trea sure farmland in WNC. They value it for many reasons, including access to local food, jobs and income for farmers and oth er people involved in agriculture, scenic beauty, a link to cultural heritage and open space,” Mathews said. The project conducted focus groups and surveys as part of the research process. The research covered Buncombe, Hay wood, Henderson and Madison counties. “Our results confirmed that people do see farmland as more than iiist a farm. It’s providing lots of benefits to the commu nity,” Mathews said. Of the resident respondents who took part in the research, 83 percent agreed that more could be done to protect farmland in their community, according to the project. “Respondents said they would be will ing to pay $185 a year if they knew that monetary contribution went directly to protect farmland,” Mathews said. “People are willing to put their money where their mouth is, basically.” Their research also found that nearly two-thirds of respondents would be will ing to pay more for their food if the money went to nroteot farmland. Mathews said. The funding for the project came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Mathews received a grant from the Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service, a program within the USDA. UNCA students got involved because of the extensive work the project required, according to Matthews. “It required many tasks to be done that obviously one person can’t do by them selves,” Mathews said. The students that were hired came from a variety of majors including biology, eco nomics and environmental studies. See farmland Page 7 I
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