Earlier this week, Three Rivers Land Trust (TRLT) announced that it received a grant from SC Johnson to support local farmland conservation efforts in the Piedmont and Sandhills of North Carolina.

Reception of the grant marks the third consecutive year of support from SC Johnson, reinforcing the company’s commitment to giving back to communities where it operates.

The $25,000 grant from SC Johnson will be used to support farmland conservation projects in the 15-county region that Three Rivers Land Trust serves. The grant will support TRLT’s efforts to conserve prime farmland soils needed by N.C. farmers. Prime agricultural land is a nonrenewable resource — once developed, it is lost forever. It takes 2-3 times the acreage of marginal soils to produce the same yield as nationally significant soils, highlighting the critical importance of conserving these lands.

“We are extremely grateful to receive funding from a national company and household name like SC Johnson,” said Emily Callicutt, TRLT director of conservation. “Conserving local farmland is one of our core tenets here at Three Rivers Land Trust. Nearly 1.2 million North Carolina acres are projected to be converted into subdivisions and strip malls by 2040. We need to conserve agricultural land while we still can. This funding will ensure the protection of family farms in the Piedmont and Sandhills of North Carolina to maintain our rural character and continue the production of food and fiber for our local communities and beyond.”