WAKE COUNTY, N.C. – Peace and quiet just outside the city is harder and harder to come by, but one farmer has succeeded in ensuring his land stays that way. 

What You Need To Know

The Bailey Farm dedication is the largest single county dedication in North Carolina

The Triangle Land Conservancy and Wake County’s Farmland Preservation worked together to protect 125 acres

In the past 40 years, the Triangle Land Conservancy has protected 25,000 acres

Jim Bailey enjoying working on his farm in Wake County (Spectrum News 1/Rachel Boyd)

Land is a hot commodity today in North Carolina as developers look to build homes to meet the demands of the growing population, but with the help of Triangle Land Conservancy and Wake County’s Farmland Preservation Program, 125 acres of farmland on the border of Wake and Johnston counties are now protected in perpetuity, making it the largest single county dedication in the entire state.

Jim Bailey has never been a farmer but his Uncle Cedric was, and he grew up learning with him on the farm. To his complete surprise, he inherited the property when his uncle passed in 2014.

“We did not know anything. All we knew was we got a call from a lawyer, Kirk Law Practice in Wendell, and he told us we need to come down,” he recalled. “And we came down, and that’s when we saw the note from Cedric. And the note said, ‘Jim, I hope you enjoy this land as much as I have. Give all you can to the Lord, and I hope you won’t plant this land in houses.’”

Bailey has been working to preserve the land ever since, and although it may have taken 10 years, this dedication fulfills his uncle’s final wish at long last. Triangle Land Conservancy has been working to preserve land in the Triangle for 40 years; so far they’ve protected 25,000 acres.

Jim Bailey gives a hayride and farm tour to members of Triangle Land Conservancy (Spectrum News 1/Rachel Boyd)

“I’ve had people come by quite often and want to ask me if I’m interested in selling the land,” Bailey said. “I’m not against development. But I do think sometimes they just put it right on top of each other.”

The Wake Soil and Water Conservation District has certified that 75% of the soil on the Bailey Farm is considered prime farmland. 

“We don’t have any more land, you know, this is it,” Bailey said. “You get back here and you just feel like you’re way away from civilization.”

The Bailey’s received this year’s Patrick H Johnson Farmland Preservation Award for their work to protect the county’s soil, water, farms, wildlife and environment. Although the land cannot be developed, it can continue to be used for agriculture or be used for parks and recreation space in the future if the family ever decides to sell.