The easement, which pertains to 116 acres of the 236-acre farm, “will allow for a farm that has been in one family for over a century to remain as such for the foreseeable future,” the Haywood Soil and Water Conservation District, the easement holder, wrote in the grant application. The easement would allow farming operations to continue but protect against urban encroachment. 

“Being situated in the scenic area of Crabtree in Haywood County makes this property a prime target for conversion to house sites,” the grant application says, with another section adding, “If this farm is protected as farmland, it will provide local food for the consumer and help continue the strong agricultural economy of the county and region.” 

Owned by Dennis and Tammy Francis, the farm started out as a cattle, hay, tobacco and corn operation owned by the Glance family. The Francis family then purchased it, and their son plans to continue the family farming tradition.