# Agricultural Advisory Board Meeting | October 20, 2026

Buncombe County Agricultural Advisory Board meeting, October 20, 2026: The board approved eight applications presented for agricultural land programs. Members also approved the Sutter Branch conservation easement after a closed session. Staff reported that the previously awarded $2 million state grant and its $2 million county match have been fully allocated to easement purchases, totaling $4 million. The Sutter Branch and Ruby Brown projects are expected to rely on bond funding; staff plan to complete appraisals and return to commissioners to seek approval. The county has applied for an additional $2 million state grant, submitted an agricultural program renewal application, and requested grant funding for a Buncombe-specific cost-of-community-services study. State review of submitted easement materials and individual parcel applications is ongoing.

Staff presented a draft approach to title review, proposing full preliminary title opinions before projects come to the board for approval, so potential ownership issues can be identified earlier. The draft was for board review, with a possible vote at a future meeting; it was not adopted at this meeting. Staff said complex title issues would generally be addressed by landowners, while the county would work with attorneys on simpler technical corrections. No vendor selection or procurement contract award was identified.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Environment
**Topics:** Grants & Funding
**Published:** October 20, 2026

### Sources
- [Agricultural Advisory Board Meeting | October 20, 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyi68Uf1Yec) - Buncombe County Government