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Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina is accepting applications from farmers with at least two years of farming experience to join the land trust’s community farm incubator program for the 2026 growing season.

The farm incubator program at Oak Hill Park is intended to increase the quantity and availability of healthy produce in western North Carolina, educate local communities about the importance of local food and farms and uplift beginning farmers by providing affordable access to farmland. According to data from the United States Department of Agriculture, North Carolina lost more than 3,000 farms and more than 300,000 acres of farmland between 2017 and 2022.

“Simply put, fewer farms means fewer healthy food options in our local communities,� said Ryan Sparks, stewardship director for Foothills Conservancy. “By providing farmers with access to productive cropland, equipment to increase efficiency and capacity, and the opportunity to learn and share ideas, FCNC and its farm incubator program will help bolster our local agricultural industry and will lead to an increase in independent farm businesses in our area.�

For the inaugural 2026 growing season, Foothills Conservancy will host two farmers in the incubator program. Farmers who complete the program will be primed to be agricultural industry leaders in the region and have the skills to generate more farming revenue. Program participants will hone their farming skills, improve their marketing potential and have access to exclusive promotional opportunities.

For a fee, participants will have access to a half-acre of USDA prime farmland soils and use of high-tunnels and equipment, and will gain hands-on mentorship with experienced farmers. Farmers are expected to commit to at least 24 hours per week on their farming operations, where they will have land to grow annual and perennial vegetables, herbs, cut flowers and more. The program does not allow animal husbandry or ornamental nursery plants at this time.

At the open house at Oak Hill Community Park & Forest on Thursday, July 24, visitors can meet with the Foothills Conservancy team to learn more about the incubator program and see the available land and equipment. The open house will be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 820 N.C. Hwy. 126, Â鶹´«Ã½.

Oak Hill Community Park & Forest is a 652-acre park located 10 minutes outside of downtown Â鶹´«Ã½ that is owned and operated by Foothills Conservancy. The park hosts 25 acres of USDA prime farmland soils that are currently leased for commercial operation by Tou and Chue Lee of Lee’s One Fortune Farm, a traditional, Hmong farm that specializes in growing a variety of Asian vegetables, fruits and rice.

“Our partnership with Foothills Conservancy is a wonderful, symbiotic relationship where we share a common goal of utilizing good growing areas as a means to produce food for the community,� said Tou Lee, owner of Lee’s One Fortune Farm. “My passion is to teach folks about what we do, why we do it, and the importance of growing a variety of crops in a way that is both sustainable and profitable.�

The incubator program will provide farmers with an opportunity to access land and farming equipment, as well as work, learn, grow and become a farming business of their own alongside Lee’s One Fortune Farm.

“This is a great model and we hope that this will set a precedent for other land trusts to work on the same model to influence a new generation of farmers,� Lee said.

“We’re extremely fortunate to have partners Tou and Chue Lee of Lee’s One Fortune Farm, who are willing to share their experience and knowledge to support beginning farmers in our region,� said Katelyn Nelsen, land and stewardship manager for Foothills Conservancy.

Farmers with at least two years of experience who are interested in the program can apply at .