A beloved historic Johnston County family farm has been permanently conserved thanks to the determination of three generations of women. Dedicated to preserving and protecting the farmhouse and surrounding farmland that has been in their family for more than a century, this powerful trio worked with TLC since 2022 to secure the necessary funding from state and local agencies to preserve the property for future generations.
Protecting this land comes at a critical time when North Carolina farmland is rapidly disappearing due to development pressures. Johnston County is second in the state and 19th in the nation for farmland under greatest threat to farmland loss, according to the American Farmland Trust. The 50-acre farm in Willow Spring features a mix of hay fields, pine plantation, and hardwood bottom land forest and wetlands where it borders Middle Creek. This diversity of habitats provides a home for a variety of wildlife, and the property contains about 30 acres of prime soil – the best soil for productive agriculture.
An enduring family legacy
Beyond the land’s importance for productive farmland and natural habitats, the farm holds a special legacy for each of the Delbridge women who love this land.
“The Stephenson Farm has been in my family for over 100 years,” said landowner Lola Stephenson Delbridge. “I was born in the beautiful farmhouse my father, Leonard Stephenson, built in 1923 with stone and timber from the land. We celebrated the centennial of the house just last year.”
“My father farmed the property, growing food and money crops with lots of hard work using plows and mules. He divided the farm and willed it to me and my siblings. My husband and I visited the farm often with our own three children and they grew up learning themselves to love the barn, fields, animals, pond, and woods. Currently, my granddaughter and her husband live in the farmhouse. This 50 acres is all that remains of the original 275-acre Stephenson Farm my parents owned. I am overjoyed to be able to protect this last piece of the farm so that it can bring joy and sustenance to future generations,” said Delbridge.
By recognizing the importance of their farm and knowing it would be at risk for development in the future, the Delbridge family made the decision to voluntarily place the land into a conservation easement. While the property will still be privately owned, the conservation easement will restrict the ability for future development. This easement is the second land protection project completed with the Delbridge family, adding to the 17 acres of forested floodplain on Middle Creek TLC purchased from them last year with support from Johnston County.
Partnerships are key to protecting land forever
The protection of this farm, and the additional upstream acres on Middle creek, was made possible by funding from Johnston County, the North Carolina Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, and the generous donation of a portion of the land’s value from the landowners.
“Farming remains the number one industry in Johnston County and, as County Commissioners, we believe it is essential for us to continue safeguarding farmland as creatively and efficiently as possible,” said R.S. “Butch” Lawter, Jr., Chairman of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners. “We need more places for people to live, but we also need to invest in preserving farms like this one that are so essential to Johnston County’s agricultural economy, heritage, and quality of life.”
Local funds like Johnston County’s allow TLC to leverage state and federal grants, expanding land protection efforts and preserving more farms, forests, and open space. Over the past two years, Johnston County has committed nearly $1.5 million to local land protection efforts, helping TLC and partners secure critical farms, forests, and streams. This year alone, this funding has enabled TLC to conserve nearly 400 acres in the county.
Sustaining farmland for future generations
In June, TLC staff, Johnston County Commissioners, and other partners gathered with the Delbridge family to celebrate this incredible conservation win. Assembled near the beautiful old barn, attendees shared special remarks about the importance of protecting family farmland.
Amongst the speeches, the most powerful came from the Delbridge women, who shared their memories of growing up on the land and exploring and playing amongst the creeks, woods, and ponds on the property.
“I am grateful that our parents instilled in us a love of nature, the sheer wonder of it,” said Lynette Delbridge, Lola Delbridge’s daughter. “In so doing, they gave me at least, this place as it exists in my memory, a place in my heart I can always come to when I need reassurance and rest.”
“I am grateful for people I will never know, people who dreamed up conservation, who figured out a way to make it happen, who got legislation passed, and who raised funds for it,” Lynette continued. “May we be people who make it possible for those we may never know in future generations to benefit from it and to care for it as we have been blessed to do in our own time and generation.”
Through land conservation, the Delbridge farm will continue to exist, providing connections to nature and heritage for generations to come
