NC Farmlink is pleased to welcome Stephen Bishop as its new Western Director. Stephen brings almost a decade of experience working directly with farmers on issues related to farmland preservation and conservation. Before his joining NC Farmlink in mid-February, Stephen worked for nine years with the Cleveland Soil and Water Conservation District in Shelby, NC, where he saw firsthand the difficulties that farmers face in finding and securing farmland to establish and grow their agricultural enterprises.

As Western Director of NC Farmlink, Stephen will help connect farmers to resources on farmland acquisition and farmland transition planning. He will work out of the Cleveland County Extension Office and support NC FarmLink activities in 45 Western NC Counties and would be glad to meet with farmers, civic groups, and others on topics related to finding and preserving farmland. He can be reached at sabishop@ncsu.edu and 704-482-4365.