cates farm farmland conservation project north carolina

Cate's Farm Farmland Conservation

wave

Unique Places to Save partnered with the City of Mebane to assist with their master planning process that garnered community input for this remarkable rural property as part of their park concept.

Unique Places to Save partnered with the City of Mebane to assist with their master planning process that garnered community input for this remarkable rural property as part of their park concept.

Arcadia Land & Water of Durham, NC sold a 54-acre property north of historic Cates Farm in Alamance County to the City of Mebane. The sale includes a $60,000 donation by Unique Places LLC to Unique Places to Save, to work with the city to develop a park or open space area that will benefit residents and visitors alike.

The property includes conservation easements held by the NC Department of Transportation and was historically part of the Swathmoor-Cates Family Farm, which was a substantial pickling operation in the early 20th century. Much of the remaining Cates Family farmland has been protected through farmland conservation easements in a partnership between the City of Mebane and Unique Places LLC.

With conservation easements in place to protect Mill Creek and other creeks that border the property, and the vision for conservation in place, this property is a natural, sustainable, open space area for the city and surrounding communities to enjoy for generations to come.

 

Learn more about Cate's Farm Park

 

About the Authormichael scisco

Michael brings nearly 20 years of experience to his role as Trusted Conservation Advisor at Unique Places to Save. He has worked to conserve over 200,000 acres across the U.S. while securing over $200M in funding and transacting $500M in land and other real estate.

Learn More

We are a trusted partner for land planners to integrate conservation into their development strategy

 

Learn More
photo of wetlands near the ocean

Caroline Sevier, August 2025

How Conservation Helps Keep PFAS Out of Water

Have you ever seen a new acronym online and wondered what it meant? In a world swimming with acronyms like LOL and YOLO, you are definitely not the only one. PFAS isn’t a trendy new text lingo, but actually a dangerous source of widespread ...

working forest conservation easement land trust faq

Michael Scisco, August 2025

Conservation of Working Forests

It is estimated that 20% of the land base in the U.S. or 445 million acres are private forested lands. Fifteen million acres of private forested land is under some type of permanent or term conservation agreement. While this seems like a bi...

photo of speedman conservation easement

Michael Scisco, August 2025

Speedman | Conservation Easement

Total Acres 53.6 Project Year 2025 Located in Wayne County NC The Speedman Mitigation Project is a stream and wetland restoration project located in the Cape Fear River Basin, North Carolina. The Speedman project restored approximately 3,50...

photo of private land donated for a conservation easement

Michael Scisco, August 2025

Lasting Conservation Depends on Private Commitment

Across the United States, mountain slopes, productive farmland, forested valleys, and headwater streams define the character of our shared natural heritage. While public lands such as national parks and forests often get the spotlight, the ...