[00:00:07]

>>MB: This is Makayla Brooks on October 20, 2024, in Albemarle, North Carolina, speaking with Mr. Curtis Furr, just to start off. Can you tell me about your background and how you became a farmer?

>>CF: Well, I’m the fifth generation farmer here, and I just always have enjoyed being around my daddy and my grandpa and enjoyed farming, and that’s all I ever had a dream to do, was to farm.

Curtis Furr Farm – The Queen’s Garden

Curtis R. Furr is a fifth-generation farmer.

>> MB: You said it’s been in your family for five generations? Is it the same land?

>>CF: Some of the same land, that’s right, yeah, some of the same land. Most of what I farm, though, is rented from neighbors around; we rent their land and pay them a rent, a price per acre for rent every year. And that saves me having to buying and owning the land, which this day and time you can’t afford to buy it. But right now, I farm by myself, and I’m farming 1300 acres that I’ve got [Unintelligible].

Curtis R. Furr currently farms independently on 1,300 acres, most of which is rented from neighbors.

Curtis currently farms independently on 1,300 acres, most of which is rented from neighbors.

[00:02:36]

>>MB: So you are the supervisor in soil and water conservation?

>> CF: That’s right. I am the president of the soil and water district. I enjoyed being on that board and doing what we can to help other farmers preserve land and water, keeping our water clean, and doing what we can to preserve our country,

Curtis serves as a supervisor for the Stanly Soil and Water Conservation District.

2026 North Carolina General Election

And then also, we’re trying to get people to put their land in a voluntary [Ag] district or a conservation easement and that’s where they can sell their development rights, take that money, and buy more land. That’s a new program that’s coming out, and we’re trying to learn it and then encourage other people to get involved with it, too.

A lot of people don’t understand how it works. We are going to have a meeting a little bit later on and try to encourage people to come and learn more about it. And since land has been used for development, we’d like to save all this farmland that we can, and this is one way that they can do it and still keep land in the family.

>>CF: Well, I attend different meetings that we have throughout North Carolina to inform us on new programs that’s coming into play, and then try to help get the word out that the farmers can get some help for fixing ditches and stuff like that where they won’t wash away and just try to maintain and keep the soil in its right place. And we try to promote that.

>>CF: Well, to begin with, we do all no-till farming. That’s where we don’t till the soil no more. We don’t go in with bottom plows or chisel plow and work it six, eight inches deep. And we try not to do that so that the land will, you get it to work that deep and come big rain, it’s going to wash on. It’ll wash from the hill down to the holler, and then, you know, you lose that land. It goes down the creek. So we try to no-till farm where we don’t disturb the soil and plant our crops into standing.

One other thing I’m doing is cover crops. I’ve got real involved in using cover crops. That’s when, like, right now, when corn is coming off, we’re getting ready to either put a wheat crop on it or a cover crop of some kind of small grain and some kind of lagoon clover or brassicas like turnips or radishes and vetch, and winter peas will like so all that, as well as save the soil that builds the soil up, makes our organic matter come up, since you’re leaving all that on the soil to use as a cover crop.

Well, the biggest concern right now is water management. And, therefore there’s another way that cover crops is helping it. Filth or what you. What you’ve grown, and then when it comes springtime, you burn it down, and it mats to the ground which holds moisture in the ground. So that’s one way to conserve the moisture, and then I guess the other biggest thing is development.

Encourages landowners to use voluntary agricultural districts and conservation easements to preserve farmland and keep land in families.

Promotes programs that help farmers prevent ditch erosion and keep soil in place.

Uses no-till farming to limit soil disturbance and reduce erosion.

Uses cover crops to conserve soil moisture and build soil organic matter.

- Encourages landowners to use voluntary agricultural districts and conservation easements to preserve farmland and keep land in families.
- Promotes programs that help farmers prevent ditch erosion and keep soil in place.
- Uses no-till farming to limit soil disturbance and reduce erosion.
- Uses cover crops to conserve soil moisture and build soil organic matter.

Energy & the Environment

As of September 2, 2026, Curtis R. Furr did not have a website or any information online.

Administration

Curtis R. Furr

As of September 2, 2026, Curtis R. Furr’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Mauricio Mendez

Walter Ley

Danny Poplin

- A soil and water conservation district supervisor is 1 member of a board of 5 supervisors that works to improve the soil and water quality in the county through education. 
- The board of supervisors provide technical and financial assistance to help land users maintain their land and surrounding ecosystems. 
- The board of supervisors design long term conservation programs that teach environmental care, pollution reduction, and provide incentives for using these practices, especially for agricultural workers. 
- The board of supervisors provide short term educational services like competitions, field days, and workshops to educate the public on conservation. 
- Soil and water conservation district supervisors are elected to 4 year terms in non-partisan races. However, 2 of the board members are appointed by the state soil and water commission. 

Member of board of supervisors that creates aid programs and educates people on environmental conservation. 