Jubilee Farms, also known as Poplar Neck, has been actively pursuing agriculture and silviculture since the late 18th century. The Rich family have been stewards of the property for nearly 50 years. We have transformed old crop lands to natural native grass pastures and pine plantations to a robust wildlife habitat. We have preserved a mature hardwood and pine forest – all of which provide scenic beauty, diverse wildlife habitat, and 500 acres actively sequestering CO2 in the soil.
The biggest transformation was taking the dense 35-year-old pine plantation and creating a diverse wildlife habitat. The first step was careful thinning of the pines from over 100 trees per acre to approximately 60 thus allowing more sunlight to reach the ground, and encouraging the grasses and forbs to grow. Then we created trails, small roads, and drainage to allow access for walking, riding, and hunting.
The former crop land was planted in a mix of various strains of Bluestem, Gamma grass, and Switch-grasses – all grasses similar to those found throughout North Carolina’s Coastal and Piedmont Prairies. Pre-European settlement, Native American people who inhabited this land ritually burned large areas creating prairies (much like on the Great Plains) which allowed for the concentration of the wildlife on which they depended for food and thus easier hunting.
We added more than 10 kilowatts of solar electric production in 2003 along with geothermal heating and air conditioning in an effort, along with carbon sequestration, to naturally to reduce our carbon foot print. We feel climate change will be the major issue affecting our future, and limiting our greenhouse gas emissions is an effort – along with the conservation easement on the property – to preserve this land and its inhabitants for centuries to come.
Cy and Nancy Rich
Chowan County
(near Edenton)
The work of the Coastal Land Trust remains more important now than ever—to protect the lands that are essential to the health and well-being of the North Carolina coast, and the quality of our lives. While we may not know all the challenges that lie ahead, we do know that land protected today will be an enduring legacy for generations to come.
Please make a donation today to ensure that legacy becomes a reality. Thank you!
