Do you have too many cows on your land and need some extra space for them to graze?

Have you always wanted to become a rutabaga farmer but have just never had enough land to realize your dream?

Well, if any of that describes you, you might want to talk to Guilford County facilities staff and see if they have some land you can rent at the huge former Guilford County Prison Farm.

Nearly half of that land is about to be claimed by one Browns Summit farmer.  On Thursday, July 13, the county plans to lease out nearly 400 acres of crop parcels and pasture parcels to Philip Faucette II for $23,895 a year for the next five years.

That land makes up nearly half of the 806-acre swath of land in eastern Guilford County (and a small part of Alamance County) that was once known as the Guilford County Prison Farm, which the Guilford County Board of Commissioners shut down about a decade ago.

Starting in the early part of the 20th century, the Prison Farm housed low threat jail inmates and convicted prisoners who were willing to work the farm and learn other skills such as landscaping, cooking and gardening.

The food grown at the farm was often used to feed Guilford County inmates and guards.  Over the years, there have been a whole lot of proposals for using the property.  There’s been talk of putting everything from a Christian amusement park, to a vast collection of data centers, to a golf course, to a Walmart Distribution Center on the site.

But, it turns out, the property is still farmland ten years after the Prison Farm was closed.  And much of that land will continue to be farmed once the new lease is approved.

According to a public notice posted by the county, in July, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners plans to authorize the lease of the property – officially centered at 7315 Howerton Road  –  to Faucette until June 30, 2028.

Here’s the list of parcels and a breakdown of the prices:

  • Crop Parcel A consisting of 37 +/- acres for $3,145 annually
  • Crop Parcel F consisting of 34 +/- acres for $2,890 annually
  • Pasture Parcel A consisting of 51 +/- acres for $3,315 annually
  • Pasture Parcel B consisting of 57 +/- acres for $3,705 annually
  • Pasture Parcel C consisting of 83 +/- acres for $5,395 annually
  • Pasture Parcel D consisting of 44 +/- acres for $2,200 annually
  • Pasture Parcel E consisting of 23 +/- acres for $1,495 annually
  • Pasture Parcel F consisting of 50 +/- acres for $1,750 annually

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