LIBERTY, N.C. — Alan Ferguson, 66, drove through Browns Meadow Road in Liberty, North Carolina, and reminisced. He’s been living outside the town for more than 15 years. His quiet, peaceful farm mostly keeps to itself and its community.
“This is a good farewell tour because this road’s going to be closed,” he said.
What You Need To Know
The Megasite will become a Toyota electric battery plant
Farmers are concerned about traffic, pollution and potential for water contamination
The Megasite bought the land from farmers, some whose families have been on the land since the 1600s
As we drove through, mailboxes stood in front of what used to be farms and homes.
“You knew everybody on this block?” I asked.
“Yes. This neighborhood has been destroyed,” Ferguson said. “That’s part of the price.”
Gov. Roy Cooper announced yesterday that the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite would become a Toyota battery-making plant, creating more than 1,700 new jobs for the Triad. It’s less than a quarter-mile from Ferguson’s farm.
He and his wife moved out of Greensboro to get away from the city and have more time with their horses.
“We like to ride them. We like to raise them and take care of them,” Ferguson said. “You need a lot of room to deal with big animals.”
These big animals are going to have to deal with a lot more noise soon, though. It’s a proposition that the farmers have been contesting since the idea for a factory on the Megasite came about a decade ago.
“We’re actually willing to make sacrifices for the common good,” Ferguson said. “What gets frustrating about it is where people don’t seem to realize that there are people who are making giant sacrifices for this project — and that would be us.”
People in the area understand progress is important. They just wish it wasn’t in their backyard.
"We’re not a tree, we’re not a rabbit,” Ferguson said. “This has a human cost, and the people that moved off of here, not one of them wanted to go.”
Farmers originally owned the land, but it was sold to the Megasite at a significantly higher rate than it was worth. Some of the farms have been active for hundreds of years, even before the Civil War.
“There’s a lot of sadness about it,” Ferguson said. “They lived here because they wanted to and didn’t intend to leave.”
The farmers will adapt. Ferguson said they always have. Although it might not be what they want, for the community, they accept it.
“Nobody likes change, and I’m no different from anybody else,” he said. “But I also know change comes, and sometimes that change is for the good of everybody, and I accept that.”
For now, he’ll focus on his horses and his farm. It’s what keeps him going every single day.
Toyota plans to start hiring no later than 2024, with production starting in 2025.