Marion Lytle speaks with knowledge and first-hand experience of the people and social and economic issues facing Rowan County. He begins by describing his youth growing up in a farming community in Buncombe County. Mr. Lytle states that people in western Rowan County continue to identify with an agricultural lifestyle, although development has increased in the past 10 years. He claims that local farmers are environmentally conscious and were some of the first to support zoning to protect open areas, even before it became popular. He details steps that the county is taking to protect the rural landscape but adds that some county commissioners favor more development. He discusses the work of the Land Use Advisory Board and the Farmland Preservation Board in Rowan County. Mr. Lytle offers his opinion that the main challenge of the future is to enable people to protect their farmlands, especially when they face retirement issues and medical bills.