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26 <br /> • <br /> stts�;e ' code A <br /> PaRRY.LICCFET. MAIN UiLaF !'bra+��,�QM? <br /> ORANGE CourCt Y HOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> aacrsC. :.v POST OFFS Box 8181 <br /> Burr_-,e ta;+ar�n; <br /> ZOO SOUTH CAMERON STREET <br /> yes, <br /> HILLSBOROUGH, NORTH CAROLINA 27278 <br /> e <br /> • <br /> July 31,2008 <br /> Mr Wiliam lire:hrrrh <br /> Executive Director <br /> North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund <br /> 1 090 Mail Service Center <br /> • Raleigh, NC 27699-108t} <br /> Dear Mr.Upchurch: <br /> This letter serves to express the support of the Orange County Bawd of Commissioners for the <br /> Piedmont Regional Value-Added Shared Use Food and Agricultural Processing Center proposal <br /> submitted on behalf of Abe-Rance,Chatham, Durham,and Orange counties. That core group of <br /> counties has worked di igently to bud community and user support,augmented by e <br /> professional feasnilly study completed in November 2007 and funded by government and <br /> private cnnirihutinn .The tour respective boards of county commissioners mowed our <br /> commitment Lo this project dough resolution passed in the first hat of 2008. <br /> 'diva ore enthusiastic about implementing this collaborative project vfilc h wll effectively serve a <br /> 78-mile radius that includes 22 counties and 16214 fern's, almost one-third of the farms in <br /> North Carolina.We pledge to engage We 2,721 tobacco farms in the service area and their <br /> respective rural communities through existing networks of cooperative extension canters as well <br /> as regional,county,and local economic development speclafrsts.Those interests already have <br /> open engaged in our efforts to advantxr this project,and in the 1(1 annual Agricuitirral Summits <br /> rieki here in Orange County since 1998. <br /> The feasibliy study showed a clear demand from farmers and food entrepreneurs for a facility <br /> such as we propose.The population base arm concentration of institutional and retail outlets are <br /> adequate to support the sate of products from the processing center.which will promote <br /> valuable sorrel business development.Our growing populace has demonstrated strong and <br /> wing demand for high value, locally produced food,and our farmers have shown <br /> condidorablo innovrilion in attempting to explore new markewng opportunities. <br /> Finding viable finandal alternatives for tobacco fanners and other producers in nil[Aunties <br /> remains a key to our future as we face significant Growth and development pressures_We must <br /> act now to help fanners and rural communities retrain active centers for economic development <br /> through agriculture and agriculture-retaled production_ We believe that bolstering the local <br /> agricultural economy is essential to economic,Guttural,and environmental sustainabllity in <br /> urbanizing counties such as the bur involved in our partneleht. <br /> wow Ca ORAXGE.N6u8 <br /> PIPOTECT,NN ANO PR£5Rr1R8 PCW 1C.ff MPVIICAb,QUASI r Vt 110-; <br /> QvAiMEF Cavalry,magma cam:km-rpa COUNT: <br /> (919)245-2110O• PAX(PM,E.M.-.0.440 <br /> BOCC Meeting, January 22, 2009, Page 26 /39 <br />