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0 <br />(1) Are best suited for providing food, seed, fiber, forage, timber, and <br />oil seed crops; <br />(2) Have good soil qualities; <br />(3) Are favorable for all major crops common to Orange County; <br />(4) Have a favorable growing season; and <br />(5) Receive the available moisture needed to produce high yields for <br />an average of eight (8) out of ten (10) years; <br />OR be one on which at least two- thirds of the land has been actively used <br />in agricultural, horticultural or forestry operations as defined in the N.C. <br />General Statutes, Section 105 -277.2 (1,2, and 3), during each of the five <br />(5) previous years, measured from the date on which the determination <br />must be made as to whether the land in question qualifies. <br />C. Be managed, if highly erodible land exists on the farm, in accordance with <br />the Seil Natural Resources Conservation Service <br />defined erosion - control practices as specified in the 1985 Food Security <br />Act. <br />d. Be the subject of a conservation agreement, as provided in Article 4 of <br />Chapter 121 of the N.C. General Statutes, between Orange County and the <br />owner of such land that prohibits non -farm use or development of such <br />land for a period of at least ten (10) years, except for the creation of not <br />more than three (3) lots that meet applicable Orange County zoning and <br />subdivision regulations. <br />D. APPLICATION AND CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES <br />A farmland owner may apply for either certification as qualifying farmland or for <br />qualifying farmland certification and designation as a voluntary agricultural district. For <br />a farmland owner to receive the benefits provided by this ordinance, the farm must be <br />certified as qualifying farmland by the ; .r ' PistFie4s A&,is@Fy D a <br />Agricultural Preservation Board and designated as a voluntary agricultural district by <br />the Board of County Commissioners. <br />1. Applications for qualifying farmland certification and for voluntary agricultural <br />district designation shall be made to the Orange County Plafw'iag Environment <br />and Resource Conservation Department on forms provided by that <br />department. <br />0 <br />