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1 Farmers inviting the public to their operation as part of agritourism may need liability insurance <br />2 to protect them from potential visitor injury. Agricultural buildings that are typically exempt <br />3 from the North Carolina Building Code may become subject to code if they are open to the <br />4 public. Farmers may need to provide restroom and hand washing facilities, which can translate <br />5 into larger septic systems and new wells. Food sales may bring other environmental health <br />6 regulations into play. All of these items can be addressed, but they can take time and may <br />7 require professionally prepared construction drawings or site plans. These items may seem <br />8 tedious but it is important for farmers to comply and when possible exceed requirements to <br />9 visibly maintain their role as environmental stewards. As residential development begins to <br />10 crowd traditional farming communities, the installation of proper environmental health <br />11 measures will become increasingly important to ensure the future compatibility of farms as <br />12 good neighbors. <br />13 <br />14 <br />15 <br />16 <br />17 <br />18 <br />19 <br />20 <br />21 <br />22 <br />23 <br />24 <br />25 <br />26 <br />27 <br />28 <br />29 <br />30 <br />31 <br />32 <br />33 <br />34 <br />35 <br />36 <br />37 <br />38 Taxes <br />39 Agricultural Surveys from 1998 to the present day list property taxes as a substantial and <br />40 problematic expense for local farmers. 79% of the farmers who responded to the 1998 survey <br />41 said that they participated in the Present-Use Value Taxation Program. The tax program is <br />42 probably the single most effective program for keeping farms, particularly conventional farms, <br />43 in operation and out of development. But the farm tax rate cannot keep pace with the <br />44 increasing land costs brought on by residential growth, it cannot help new farmers buy land nor <br />45 compete with the incentive for retiring farmers to sell their land to non-agricultural interests. <br />46 Property taxes remain a key area where many farmers feel more help is needed. 70% of <br />47 farmers stated in the 1998 agricultural survey that taxes are a strong factor in profitability. <br />48 More than 75% said that they would like to see a reduction in taxes on farm machinery and <br />Draft 6/1/2009 Challenges to Agriculture 17 <br />