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1 <br />2 <br />3 <br />4 <br />5 Growth Equals New Consumers <br />6 Despite the decline in the number of farms and the amount of farmland in production, <br />7 agriculture remains an important contributor to the local economy and the growing population <br />8 can contribute as new consumers. Revenues from sectors that can support development such <br />9 as nursery products and greenhouses are up. Demands for grass-fed beef and pasture-raised <br />10 pork and chicken, local and organic produce are also increasing due in part to the influx of new <br />11 residents. Many Orange County farmers are taking advantage of these new consumers, by <br />12 changing what they grow and how they sell it. Community supported agriculture (CSA) <br />13 programs, farmers markets and individual farm stands, and pick-your-own operations have <br />14 become very popular in Orange County and in the greater Triangle Region. These types of <br />15 businesses serve a niche market created from suburban consumers, interested in supporting <br />16 local farm operations and buying local products. Residents desire locally grown goods for a <br />17 variety of reasons. Some prefer the nutritional benefits of fresh food.12 Others feel a personal <br />18 commitment toward broader issues of reducing dependency on foreign markets and <br />iz Studies have shown that practical experience with fresh food (growing and harvesting, eating <br />seasonally, preserving and cooking) has a positive impact on dietary habits. The 5-10 day transportation <br />and storage lag between production and consumption leads to losses of 30-50% in some nutritional <br />constituents. Source: Health Benefits of Urban Agriculture, A paper from the Community Food Security <br />Coalition's North American Initiative on Urban Agriculture, authored by Anne C. Bellows, PhD Rutgers, <br />The State University of New Jersey, Katherine Brown, PhD Southside Community Land Trust, Jac Smit, <br />MCP The Urban Agriculture Network. Fresh food may also benefit those with special dietary concerns <br />such as diabetics and those with food allergies. <br />Draft 6/1/2009 Opportunities for Enhancing Agriculture in Orange County 23 <br />