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2 Local Food for Local Consumption A Local Food System <br />3 A lot has changed from the days when local farmers were, for the most part, self-sufficient. <br />4 Today's food often travels thousands of miles from farm to processing facility to grocery store <br />5 to table. One of the impacts of increasing petroleum prices is the added cost of transporting <br />6 food, a cost that shows up at the grocery store. Researchers at Cornell University have coined <br />7 terms such as "foodshed" and "foodprint" to reference the amount of land needed to feed the <br />8 average individual. Many individuals are trying to become "localvores" or "locavores" meaning <br />9 that they eat primarily locally grown foods-fruits and vegetables, dairy and meats. <br />10 <br />11 All residents should have an appreciation of where their food and other agricultural products <br />12 come from, and the nutritional benefits of eating local foodstuffs. The benefits of eating locally <br />13 are numerous. Food products tend to lose nutritional value during transport; the longer the <br />14 journey the greater the loss. Studies have also shown that people who try to learn about the <br />15 source of their food (through a direct farm connection) and eat seasonally tend to eat healthier. <br />16 Buying locally puts money back into the local economy; buying directly from farmers markets <br />17 and farm stands sends money directly to the farmer. Orange County must continue to spread <br />18 the word about the importance of buying locally grown products and develop a benchmark <br />19 system to measure progress. The County should also be involved in efforts to create a regional <br />20 sustainable food network, whereby local residents consume 10% locally grown and produced <br />21 products in five years and work to increase the percentage in the future. The County could aid <br />22 in this effort by buying locally grown and produced items for county-sponsored events and <br />23 meetings. <br />24 <br />25 <br />26 Agricultural Funding Programs <br />27 State Conservation Funding Tools <br />28 There are several state agencies that help to provide funding and technical assistance for <br />29 farmland protection. Among these are: <br />30 <br />31 1. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund. In 2005 the North <br />32 Carolina General Assembly amended the Farmland Preservation Enabling Act and <br />33 associated trust fund and created the Agricultural Development and Farmland Trust <br />34 Fund (ADFP). The amendments broadened the mission of the trust fund to include <br />35 three grant priorities: <br />36 Conservation easements (permanent easements); <br />37 Agricultural easements (term easements); and <br />38 Sustainable or viable agricultural programs. <br />39 These monies, when available, can be matched with certain federal funds described <br />40 below. The ADFP is administered by the Department of Agriculture or its designee. <br />41 Orange County received funding for an agricultural conservation easement from this <br />42 source in 2001. <br />43 <br />44 2. Clean Water Management Trust Fund. The North Carolina CWMTF is a voluntary, <br />45 incentive-based water quality program to help local governments, state agencies and <br />46 conservation non-profit groups finance projects to protect and restore surface water <br />47 quality. Farm and forest land owners are eligible to receive trust fund monies for sale of <br />48 the development rights to their land under certain guidelines and qualifications. These <br />Draft 6/1/2009 Opportunities for Enhancing Agriculture in Orange County 29 <br />