Agenda - 06-16-2009 - Infor Item 3

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2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 Orange County was an early leader in North Carolina's agricultural preservation efforts. When the General Assembly adopted the Farmland Preservation Enabling Act in 1986 Orange was one of the first counties to adopt a countywide farmland protection ordinance and today more than 2,700 acres are enrolled in the County's Voluntary Agricultural District program.l In 2000, Orange County established the first comprehensive land acquisition program in North Carolina, the Lands Legacy program. Today eleven agricultural easements have been recorded, protecting 1,200 acres of prime and threatened farmland. Despite these local accomplishments, many farmers are struggling to make a profit. Agriculture is a changing industry. State and federal regulations are being revised and traditional commodity programs are being phased out. Local farmers are looking for ways to add revenue to their operations. Older farmers are considering retirement; those without a younger farmer to take on the family business may consider selling their land. All county residents benefit from local farms. Everyone who eats enjoys the quality and convenience associated with locally grown fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and farm-raised beef, pork and poultry. Everyone who travels along county roads enjoys the scenic vistas retained through tilled fields, pastures and forestlands. Orange County must support efforts to make agriculture and forestry more profitable in order to ensure the long-term survival of local farms and their associated benefits. Success will be dependent on everyone; all residents- conventional farmers, small farmers, and non-farm consumers--will need to play a role. In 2005, the North Carolina General Assembly amended the state farmland protection program to expand the focus. The new Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Enabling Act and the Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation (ADFP) Trust Fund supports agricultural development projects such as business planning and incubator programs as well as agricultural easements and other traditional farmland preservation programs. Counties must have an adopted a countywide farmland protection plan to be eligible for preference for Trust Fund monies. The following Orange County Farmland Protection Plan (FPP) is designed to serve as the strategic plan for local agriculture and forestry for the next ten, twenty years and beyond. The 1 In 1986, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the Farmland Preservation Enabling Act, which provided counties with the authority to establish farmland preservation programs including voluntary agricultural districts (VADs) and agricultural advisory boards. (NCGS §106-735 et seq.) Orange County adopted its Voluntary Farmland Protection Ordinance in 1992 and, as of January 2009, thirteen farmers have enrolled in the program demonstrating a commitment to farming for at least ten more years. Draft &/1/2009 Executive Summary Page i of v Agriculture is a vital component of Orange County's economy. Farmers contributed more than $46,000,000 in gross sales in 2005 and that number continues to increase. Farmers also serve as the environmental stewards of large areas of open space, protecting natural resources and wildlife corridors.