Orange County NC Website
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1 <br />2 <br />3 <br />4 <br />6 <br />7 <br />8 <br />9 <br />10 <br />11 <br />12 <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 <br />39 <br />40 <br />41 <br />42 <br />43 <br />What if Agriculture became Orange County's largest industry again?27 <br />What if Orange County actively promoted the value of agriculture to keep the public aware of <br />the farm sector? What if local residents began to think of farm fields and forestland as <br />"working lands" rather than undeveloped land? What if residents began to acknowledge <br />farmers as the stewards of these finite natural resources, and as the innovative small <br />businessmen and women that they have been for generations? What if land use regulations <br />allowed more flexibility to accommodate the unusual needs of agricultural businesses? What if <br />officials considered the unintended consequences changes to development codes in Orange <br />County and its municipalities might have on farmers, prior to making decisions. <br />If the new Piedmont Regional Value-Added Processing <br />Center became the linchpin for farmers to finally break into <br />local institutional markets, then focal children would know <br />what's in season by what's in their school lunch. The <br />processing center would provide the foundation of Orange <br />County's agricultural infrastructure. It would help small <br />farmers combine their individual harvests into larger units <br />capable of meeting the demands of cafeterias. The <br />County would hire a broker to ensure that farmers were <br />growing the right amount of the right crops. Farmers <br />would start using greenhouses to grow produce during the <br />off season to meet year-round needs; they would be more <br />because they would know that there was a market waiting. <br />more of aself-serving facility to help farmers connect with <br />and roadside stands. <br />SPEND !l~' MERE + KEEP ~ MERE <br />comfortable trying something new <br />The Piedmont Center would remain <br />area restaurants, farmers markets <br />If agriculture became profitable again, all residents, particularly cyclists and distance runners <br />could enjoy the dairy farms along Dairyland and Orange Grove roads well into the future. The <br />farm communities, the northeast part of the county such as Schley and Caldwell could also see <br />a renewed interest in agriculture and forestry. Small crossroad stores would return to their <br />former status as community centers. A large-scale farm supple store would return to Orange <br />County because there would be a market for their goods, and in exchange, farmers would be <br />able to buy their supplies in their community. The county would also evaluate the need for <br />abattoirs, family meat processing facilities that meet USDA requirements. New forms of tax <br />assistance would help conventional farmers stay in business and help those farmers ready to <br />retire to have more options, more ways to keep the land that they love in production, while <br />providing for their children's future and their own health needs. <br />27 More likely agriculture would become the third highest sector to the local economy, after the University <br />of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University Hospital system and local government: Orange County, <br />the municipalities and the associated public school systems. <br />Draft 6/1/20U9 A New Vision for the Future of Agriculture in Orange County 33 <br />