Agenda - 02-02-1999 - 10e - Laserfiche WebLink

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21 The farm is the future. I do not plan to sell any easements, development rights or land. I plan to pass it on to my children as it is. Don't know to answer some of the questions. I am not physically able to farm. My son has operated the farms for last few years. As a result of so many things about the future of farming, he is quitting to get a job at Duke as an electrical contractor. He is keeping cattle and raising hay for sale also. My son-in-law is going to farm the balance of it. The tobacco program is primary concern in my neighborhood. I have on-farm houses. The one full time employee receives ten dollars per hour. As of 3/1/98, dairy will stop. We will probably move out of Orange County because of residential development near us. I am a hobby beekeeper with 4 hives. I live on 9 mostly wooded acres - I don't want to see any regulations prohibiting keeping bees. I provide water for my bees so they won't be a nuisance to my neighbors. I want to see farmland in Orange County preserved as much as possible, by encouraging tax policies favorable to farmers. I might expand my operation and sell some honey in retirement. I am assuming we were sent the survey because we intend to raise bees. Otherwise, we wouldn't be considered farmers. I mazked a few answers, but most don't apply. PDR and TDR program would depend on the length of time for the agreement. Please send me anything you can on question #30. I have very little land or credit to start out on my own and would like to learn more about these programs if there is anything like that available. We have a ten acre fazm. No tax breaks for small farms. Price of surrounding land too expensive to expand operation. I would like to find out the results of this survey. Also, I would like to expand with 200+ acres available in neaz future, but can't outbid potential developers. A conservation easement or PDR or possibly TDR would be of great benefit. I would also like to work with wildlife orgs to preserve as much habitat as possible. Please let me know what I can do to help! We own the land, pay the taxes, and preserve and protect it. We should decide its use. Ag advocate should be a farmer. I think every farm, small or lazge, should have the opportunity to be free to plant what he wants to plant in order to make a living. I think a group of farmers is taking advantage of the small fanmer to keep some farmers from making a living. You know you can't make a living if you cut your operation down so low. The tobacco company having so much trouble. Bicyclists aze big problem! # 27-28-29-30 have been defeated by Orange County fanners. Drop the issues! ! ! The choice of agricultural or developmental use should be the owner; not some group of outsiders. #28 - OWASA? The only way I would sell development rights or have a conservation easement would be in 25 yeaz blocks. At the end of 25 years, if I or my children would want to develop the property or I would have the opportunity to buy them back at the same price I was paid for them. Appendix C