Orange County NC Website
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2 <br />3 <br />4 <br />5 <br />6 <br />7 <br />8 <br />10 <br />Agriculture is a vital component of Orange County's economy. Farmers contributed more than <br />$46,000,000 in gross sales in 2005 and that number continues to increase. Farmers also serve <br />as the environmental stewards of large areas of open space, protecting natural resources and <br />wildlife corridors. <br />9 Orange County was an early leader in North Carolina's agricultural preservation efforts. When <br />10 the General Assembly adopted the Farmland Preservation Enabling Act in 1986 Orange was one <br />11 of the first counties to adopt a countywide farmland protection ordinance and today more than <br />12 2,700 acres are enrolled in the County's Voluntary Agricultural District program.' In 2000, <br />13 Orange County established the first comprehensive land acquisition program in North Carolina, <br />14 the Lands Legacy program. Today eleven agricultural easements have been recorded, <br />15 protecting 1,200 acres of prime and threatened farmland. <br />16 <br />17 Despite these local accomplishments, many farmers are struggling to make a profit. Agriculture <br />18 is a changing industry. State and federal regulations are being revised and traditional <br />19 commodity programs are being phased out. Local farmers are looking for ways to add revenue <br />20 to their operations. Older farmers are considering retirement; those without a younger farmer <br />21 to take on the family business may consider selling their land. <br />22 <br />23 All county residents benefit from local farms. Everyone who eats enjoys the quality <br />24 and convenience associated with locally grown fruits and vegetables, dairy <br />25 products, and farm - raised beef, pork and poultry. Everyone who travels along <br />26 county roads enjoys the scenic vistas retained through tilled fields, pastures and <br />27 forestlands. Orange County must support efforts to make agriculture and forestry <br />28 more profitable in order to ensure the long -term survival of local farms and their <br />29 associated benefits. Success will be dependent on everyone; all residents - <br />30 conventional farmers, small farmers, and non -farm consumers- -will need to play a <br />31 role. <br />32 <br />33 In 2005, the North Carolina General Assembly amended the state farmland protection program <br />34 to expand the focus. The new Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Enabling <br />35 Act and the Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation (ADFP) Trust Fund supports <br />36 agricultural development projects such as business planning and incubator programs as well as <br />37 agricultural easements and other traditional farmland preservation programs. Counties must <br />38 have an adopted a countywide farmland protection plan to be eligible for preference for <br />39 Trust Fund monies. <br />40 <br />41 The following Orange County Agricultural Development and Farmland Protection Plan <br />42 (FPP) is designed to serve as the strategic plan for local agriculture and forestry for the next <br />1 In 1986, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the Farmland Preservation Enabling Act, which <br />provided counties with the authority to establish farmland preservation programs including voluntary <br />agricultural districts (VADs) and agricultural advisory boards. (NCGS §106 -735 et seq.) Orange County <br />adopted its Voluntary Farmland Protection Ordinance in 1992 and, as of January 2009, thirteen farmers <br />have enrolled in the program demonstrating a commitment to farming for at least ten more years. <br />Draft 1012812009 Executive Summary Page i of v <br />