Orange County NC Website
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1 <br />2 <br />3 <br />4 <br />5 <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 />44 <br />45 <br />46 <br />47 <br />26 <br />Orange County farmers generated over 46 million dollars to the local economy in 2005, but <br />their indirect contribution was much more. A substantial number of non - agricultural businesses <br />supply the needs of farmers. These include processors, vehicle and equipment dealers and <br />other enterprises. Farmers own and must maintain and replace trucks, tractors, and numerous <br />other pieces of farm equipment and machinery. They purchase petroleum products, animal <br />feed, seeds and fertilizer. Local farmers also hired farm laborers and in some cases provide <br />housing for those laborers. The growing equine industry supports specialty tack shops, with <br />apparel needs for riders as well as related supplies. For these businesses to survive and <br />prosper, a core critical mass of farmers must be preserved and vice - versa. Though difficult to <br />measure, these many businesses supporting agriculture account for a sizable portion of the <br />County's employment base. <br />Farm Land Use Trends & Family Farm Statistics <br />Agricultural land use patterns began to change in Orange County during the late 1960s and <br />1970s as a result of accelerating population growth. New residents moved into the rural parts <br />of the County and farmland was converted to other uses. The amount of land devoted to <br />agriculture decreased from 70% in 1950 to 28% in 2002, and the number of farms decreased <br />from a post -World War II high of over 2000 in 1950 to 631 in 1974. Since the 1970s, however, <br />the number of farms has remained relatively constant. Of the 71,010 acres land of farmland in <br />2002, approximately 34,766 acres were in cropland, 22,652 acres in woodland and 8521 acres <br />in pastureland. Roughly 342 acres of land were enrolled in the federal Conservation Reserve <br />Program and Wetlands Reserve Program. <br />Draft 1012812009 Overview of Agricultural Activity 11 <br />Orange County Agricultural Lands Trends: 1959 -2002 <br />Source: 1959 -2002 Census of Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture <br />160,000- <br />1,600 <br />140,000- <br />1,400 <br />120,000 <br />1,200 <br />y <br />100,000- <br />a <br />1,000 <br />u <br />c <br />80,000 <br />800 <br />60,000— <br />6tl k <br />v` 740. f <br />a^ <br />600 <br />z <br />40,000 <br />400 <br />20,000 <br />200 <br />0 <br />0 <br />_ <br />1959 <br />1964 1969 <br />1974 1978 <br />1982 <br />1987 <br />1992 <br />1997 2 002 <br />[==Land In Farms <br />145,96131,55 <br />110,74 <br />87,812 <br />87,344 <br />90,575 <br />81J08167,491 <br />72,673 <br />71,010 <br /># of Farms <br />11,4181 <br />1,115 <br />895 <br />631 <br />564 <br />1 599 <br />522 <br />F433 <br />577 <br />627 <br />Draft 1012812009 Overview of Agricultural Activity 11 <br />