Orange County NC Website
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55 <br />1 Activities in this area to date include: <br />2 a. Creation of an Orange County Farms website and other print publications to identify <br />3 locally grown product.28 This website can also be used by farmers to identify <br />4 purchasing opportunities and the business development assistance outlined above; <br />5 b. Work with the organizers of the local farmers markets and assist with their marketing <br />6 effort where possible; <br />7 c: Work with local retail stores and restaurants to purchase and promote products grown <br />8 locally in the county; <br />9 d. Work with local institutions such as schools and state offices to purchase food grown <br />10 locally; <br />11 e. Expand cooperative efforts with neighboring counties to create a regional identity that <br />12 includes promotion of agriculture; and <br />13 f. Sponsorship of festivals, farm tours and other public recognition. <br />14 <br />15 5. Improve the Marketing Capacity of Farmers. <br />16 Traditionally, farmers have relied on off -farm distributors to handle marketing and price <br />17 negotiation for their products. Increasingly, farmers will recognize the value of direct <br />18 marketing their products to county residents as they diversity and specialize their <br />19 production. In addition to the steps outlined above, this item could include <br />20 a. Cooperative ventures may help farmers work together to meet the quantity demands <br />21 for institutional markets. Farm cooperatives can be used for marketing purposes, <br />22 financing new ventures and purchasing raw materials, such as fuel and electricity, or <br />23 the formation of less formal bargaining groups to jointly purchase farm supplies and <br />24 cooperatively advertise farm products. Orange County holds an Agricultural Summit <br />25 each February to explore these ventures and bring together potential cooperative <br />26 farms.29 <br />27 b. The County also holds (at the Summit and at other times during the year) marketing <br />28 workshops with input from farmers from other counties who have successfully <br />29 diversified and direct- marketed their production. <br />30 <br />31 <br />32 Support Farm Operations and the Right -to -Farm <br />33 1. Support the Right -to -Farm. <br />34 County and town officials should actively acknowledge the state right to farm law and seek <br />35 to improve neighbor relations and general understanding of commercial farm activities and <br />36 needs to reduce nuisance suits and generate positive public support for local agriculture. <br />37 Action items can include: <br />38 a. The County already ensures that notice requirements under the Voluntary Agricultural <br />39 District ordinance are followed in the counties land records system, with posted <br />40 notices and maps in the tax office, and with identification signage for enrolled farms. <br />41 b. Address infrastructure needs outlined in farmer surveys. The County should work with <br />42 the North Carolina state Department of Transportation on road maintenance priorities <br />43 and signage near farm operations. <br />44 c.The County could also create a "neighbor relations" packet for distribution to new <br />45 county residents by the Chamber of Commerce, Visitors Bureau, tax office, etc. This <br />28 Orange County, North Carolina has created such a site, found at (www.orangecountyfarms.org). <br />29 See Steuben County, New York, Farmland Protection Plan. <br />Draft 10/28/2009 Action Steps to Ensure a Viable Agricultural Community 40 <br />