Agenda - 11-05-2009 - 6a (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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I e. Improve Communication and Networking within the Farm Community. 2 3 2. Develop Stronger Connections Between Schools and Local Farms. 4 Schools offer an excellent opportunity to educate students and their parents about the 5 importance of local farms. The school cafeteria system also provides a substantial market 6 for locally grown products. 7 a. The County should continue to pursue all opportunities to teach students about 8 agriculture —the value of locally grown goods to their health and the local economy. 9 Instruction should include hands -on training from field to table— growing vegetables 10 from assigned garden plots, harvest techniques, food storage (canning) and 11 preparation. 12 b. The County should also continue to pursue efforts to serve locally grown products in 13 cafeterias. New school buildings should be designed with commercial kitchens capable 14 of cooking food from scratch. The Small Farms /School Meals Initiative was started in 15 1997 by the USDA as a model to get locally grown products into public school 16 cafeterias, Orange County needs to study this model and determine the best way to 17 incorporate a similar program into its public school system. The creation of brokering 18 systems and /or cooperative frameworks for use in one institutional setting will be 19 easily assimilated into another creating a series of win -win spin -offs. 20 21 22 Pursue New Initiatives to Address Increasing Energy Costs and Alternative 23 Energy Needs 24 1. County residents must begin to develop a more holistic view of agriculture and a better 25 understanding of the global implications of their lifestyle decisions, particularly as 26 consumers. 27 In an effort to address increasing petroleum demands and increasing oil prices, farmers and 28 non - farmers should reconsider their energy usage — building and vehicle needs (cars and 29 farm machinery). 30 31 2. Local farmers should explore the potential for growing crops suitable for the production of 32 alternative fuels, and the potential to process alternative fuels. 33 `Growing Green" or alternative energy production is a growing industry and one that is well 34 suited to the farming community.31 What makes green industries particularly attractive for 35 farmers is the number of options available. Some of these new commodities include: 36 a. Sequestered Carbon. Energy companies are beginning to pay farmers for "credits" to 37 help mitigate climate change. Growing grasses, trees or using no -till planting practices 38 that leave the soil relatively undisturbed trap carbon rather than releasing it into the 39 atmosphere. Properly managed forestry programs can provide a sustainable source of 40 lumber while offsetting carbon dioxide emissions. Forestry has great potential for 41 Orange County farmers, but cutting trees is part of the operation. Forestry and 42 agricultural support staff will have to help educate the non -farm community so that 43 residents understand the harvest techniques and scheduled cuts that are part of a 44 successful operation. 31 The American Farmland Trust dedicated the Winter 2008 issue of its magazine, American Farmland, to climate change and green opportunities for farmers. More information on this topic is available on their website http: / /www.farmland.org[. Draft 1012812009 Action Steps to Ensure a Viable Agricultural Community 43