Agenda - 11-17-2009 - 4g - Laserfiche WebLink

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13 1 and water resources, recharges groundwater and abates storm water runoff, connects wildlife 2 habitat, and safeguards the scenic and historic vistas that have defined the county's character. 3 4 Local residents and elected officials have long recognized the importance of this cultural and 5 economic legacy and have sought to protect and enhance it, but pressures on local farms are 6 intense. Residential development is moving into rural areas at an alarming pace, bringing with 7 it the potential to compromise rural character, increase public service costs and consume 8 agricultural lands. Rising land values, nuisance complaints, and impacts from growth-related 9 public projects such as reservoirs and highways result from encroachment into farming areas. 10 Coupled with external pressures such as shifts in commodity prices, global competition, and 11 increased State and federal government regulations, it is exceedingly difficult for farmers to 12 retain profitable operations. With fewer young people entering agriculture, aging farmers often 13 see no alternative but to "grow houses" on their land. 14 15 Reflecting the concerns of all of their constituents, the Board of County Commissioners renamed 16 the Agricultural Districts Advisory Board to the Agricultural Preservation Board (APB) in 2000. 17 The APB's mission is intended to benefit all Orange County residents, not just farmers.3 The 18 Orange County Agricultural Development and Farmland Protection Plan (FPP) 19 therefore addresses the interests of three primary "stakeholders." 20 21 Conventional or large farms (100 or more acres) with dairy, livestock, and grain crops 22 that have generally been family farms for several generations. These farms have been 23 the backbone of agriculture in North Carolina in the past but their number has declined 24 dramatically due to land and labor costs, an increasingly fragile agriculture 25 infrastructure, and development pressure on land resources. 26 Small farms (less than 100 acres). Some of these farmers are raising produce, horses or 27 livestock on limited acreage and selling to local markets. These farmers represent the 28 largest increase in agricultural activity in the county. 29 The non-farm population who benefits aesthetically from Orange County's rural 30 character, and directly from locally produced food, clean water, clean air, green space, 31 and rural vistas. It is this segment of the population who has the most to gain from a 32 strong commitment to preserving our farmlands. 33 34 The FPP attempts to describe the challenges of each of these groups and identify specific 35 programs to encourage agricultural development in response. It offers a vision of what the 36 farming community should look {ike in ten years, twenty years and beyond and outlines a series 37 of action strategies to bring that vision into fruition. 38 39 The document has been prepared in partnership with other key agricultural agencies that serve 40 local farmers--Cooperative Extension, Farm Services, and the Soil and Water Conservation 41 District/NRCS-and includes a comprehensive coverage of programs for farmers. The adoption s Recognizing the importance of agriculture and forestry a new chapter was added to the Orange County Comprehensive Plan during the recent 2030 update. The Agriculture chapter of the Natural and Cultural Systems Element (NCSE) provided an important link between agriculture, and land use polices and related regulations. It also showed the connection between agriculture and local economic development. Draft II/09/2009 Introduction 2