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40 <br />1 small amounts of raw product from individual farmers into large volumes may be the linchpin to <br />2 finally to tap into the {ocal institutional market. <br />3 <br />4 Local Food for Local Consumption A Local Food System <br />5 A lot has changed from the days when local farmers were, for the most part, self-sufficient. <br />6 Today's food often travels thousands of miles from farm to processing facility to grocery store <br />7 to table. One of the impacts of increasing petroleum prices is the added cost of transporting <br />8 food, a cost that shows up at the grocery store. Researchers at Cornell University have coined <br />9 terms such as "foodshed" and "foodprint" to reference the amount of land needed to feed the <br />10 average individual. Many individuals are trying to become "localvores" or "locavores" meaning <br />11 that they eat primarily locally grown foods-fruits and vegetables, dairy and meats. <br />12 <br />13 All residents should have an appreciation of where their food and other agricultural products <br />14 come from, and the nutritional benefits of eating local foodstuffs. The benefits of eating locally <br />15 are- numerous. Food products tend to lose nutritional value during transport; the longer the <br />16 journey the greater the loss. Studies have also shown that people who try to learn about the <br />17 source of their food (through a direct farm connection) and eat seasonally tend to eat healthier. <br />18 Buying locally puts money back into the local economy; buying directly from farmers markets <br />19 and farm stands sends money directly to the farmer. Orange County must continue to spread <br />20 the word about the importance of buying locally grown products and develop a benchmark <br />21 system to measure progress. The County should also be involved in efforts to create a regional <br />22 sustainable food network, whereby local residents consume 10% focally grown and produced <br />23 products in five years and work to increase the percentage in the future. The County could aid <br />24 in this effort by buying locally grown and produced items for County-sponsored events and <br />25 meetings. <br />26 <br />27 <br />28 Agricultural Funding Programs <br />29 State Conservation Funding Tools <br />30 There are several state agencies that help to provide funding and technical assistance for <br />31 farmland protection. Among these are: <br />32 <br />33 1. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund. In 2005 the North <br />34 Carolina General Assembly amended the Farmland Preservation Enabling Act and <br />35 associated trust fund and created the Agricultural Development and Farmland <br />36 Preservation Trust Fund (ADFP). The amendments broadened the mission of the trust <br />37 fund to include three grant priorities: <br />38 Conservation easements (permanent easements); <br />39 Agricultural easements (term easements); and <br />40 Sustainable or viable agricultural programs. <br />41 These monies, when avai{able, can be matched with certain federal funds described <br />42 below. The ADFP is administered by the Department of Agriculture or its designee. <br />43 Orange County received funding for an agricultural conservation easement from this <br />44 source in 2001 and for the Piedmont Value-Added Food and Agricultural .Processing <br />45 Center in 2007. <br />46 <br />47 2. Clean Water Management Trust Fund. The North Carolina CWMTF is a voluntary, <br />48 incentive-based water quality program to help local governments, state agencies and <br />Draft 11/09/2009 Opportunities for Enhancing Agriculture in Orange County 29 <br />