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58 <br />1 4. Imarove community awareness of farming and the relationshia between local farms and <br />2 <br />3 <br />4 <br />5 <br />6 <br />7 <br />8 <br />9 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />. food security. <br />a) Evaluate the regional food system. <br />b) Begin to consider how to get local residents to consume 10% locally grown and <br />produced products in five years. <br />c) Ask local governments to adopt policies that will mandate their purchase of 10% <br />locally grown and produced products for government functions within five years. <br /> <br />Establish the groundwork to begin a brokering system that facilitates the link between <br />10 local producers and institutional markets. <br />11 <br />12 <br />13 C. Critical Ongoing Action Steps <br />14 / Continue to recognize and support the right to farm. Protect farm operations from <br />15 incompatible adjacent land uses or activities that will adversely affect the long-term <br />16 agricultural investment in land and improvements. <br />17 <br />18 / Continue to promote existing programs to preserve farmland, including the voluntary <br />19 agricultural district program and agricultural conservation easements. Continue to seek <br />20 funding sources to offset the cost of purchasing easements, and promote the donation <br />21 of easements for tax credits. <br />22 <br />23 / Develop programs and associated infrastructure facilities to make local farms more <br />24 economically viable, including local farm product processing, development of a <br />25 distribution center, and marketing initiatives. <br />26 <br />27 / Encourage farmers to continue to be model environmental stewards and promote good <br />28 forest stewardship management practices using state and federal programs that provide <br />29 financial assistance. <br />30 <br />31 / Encourage the use and production of natural fuel alternatives to petroleum-based <br />32 products and pursue new types energy sources. Monitor new opportunities in the 2008 <br />33 Farm Bill and elsewhere for farmers to produce and use alternative sources of energy. <br />34 <br />35 / Minimize the negative impacts of future public projects (such as roads, utility lines, etc) <br />36 on farming operations and productive farmland. Conduct public review of projects <br />37 proposed by entities that have the power of eminent domain, and consider the impact of <br />38 such actions on agricultural activity. <br />39 <br />40 / Develop a single clearing-house information source for current agricultural topics, <br />41 agricultural programs, and events sponsored by Orange County and/or for local farmers <br />42 in conjunction with the Orange County Farms website. <br />43 <br />44 / Work with the North Carolina Farmland Transition Network and local FFA programs to <br />45 establish an ongoing apprenticeship with Orange County farmers. Establish foundation <br />46 for future land link program. <br />47 <br />48 / Maintain experienced agricultural support staff for local farmers. <br />graft 11!09/2009 Implementation Schedule 47 <br />