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8 <br />1 university system to encourage agricultural students to stay in North Carolina and work on <br />2 local farms. The County should work with potential farmers to learn more about the types <br />3 of obstacles they are facing and to provide options (tax assistance, land link programs, <br />4 community gardens, incubators, etc.) to help overcome those obstacles. <br />5 <br />6 4) Local officials must continue to educate residents on the indirect benefits of agriculture to <br />7 the community. In 2006, the American Farmland Trust conducted a Cost of Community <br />8 Services Study for Orange County and determined that on average, for every $1 in revenue <br />9 raised by residential development, the County must spend $1.24 on services, compared to <br />10 just $0.72 cents of services per dollar of revenue raised by farm, forest, or open space. <br />11 This is a significant difference for a county with traditionally high property taxes due to a <br />12 strong public school system and small commercial tax base. It likewise supports the use of <br />13 local funds for agricultural conservation easements, since costs will be recovered in the long <br />14 run. <br />15 <br />16 5) County officials must also begin a dialogue with the municipalities in and adjacent to Orange <br />17 County regarding agricultural issues. It will become increasingly important for the <br />18 agricultural community to have an opportunity for input as the towns consider new <br />19 annexations and new land use regulations, because of the potential for unintended negative <br />20 consequences on farmers. These are the same farmers who preserve rural character, clean <br />21 water, clean air, and provide locally grown food. <br />22 <br />23 Orange County has had great success with its conservation easement program, Lands Legacy, <br />24 particularly in conjunction with state and federal funding programs, but the best long-term <br />25 approach for a strong agricultural economy is to strengthen existing farm operations and <br />26 enhance opportunities for new ventures. The 2005 Carolina Agricultural Development and <br />27 Farmland Preservation Enabling Act and associated Agricultural Development and Farmland <br />28 Preservation (ADFP) Trust Fund offers North Carolina counties a new opportunity to develop <br />29 strategic plans for improving the viability of local agriculture and the potential funding to bring <br />30 them to fruition, The long-term survival of agriculture in Orange County requires three key <br />31 components: keeping productive soils in operation, making farming more profitable, and <br />32 producing new farmers and farm operations. Non-farmers must also understand their role in <br />33 sustaining the agricultural community. Farmers must be able to make a living off the land. <br />34 Without economically viable agriculture, much of our rural character and its associated benefits <br />35 to the community are lost, but with careful planning the growing population can contribute to <br />36 the future of local agriculture as consumers for locally grown and value-added farm products <br />37 and as visitors for agritourism. <br />38 <br />39 <br />40 <br />©raft II/09/2009 Executive Summary Page iii of v <br />