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Page 1 of 1 <br /> 12 <br /> David Hunt <br /> From: David Hunt <br /> Sent: Tuesday,July 06, 2010 9:31 AM <br /> To: Donna Baker <br /> Cc: Noah Ranells <br /> Subject: Farmer Needed for Steering Committee <br /> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE <br /> Release Date: July 6,2010 <br /> Contact: Donna Baker, Clerk to the Orange County Board of Commissioners, (919)245-2130 <br /> Piedmont Food and Agriculture Processing Center Steering <br /> Committee <br /> ORANGE COUNTY,NC—One major way citizens can have a positive impact on the future of Orange <br /> County is to volunteer to serve on the various County advisory boards and commissions. <br /> The Orange County.Board of Commissioners is currently looking for an Orange County farmer to serve on <br /> the Piedmont Food and Agriculture Processing Center Steering Committee. <br /> The project is a multi-county effort involving Alamance, Chatham, Durham, and Orange Counties,as well as <br /> Weaver Street Market and Whole Foods and is an example of public-private collaboration in the Piedmont <br /> Region. <br /> The shared-use facility located at 500 Valley Forge Road in Hillsborough,NC will allow farmers and local <br /> food entrepreneurs in the Piedmont region to better compete in the emerging BUY LOCAL,EAT <br /> SEASONAL, FARM to FORK economy. This value-added processing center in Hillsborough is within a 1.5 <br /> hour drive of 15,378 farms in a 22 county area,nearly one-third of all farms in North Carolina, according to <br /> 2007 USDA statistics. <br /> Recently the center has been awarded$1,127,319 from five agencies, including the NC Tobacco Trust Fund, <br /> the Golden Leaf Foundation,NC Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund,US <br /> Housing&Urban Development—Economic Development Initiative, and the Rural Advancement Foundation <br /> International USA—Tobacco Communities Initiative. <br /> The Center is scheduled to open in March 2011 and will provide a wide range of food processing equipment <br /> in a commercial kitchen. Planning includes business development education, especially for food-based <br /> businesses.The processing center should be financially sustainable in its third year of operation through the <br /> collection of user and program fees and from the fundraising effort of the nonprofit entity that will be formed <br /> to manage the center. <br /> Apply online http://www.co.orange.nc.us/boards/apply.asp or contact Donna Baker, 919-245-2130. <br /> David Hunt <br /> Orange County, NC <br /> Deputy Clerk/Information Specialist <br /> 919-245-2126 <br /> 8/2/2010 <br />