Agenda - 06-19-2012 - 4b - Laserfiche WebLink

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for local foods will result in new farm, food and manufacturing business investment, helping to create jobs. Since the initiation of this effort, eight Orange County businesses have agreed on to participate in the campaign. Activity at the W.C. Breeze Family Farm Agricultural Extension and Research Center in northern Orange County works to enhance this effort, where 230 student - farmers have completed the "PLANT" (People Learning Agriculture Now for Tomorrow) workshop series since 2008, and four start-up farms (and seven individuals) have leased land at the Breeze Farm in 2012, including members of the local Burmese community. In the next few months, 28 acres of pasture will be put into use by a local farmer, and infrastructure improvements are continuing. The 2012 Farm to Fork event at Breeze Farm on May 20 was a sell -out, and the event raised more than $20,000 for the Center for Environmental Farming Systems and the Breeze Farm. Another critical piece of the local foods system is the Piedmont Food and Agricultural Processing Center (PFAP), located on Valley Forge Road in Hillsborough. At present, 21 clients are using the facility, and seven more are in the training and approval process - creating foods in 19 different product categories. All are selling locally, with seven selling in the Piedmont and others across the southeast and as far away as China. The facility's existence has enabled its two largest clients to save $750,000 in capital investment and $2,600 annually in operating costs. The attached resolution notes the benefits that are gained by such an initiative, the efforts already underway in Orange County towards this end as noted above, pledges to promote participation in the 10% Campaign by the County, and encourages its employees and County residents to do likewise. It also asks County staff to examine ways this initiative is being furthered by existing activities within County government, and look for ways to expand and institutionalize this goal within County government. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with approval of this resolution. The financial impact of addressing the 10% goal within County government is currently unknown, but would be part of the exploration and assessment done by County staff, with a subsequent report on proposed measures and associated costs to be provided in the fall of 2012. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve and authorize the Chair to sign the attached resolution supporting the "10% Campaign ", and instruct the Manager and staff to begin documenting current activities and exploring possible future ways of incorporating this goal into County government, with a report on possible measures and associated costs and benefits to be provided in fall 2012.