Agenda - 08-21-2012 - 7a - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

W ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: August 21, 2012 Action Agenda Item No. 7 -a SUBJECT: Conservation Easement for Thompson Farm DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, Parks PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No and Recreation (DEAPR) ATTACHMENTS INFORMATION CONTACT: Location Map David Stancil, 245 -2510 Site Map Rich Shaw, 245 -2514 Letter from Black Family Land Trust Draft Conservation Easement PURPOSE: To authorize Orange County's contribution of funds for the Black Family Land Trust purchase of an agricultural conservation easement for the Thompson prawn farm. BACKGROUND: The acquisition of agricultural conservation easements to protect prime farmland in Orange County is a longstanding goal of the Board of Commissioners, and is a priority of the Lands Legacy Program. Through this program, the County has helped protect 1,990 acres of privately -owned farmland and natural areas with conservation easements. Over the past few years, Orange County has worked with the Black Family Land Trust and others to complete a permanent conservation easement on the Thompson prawn farm located on Allie Mae Road in Cedar Grove Township. In 2009 the County applied for a federal grant to assist with the purchase of an easement on this farm, but was unsuccessful. In 2010 the Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR) assisted the Black Family Land Trust (BFLT) with preparing two grant applications for this project. BFLT was awarded $45,500 in state funds from the NC Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund (ADFPTF) and $45,000 in federal funds from the US Department of Agriculture's Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program (FRPP). Since then BFLT has worked with DEAPR and the grant agencies to complete the project. The farm is owned by Joseph and Jettlelean Thompson. The Thompsons purchased the farm in 1980 and raised tobacco for 20 years until they decided to sell the tobacco allotment as part of the NC Tobacco Quota Buyout program. After extensive research, Joe Thompson converted the former tobacco farm into a freshwater prawn farm — a highly unusual commodity in Piedmont NC. The prawns are harvested each fall and sold to Triangle restaurants and specialty grocery stores. Other parts of the farm are used to produce corn and small grain to develop feed for the prawns. In 2010 Joe Thompson was recognized as the Small Farmer of the Year by the Cooperative Extension program at North Carolina A &T University. Mr. Thompson also is a member of the