Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
he described graphically. Vermont has a strategic Farm to Plate plan that includes <br /> greater exposure of K-12 students to careers in food systems and more post-secondary <br /> opportunities. The Career Center also has partnerships with various state colleges and <br /> universities and University of Vermont Extension. <br /> Lynn described one successful program in detail called Chick to Plate, a partnership <br /> between an elementary school, extension, and 4-H to hatch eggs that are later raised to <br /> maturity and processed that has been going on for more than 20 years. The high <br /> school students would develop mentorships with the elementary school students and <br /> the farmers that raise the chickens. The Center's construction students designed and <br /> built three hoop houses and it now broods about 300 chickens on one acre. The <br /> Center's agribusiness class is responsible for marketing and sales. <br /> Noah Ranells,Agriculture Economic Development Coordinator of Orange County, <br /> North Carolina has been leading efforts to recruit farm-related enterprises. One such <br /> effort is the Piedmont Food &Agricultural Processing Center (PFAP) in Hillsborough, <br /> NC, a new regional food business incubator serving a 75-mile radius that covers 22 <br /> counties and 15,378 farms. The Center has a large selection of food processing <br /> equipment and once underway will offer training, consultation, and product development <br /> services. The Center was conceived as a response to trends in support of local food <br /> system development that includes the <br /> transition from tobacco crops, growing <br /> interest in Buy Local programs and <br /> eating seasonal varieties, and Farm to <br /> �t <br /> z <br /> Fork programs. Major drivers for these tee` <br /> trends are increased desire for food <br /> : . <br /> security, improved health, to protect �u <br /> rural heritage and slow urban sprawl, <br /> green seniors, new regional food <br /> systems, and a weak job market <br /> causing people to look at new lifestyles <br /> An initial feasibility study in Alamance, <br /> Chatham, Orange, and Durham <br /> counties showed a strong demand for <br /> the incubator and a projected annual " <br /> revenue of$156,200. <br /> Financial support for PFAP is provided by NC Agricultural Development& Farmland <br /> Preservation Trust, Golden Leaf Foundation, Tobacco Trust Fund, HUD, Rural <br /> Advancement Fund International-USA, NC Energy Office/ARRA-Transportation, and <br /> NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, and Specialty Crops. http:// <br /> www.co.orange.nc.us/farms/PFAP/. <br /> 6 <br />