Orange County NC Website
M <br />parcel of land totaling 12.28 acres, located in the Cane Creek - Buckhorn area on Dairyland <br />Road, as qualifying farmland for the Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District (EVAD) program <br />(Cane Creek - Buckhorn Agricultural District). The farm is very diverse with a primary focus on <br />beef cattle and organically grown market produce for farm and farmers market sales. The Allan <br />and Christine Green Farm has been evaluated against each of the EVAD certification <br />requirement standards and meets or exceeds all of the measures above. <br />It should also be noted that staff has consulted with all of these farm owners regarding the <br />proposed revisions to the Voluntary Farmland Protection Program Ordinance also on the <br />Board's June 4, 2013 agenda. All of the owners are aware that their VAD /EVAD applications, if <br />approved, will proceed under the new Ordinance provisions as approved by the Board. <br />To be formally designated as part of a voluntary agricultural district, the Board of <br />Commissioners must approve that the farms meet the certification requirements as per the <br />APB's findings. <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with this item. Voluntary agricultural <br />districts are non - monetary and non - binding conservation agreements. Enhanced Voluntary <br />Agriculture Districts are non - monetary and are binding 10 -year conservation agreements. <br />RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board certify the seven (7) farm <br />properties noted above totaling 924.16 acres (VAD) and 144.06 acres (EVAD) as denoted in the <br />attached documentation as qualifying farmland, and designate the farms as Voluntary or <br />Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District farms within the Caldwell, Cane Creek - Buckhorn, <br />Cedar Grove, and High Rock /Efland Agricultural Districts. With approval of these additional <br />acres, the Orange County Voluntary Agricultural District Program will have 5,347 acres in the <br />VAD and 491 acres in the EVAD for a total of 5,838 acres (rounded) to close fiscal year 2012- <br />13. <br />