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5 <br /> 1 The Board considered applications from multiple landowners/farms to certify qualifying <br /> 2 farmland within the Caldwell, Cane Creek/Buckhorn, High Rock/Efland, New Hope/Hillsborough, <br /> 3 Schley/Eno, and White Cross Voluntary Agricultural Districts; and enroll the lands in the Orange <br /> 4 County Voluntary Agricultural District (VAD) and the Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District <br /> 5 (EVAD); and certify the ten (10)farm properties totaling 1,325 acres VAD and 530 acres EVAD <br /> 6 (rounded acreage) as qualifying farms. <br /> 7 <br /> 8 Gail Hughes, Orange County Resource Conservation Coordinator, made the following <br /> 9 PowerPoint presentation, and introduced the various farms and their owners: <br /> 10 <br /> 11 Orange County Voluntary and Enhanced Voluntary Aciricultural Prociram <br /> 12 December 7, 2015 <br /> 13 <br /> 14 Orange County VAD/EVAD Prociram Benefits of Aciricultural Districts <br /> 15 ➢ Voluntary Agricultural District (VAD) is a 10-year commitment but the landowner can <br /> 16 be withdrawn from the VAD at any time, for any reason, with a 30-day notification. <br /> 17 ➢ Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District (EVAD) is an irrevocable 10-year <br /> 18 commitment, therefore the "enhanced" qualifies farm for 90% cost share rates and a <br /> 19 priority for grants funds. <br /> 20 <br /> 21 Benefits include: <br /> 22 ➢ Makes public more aware of the local agricultural and its vital role in the economics of <br /> 23 the county; <br /> 24 ➢ Recorded notice of agricultural district is recorded at County Land Records office; <br /> 25 ➢ Land search on all properties within a 1/2 mile radius is notified of the agricultural status, <br /> 26 therefore, the landowner has increased protection from nuisance lawsuits. <br /> 27 ➢ Public hearings for proposed condemnation of VAD land and utility assessments may be <br /> 28 suspended or waived on EVAD land if not connected to the utility. <br /> 29 Farm may receive up to 25% of gross sales from the sale of non-farm products and still maintain <br /> 30 its zoning exemption as a bona fide farm. (EVAD only) <br /> 31 <br /> 32 Brief Farm Descriptions <br /> 33 1) Owners of the Ramble Rill Farm, Jane Saier and Darin Knapp, have submitted an application <br /> 34 to enroll one (1) parcel of land totaling 10.01 acres as qualifying farmland for the Enhanced <br /> 35 Voluntary Agricultural District program (EVAD) in the New Hope/Hillsborough Agricultural <br /> 36 District. The farm operation includes various vegetables and fruit crops such as grapes, <br /> 37 strawberries, radishes, onions, and tomatoes (to name a few) and managed woodland. The <br /> 38 Ramble Rill Farm has been evaluated against each of the EVAD certification requirement <br /> 39 standards and meets or exceeds all of the measures above. <br /> 40 <br /> 41 2) Owners of the W & F Family Farm, LLC, Frances Griffin, Michael/Margaret Griffin, <br /> 42 Edward/Linda Griffin, and Katherine G. Von St. Paul, have submitted an application to enroll five <br /> 43 (5) parcels of land totaling 175.49 acres as qualifying farmland for the Voluntary Agricultural <br /> 44 District (VAD) program in the High Rock/Efland Agricultural District. The farm operation includes <br /> 45 hay crops, and managed woodland. The W & F Family Farm and adjourning acres owned by <br /> 46 the Griffin family has been evaluated against each of the VAD certification requirement <br /> 47 standards and meets or exceeds all of the measures above. <br /> 48 <br /> 49 3) Owners of the Bracken Brae Farm, Claude Hughes and Linda Sakiewicz, have submitted an <br /> 50 application to enroll four (4) parcels of land totaling 105.9 acres as qualifying farmland for the <br /> 51 Voluntary Agricultural District (VAD) program in the Cane Creek/Buckhorn District. The farm <br />