Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: February 12, 2007 <br />Action Agend~~ <br />Item No. <br />SUBJECT: W.C. Breeze Family Farm Agricultural Extension & Research Facility <br />DEPARTMENT: Gooperative Extension <br />Economic Development <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />June 29, 2006 Letter to NCSU <br />Breeze Farm Timeline /Conceptual Plan <br />Orange County Incubator Project <br />Timeline /Project Description <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Fletcher Barber, 245-2050 <br />Dianne Reid, 245-2326 <br />Noah Ranells, 245-2330 <br />PURPOSE: To share information and project status for two programs related to farming and <br />the agricultural community. <br />BACKGROUND: A longtime farm family patriarch, Colonel William Breeze, and his family <br />donated land to NC State University (NCSU) with a desire to see the land used to explore local <br />options for organic and sustainable farming practices and enterprises. A second property <br />donated by the Woods family was joined with the Breeze property to form a contiguous 270 <br />acre farm. <br />Following a 2006 dedication of the W.C. Breeze Family Farm Agricultural Extension & Research <br />Facility by the Dean of the College of Agriculture & Life Science (GALS), a County committee <br />developed a conceptual plan for the property. In October 2006, GALS administrators for <br />extension and research met with County representatives in Hillsborough to review the plan. <br />Based upon that meeting, a joint Orange County-GALS committee was formed to develop the <br />conceptual plan. Early in 2007, two farm walkabout events were scheduled to allow NCSU- <br />CALS Extension Specialists and other interested parties to assess the farm for their program <br />needs in the context of the conceptual plan. A draft Master Plan will be developed in March. <br />During the same timeframe, a Farm Enterprise Incubator program and a Farm Linkage effort <br />have explored opportunities for revitalizing agricultural activity in Orange County through training <br />and affordable land and equipment to ag entrepreneurs. The Farm Linkage program focuses on <br />attracting new farmers and enterprises from folks not raised in a farming community or currently <br />not farming, with emphasis on underrepresented groups. Initial efforts indicate interest from the <br />Hispanic and Chinese communities. <br />