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009 <br />C. -REOUIRZKZNTS FOR INCLUSION IN _A VOLUNTARY A GRICVLTORAL DISTRICT <br />i. -- An agricultural district shall initially consist of: <br />a. At least 155 contiguous acres of certified qualifying <br />farmland; or <br />b.- At least two or more certified qualifying farms, <br />contiguous to each other, which will create a district of <br />not less than ISS acres. <br />2. The owners of the qualifying farmland must execute an <br />agreement with Orange County to sustain agriculture in the <br />District. <br />3. Qualifying farmland may be added to existing districts upon <br />execution by the owner of an agreement to sustain agriculture. <br />4. In the event that one or more participants in the.District <br />withdraw and the acreage in the District becomes less <br />than the minimum acreage required or results in the remaining <br />land being non - contiguous, a voluntary agricultural district <br />will continue to exist so long as there is one qualifying <br />farm. <br />[The above provisions are modeled after the basic requirements <br />contained in G.S. 106 -738 (a). The number of acres of qualifying <br />farmland (155) was derived from the 1987 Census of Agriculture and <br />represents the average farm size at that time. To allow smaller <br />farms to participate, an additional provision was added to allow <br />farms as'small as 77.5 acres to request district designation. Two <br />such farms; i.e., 77.5 acres each, could join together to make such <br />a request. <br />As districts are created, they may be expanded in size by adding <br />new farms to existing districts. A provision was also added so as <br />not to penalize a farm of less than 155 acres if an adjoining farm <br />withdrew from the program. If the size threshold were not met, the <br />smaller farm would still constitute an agricultural district.] <br />[The criteria used in certifying qualified farmland are set forth <br />in G.S. 106 -737. The provisions below are modeled after the <br />statutory requirements. It should be noted that even though <br />subsection d. below requires a farmer to be subject to a <br />conservation agreement prohibiting non --farm use or development of <br />such land for a period of at least ten (10) years, a farmer may ask <br />to be removed from an agricultural district by making written <br />request to the Advisory Board (see Section VI - Revocation of <br />Conservation Agreements).] <br />1. To secure certification as qualifying farmland, a farm must: <br />a. Be participating in the farm present use -value taxation <br />