Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
2 <br /> <br />conservation easements. Another 1300 acres have been protected by the County’s <br />contributions to projects by other organizations. Woods thanked Shaw for his presentation. <br /> <br />6. Items for Decision: <br /> <br />a) New VAD/EVAD Applications (Attachment 2): Hughes presented an overview of the two <br />current applications for enrollment in the VAD program. Both farms meet the minimum <br />requirements/criteria for VAD/EVAD enrollment. <br /> Sykes Family Limited Partnership: Jeff Sykes and family: EVAD and VAD: 284.96 acres <br />in the Cane Creek/Buckhorn District. Family farm consisting of four parcels in the <br />vicinity of Bradshaw Quarry and Vernon roads. The farm produces dairy cattle, hay, <br />pasture, corn grains and forestry/woodland. One parcel and portions of three other <br />parcels are in permanent conservation easement, therefore will have EVAD on these <br />acres; the acres outside the conservation easement will be VAD. VAD acres = 125.61 <br />EVAD acres = 159.35 <br /> Randall Parker Farm: VAD: 26.89 acres in the Caldwell District. Two parcels on Tilley <br />Road. The farm produces tobacco, wheat, hay, and woodland/forestry. These parcels <br />are newly purchased and will be added to their existing VAD farm. <br /> <br />Ranells moved to approve the Sykes Family Limited Partnership and the Randall Parker <br />farm for VAD and EVAD as noted, seconded by Compton; motion carried. Discussion <br />followed about VAD signs. Hughes now has 15 and will be ordering 25 more. Woods <br />explained that in Person Co. they had a local artist do the design then have a local company <br />make them, then they make treated frames. The farmers install them. They cost $50-60 <br />each; the farmers pay for them. We put our first one up in 1992, so some of our signs are <br />old. Ranells noted that the county has re-branded itself so we might want to consider <br />updating our as we near our 25th anniversary. Woods thanked Hughes for her work. <br /> <br />7. Items for Discussion: <br />a) Review Ag Support Enterprises draft brochure: Sandbeck reviewed the history of the <br />brochure done by Planning. Discussion followed. What does a brochure for this need to <br />do? Can you make it more welcoming/inviting? Planning worked hard on this but it is <br />challenging to understand for non-planners. Members felt it was worth having staff try <br />to simplify it to make a “here is this great new program” sort of brochure, to give an <br />overview in layman’s language, and invite the reader to contact planning for more <br />information etc. Staff will rough out a new draft and share with the group. Members <br />debated the usefulness of brochures today. This sort of information can be better <br />conveyed through a web site, maybe a special farm page within the planning web site, <br />with links embedded for definitions etc. Maybe get grant funds to pay to have a special <br />farm web site created. Discussion followed, with a consensus that a web portal is greatly <br />needed. Saiers offered to help. Compton agreed that you needed something online.