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particular project. So a market would want to be visible. A community garden would want to engage people 1 as they walked past. Stuff like that. 2 3 Andy Petesch: At this time I’d like to ask the Board to recognize Mr. White as an expert in food system 4 policy. 5 6 LeAnne Brown: I’m going to object at this point for the record. The standard for the acceptance of an expert 7 is two fold. One, you have a peculiar expertise and two, does it have some relevance to a decision that’s 8 going to be made by the trier of fact, which is you, such that the testimony for you to form your opinion and 9 I’m struggling with how this testimony may have relevance to this issue you are here to decide. Which is 10 whether the wedding use to this property is incidental to the farm. So I’m not understanding the purpose of 11 the witness. 12 13 Andy Petesch: The purpose of the witness is… The issue before this Board is what the use is, non-farm or 14 bona fide farm purpose. That’s what the decision was made. The statute says if you’re doing agritourism 15 then you’re doing bona fide farm purposes then you are exempt from all zoning regulations in the county 16 and Mr. White is an expert in both education and his work and training in analyzing food system policy, 17 especially with experience in Orange County specifically, so that’s the purpose of this highly relevant, 18 couldn’t be more relevant, to the issue that this Board is facing tonight. And his testimony can be very 19 beneficial in the Board making its determination with respect to affirming Mr. Harvey’s decision. Mr. White 20 could you tell the Board about your work in this region, in this County? 21 22 Erin White: Sure. I’ve been working with the conservation trust in North Carolina on a farmland protection 23 plan for the Triangle region. It’s in final draft stages now. It’s getting reviewed by all of our stakeholders. 24 And the plan has studied Chatham, Orange, Durham, Wake, and Johnston Counties through GIS analysis 25 expert interviews, focus groups, developing a strategy to bring a comprehensive farm land protection effort 26 that could be coordinated at the regional level that draws on County level wisdom, local knowledge, local 27 farm conditions and especially on each County’s existing farm land protection plans. Which is a fairly well 28 organized body of knowledge about how each County approaches agricultural preservation issues. 29 30 Andy Petesch: So I would again call for Mr. White as an expert in farm system policy. 31 32 LeAnne Brown: I remove my objection and it’s your decision. 33 34 Barry Katz: We have to make a decision about whether he’s an expert? I don’t understand this. And also 35 what is the relevance… are you going to get to what the relevance of all of this is? 36 37 Andy Petesch: He will testify as to Orange County state policy with respect to exact issues that are before 38 this Board in terms of the role of agritourism and the activities that are planned for this farm and whether 39 that would fit within the statutory definition of agritourism, which would make this exempt. 40 41 LeAnne Brown: Well, I have an additional objection which is this: If he’s going to testify about what 42 agritourism means and whether this is agritourism then that evidence would be inadmissible because that’s 43 the ultimate decision for this Board to decide and you’re not allowed to receive expert testimony on the 44 ultimate issue for which you’re about to decide. So if that’s the purpose of his testimony that’s my additional 45 objection. 46 47 Karen Barrows: What do you think James? 48 67