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Farm numbers were originally created so that farms could participate in USDA programs, such as farm loan programs or emergency livestock assistance, Miller said. But Miller's office serves Orange and Durham counties, and she said her staff would often see several applicants a day who said they wanted a farm number to avoid permitting fees. As of Sept. 1, applicants must provide proof of their income from the farm and records of their production or harvests, in addition to the criteria that was already required, so that fewer non -farms can successfully apply for farm numbers. UNC School of Government professor David Owens said that the laws defining what constitutes as a bona fide farm have presented gray areas in many cases across the state, from event centers to bed and breakfasts to shooting ranges. Owens said that some assume that a farm property can be used for any purpose and still be exempt from county regulations. "That is clearly not the case because the statute has always said the exemption does not apply to non -farm uses," he said. If a farm is conducting agritourism as its farm use, Owens said, the activity must be related to farm production or incidental to production. Owens said that the government body responsible for administering zoning ordinances — in Orange County's case, the planning department — is also responsible for interpreting what activities in an application constitute a farm use. If either party doesn't agree with the farm use determination, the decision can be appealed, first with the Board of Adjustment and then in Superior Court, Owens said. In a letter dated Dec. 15, Pat Mallett of the Orange County planning department wrote a statement to Brewer that said agritourism was protected under state statute as a farm purpose. The statement also quoted the statute, saying that it "does not limit [zoning] regulation... with respect to the use of farm property for nonfarm purposes." Mallett said in a later interview that because the property is classified as a farm by state law, the planning department has no further involvement in the case. According to minutes of November's hearing, Michael Harvey, a supervisor in Orange County's planning department, said planning staff suggested Brewer go through the permitting process because they determined "that (planning staff) questioned whether or not there was any farm activity on the property, that warranted it being classified as such." However, he also said that the property had a farm number and that, regardless of what the Board of Adjustment decided about the permit, "it is likely the applicant has the ability to develop an agritourism operation on a farm, which can include a wedding venue, without permits from the county as same is exempt from (planning staff's) review and permit authority." It wasn't clear whether the neighbors planned to follow suit as the development moves forward. Although nothing is planted on the land yet, "we are a working farm," Brewer said of her farm plans. "We do have our orchards and our flowers and will have honey production on the farm." She said the agritourism component of the farm is important to make the farm more profitable, but she doesn't see herself booking events for the venue until 2017, after the first cycle of her crop rotation. Brewer said she is continuing forward with her plans and has submitted an application with the county inspections department for a building permit. She hopes construction can begin in the next few months, although she said her first priority is establishing her farm and her plantings.