Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
MV <br />What are the concerns or emerging issues your board has identified for the <br />upcoming year that it plans to address, or wishes to bring to the Commissioners' <br />attention? <br />• The average age of our farmers continues to increase, causing concerns <br />about retirement and farm succession planning. This is an ongoing issue <br />despite the rising numbers of young people taking up farming. Our "senior" <br />farmers control and farm a large percentage of the County's prime open <br />farmland, thus creating the potential for a significant decline in active farm <br />acreage over the next decade. New farmers tend to grow market crops <br />intensively, on very small farms. <br />• Explore ways to educate farmers and prospective farmers about the many <br />new agritourism opportunities that could be used to enhance and diversify <br />farm income and bring visitors to farms <br />• The APB plans to collaborate with the newly- formed Food Council on a <br />range of initiatives to enhance local markets for farm products. <br />• There is an ongoing need to educate landowners about all available farm <br />programs, including VAD /EVAD and the Present Use Valuation program. <br />