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^4 U I c; TRIANGLE REGIONAL PRINCIPLES PROJECT AGRICULTURAL WORKING GROUP WORKING LIST OF FARM AND FARMLAND PROTECTION STRATEGIES (Draft, 9/18/00) Goal To help maintain economically viable and environmentally sustainable farms and farming communities in the Research Triangle as the region grows. Key Objectives • Involve the agricultural community in the decisions that affect it • Improve the economics of farming • Help farmers take advantage of a growing region and the opportunities it provides for value - added agriculture • Educate the public on the economic value of agriculture and the net contributions it makes to the local economy and the local tax base • Educate the public on the resource value of agriculture and the benefits well- managed farmland provides in maintaining rural heritage and rural character, protecting air and water quality, maintaining forests and green space, and providing wildlife habitat • Educate the public on the cultural value of agriculture and the benefits it provides in supporting farm families and maintaining our rural lifestyle and rural heritage • Work to minimize the negative impacts of suburbanization on agriculture and help farmers preserve a critical mass of farmland • Help farmers address common fears regarding farmland protection including increased regulation and possible impacts on property rights such as loss of land value and loss of privacy • Help farmers and other rural landowners plan for retirement and understand the range of options for how to use their land • Help existing farmers continue farming and new farmers get started Involve the Agricultural Community in Local Decisions Encourage counties to establish an Agricultural Advisory Board that advises the County Commissioners and provides a formal channel for communicating between local government and the agricultural community • Help link the work of the Agricultural Advisory Board to local economic development activities by providing a slot on the county Economic Development Commission for a member of the Board • Charge the Board with the responsibility of conducting public hearings on projects that will impact farms enrolled in an Agricultural District, as authorized in the state statutes • Involve the Board in efforts to educate the public on agriculture Educate the Public on the Benefits of Agriculture 2. Conduct studies such as Cost of Community Services studies to help educate the public on the economic benefits of agriculture 3. Educate the public on the resource and cultural benefits of agriculture 4. Educate the public on what it's like to live near a farm