APB agenda 032101 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

10 Page 3 agriculture to the county, and what is being grown. Compare it to existing roads and projected. growth to get a sense of what the county will look like in twenty years. Then you can get into specific suggestions such as processing facilities, marketing resources, and capital availability. Other ideas include a promotional newspaper, which lists local farms and a yearly farm breakfast, which is a chance for farmers to show what they are doing, have local _officials show their support, and get people to see how nice it is to have farms around them. Morrow noted the ongoing work of SOCF and the APB's recommendations for more VAD program incentives and getting the county commissions to fund and enact regulations necessary to get those. Strayhorn noted that we have only marginal agriculture land in Orange County and all the things that put pressure on good agriculture lands such as universities and hospitals. It's a tough battle for the farmer to make a decent living on the land considering the surrounding pressures. Cohn noted that unfortunately the agriculture that NC has traditionally been based on tobacco, corn, and beans are at an all time low. Strayhorn noted that tobacco has been the one product that farmers could grow on a small. farm, and make a living and raise a family. Now that tobacco production is on the decline, we're trying to find things we can use to fill that gap. Ranells asked about tax relief and how the APB could recommend something like that. Cohn said that the Farm Bureau is best resource as far as tax opportunity. Discussion of use value taxation ensued, including thoughts that the average non -farm taxpayer thinks that farmers are paying less taxes than they are. They don't realize that the farmer pays the same taxes as others on their house, lot and equipment. One suggestion was that VAD participants should receive reduced use value taxation. Morrow asked how the APB can use the AFT to learn, new things and to get advice about things such as wording on the VAD application. Morrow noted that the APB is grappling with the language on the VAD agreement document. We're trying to be specific in a small document. Discussion continued about why anyone would want to be in the VAD program. Strayhorn said that it has to be a personal commitment and love for the land. Tate noted that her family is dedicated to the farm operation, as well as her son, and they want to keep the farm going. That is the reason they joined the VAD program. In talking with estate planners it is not recommended to plan further than one generation because what you plan might be a hindrance rather than a help to the next generation. Goodwin noted that farmers are reluctant to tie up their land in perpetuity and asked how the AFT deals with this sort of problem. Cohn replied that they, very respectfully, consider everyone's situation. That is why he encourages communities to have a range of alternatives for people in different situations. Draft 2/21/2001 3