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<br />and to build a better relationship between
<br />urbanites and county farms. They estab-
<br />lished an annual Harvest Fest celebration in
<br />the fall, creating a way for families to meet
<br />farmers growing local food. In 2002 nearly
<br />5,000 residents visited seven local farms.
<br />"Families can learn what's being grown
<br />in the area and learn more about the local
<br />agricultural economy, while the farmer can
<br />take a break and meet his public," she said.
<br />"We're trying to get people to buy local
<br />rather than buying from California or Chile."
<br />County leaders seem supportive of sav-
<br />ing both the industry and the land upon
<br />which it depends. The farmland advisory
<br />commission advises the county council on
<br />ag policy issues and has over the past few
<br />years argued successfully for a host of pro-
<br />tection measures, such as working with the
<br />local conservation district to support a con-
<br />servation assessment (a per parcel tax) that
<br />would raise funds for farmland protection
<br />and habitat protection; planning to hire a
<br />full-time county farm planner; creating a
<br />matching fund for a PDR program; and or-
<br />ganizing ag summits of western Washington
<br />farmland advisory groups.
<br />"This is an awakening in the county,"
<br />Carkner said. "If we pass the conservation
<br />assessment, we might consider a tax to fund
<br />PDR, which will launch the visibility of local
<br />agriculture to a new level."
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<br />Carroll County, Georgia
<br />Home to more than 700 farms, Carroll
<br />County supports more agricultural opera-
<br />tions than any other county in the state. Its
<br />strong beef cattle industry drives a $77 mil -
<br />lion -a -year agricultural economy.made up of
<br />a committed farm populace.
<br />In 2001 a group of those farmers ap-
<br />proached the Rolling Hills Resource Con-
<br />servation and Development (RC &D)
<br />council to ask about farmland protection
<br />measures. The county, located just 50 miles
<br />from Atlanta, is experiencing considerable
<br />population growth: 27 percent between
<br />1980 and 1990 and 22 percent in the fol-
<br />lowing decade. New building permits fol-
<br />lowed apace, much of that accelerated by
<br />highways that lead directly to Atlanta.
<br />The concerned farmers helped trigger a
<br />movement to better plan for the future of
<br />Carroll County agriculture. Leaders from the
<br />farming community, agribusiness, local offi-
<br />cials and representatives from AFT gathered
<br />in a "stakeholders" meeting to establish con-
<br />sensus on farmland preservation measures.
<br />"Because of our proximity to Atlanta,
<br />this is a perfect place for people who want to
<br />live in the suburbs and drive into town for
<br />work," said Cindy Haygood, Rolling Hills
<br />RC &D coordinator and an employee of the
<br />USDA Natural Resources Conservation Ser-
<br />vice. Adding to the development pressure is
<br />Carroll County's wealth of flat, prime land
<br />that is easy to build on.
<br />The new group, the Farmland and Rural
<br />Preservation Partnership, set goals, includ-
<br />ing better public education about the impor-
<br />tance of local agriculture, more economic
<br />opportunities for farmers, minimum lot sizes
<br />in rural areas, a voluntary transfer of devel-
<br />I01
<br />opment rights program, agricultural districts
<br />and stronger right -to -farm laws, and present-
<br />ed them to the county's board of commis-
<br />sioners. New ideas borne out of an intensive
<br />two -day farmland protection workshop in
<br />the spring of 2003 that several members of
<br />the partnership attended also are being con-
<br />sidered. The workshop— coordinated by
<br />AFT, the Association County Commission-
<br />ers of Georgia and the Georgia Agribusiness
<br />Council— included discussions about the
<br />nation's most successful plans for agriculture
<br />and provided participants with a chance to
<br />share ideas about which techniques will
<br />work best in Georgia.
<br />The board remains interested in the
<br />issue and willing to consider farmland pro-
<br />tection measures as part of a county process
<br />to update its comprehensive land use plan.
<br />Robert Barr, commission chairman, consid-
<br />ers perpetuating agriculture a real priority in
<br />the community. "It's an industry —not just
<br />part of the heritage," Barr said. "There's a
<br />quality of life issue, but more than that, the
<br />industry of agriculture itself in Carroll Coun-
<br />ty is really large:'
<br />Another measure on the table is a county
<br />PDR program, possibly to be funded by a
<br />voter - approved one -cent sales tax. A planned
<br />November 2003 referendum could fund
<br />open space retention, and some slice of that
<br />revenue, if approved, could go toward PDR,
<br />Barr said. AFT is providing guidance on
<br />how to fund and structure the program.
<br />AFT also is working with the group and
<br />county officials on county land use plan revi-
<br />sions. Cohn said the strength of the farmland
<br />partnership lies in its diversity. "The diverse
<br />representation can look at the complete
<br />farmland protection picture," he said. "They
<br />are determined to find ways to help farmers
<br />make a living farming:'
<br />To date, the partnership has helped bring
<br />a farmers' market to Carroll County, with help
<br />from a federal grant. The first season, Hay -
<br />good said, was a roaring success, with a "fair
<br />atmosphere" and plenty of spin -off business
<br />for Carollton stores and restaurants.
<br />The farmers' market is a prime educa-
<br />tional tool to inform the non- farming.public
<br />about the county's agricultural resources,
<br />Barr said. Agriculture "preserves the one
<br />thing that draws people to Carroll County—
<br />its rural nature." ■
<br />Valerie Berton is a communications spe-
<br />cialist with USDA's sustainable agriculture
<br />program and a freelance writer based in
<br />Takoma Park, Maryland.
<br />AMERICAN FARMLAND SUMMER 1003
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