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03 <br />ITEM #6: ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION <br />a. Orange County 250 / September 2003 Ag Event <br />It was previously reported that on September 9th, 1752 the county held it's first <br />colonial court session at Grayfields along the Eno River. The committee working <br />on this project seeks advisory board assistance in celebrating. Stancil reported <br />on the activities surrounding the County's 250th celebration beginning with a hike <br />from Moorefields to the old county courthouse on Sunday September 8, 2002. <br />This event will be followed by a brief ceremony at the courthouse with a bell <br />ringing ceremony at high noon on September 9th. Other activities are planned <br />throughout the next year with a final, farm - oriented, event in September of 2003. <br />Mike Lanier gave a presentation of ideas for a "Farm Festival" for the final 250th <br />event. He asked the APB for their ideas and suggestions on ways to promote <br />agricultural heritage and ways to educate residents on locally produced farm <br />products. During the presentation members expressed the following concerns: <br />➢ Be aware of potentially sensitive areas such as the use of animals. <br />➢ Instead of a pony ride where animals are walking in a circle, consider <br />engaging an equestrian club to provide adult assisted short trail rides for <br />children. <br />➢ Get Orange County folks to do demonstrations of farming activities and <br />talk about the way farming used to be done, and include current examples <br />of beekeeping, sheep herding, and production methods. <br />➢ Show maps of Orange County in 50 year intervals to show farming trends. <br />➢ Get farmers involved in the oral history program. <br />➢ Include educational information on future farming in Orange County. <br />➢ Include the 4 -H, Future Farmers of America, Grange, Ruritan clubs and <br />other farming organizations. <br />➢ Seek grants for funding. <br />➢ Festival location should be decided by October 2002. <br />➢ If using a resident's farm, they should be compensated for disruption of <br />farming as the event would need to be assembled prior to the date of the <br />activity. <br />Members discussed the possible use of holding the festival at the Blackwood <br />farm and asked if there is a coordinator for the event. Members also asked for a <br />copy of the festival presentation so they could develop a memo of their <br />suggestions. <br />b. Local Harvest Guide Web Site <br />(Previously members had received the Agricultural Resource Guide recently <br />published by Economic Development Commission and Mike Lanier. Members <br />asked if the Guides are free for citizens, and it was noted that the Guide would <br />be on the county's web page.) <br />Lanier reported that a new web site was being created and urged the APB <br />members to investigate and asked for them to call or email suggestions to him. <br />Recor asked about long -term maintenance of the site and volunteered to assist <br />with updates to the web site. <br />(web site address:) http: / /serverl.co. orange .nc.us /harvestnewsite /index.htm <br />DRAFT 2 <br />