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2 <br /> d) Be managed in accordance with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and NC Soil <br /> and Water Conservation Service defined erosion-control practices that are addressed to <br /> said highly-erodible land; and have a current conservation farm plan and/or forestry <br /> management plan associated with the current usages and owner; and <br /> e) Be the subject of a non-binding conservation agreement, as defined in NCGS §121-35, <br /> between the County and the owner that prohibits non-farm use or development of such land <br /> for a period of at least ten years, except for the creation of not more than three lots that <br /> meet applicable County zoning and subdivision regulations. <br /> At the August, September, and November 2015 meetings, the Agricultural Preservation Board <br /> reviewed the findings of the staff assessments for the attached applications for the Orange <br /> County Voluntary Agricultural District program. All farm applications were reviewed and verified <br /> to have met or exceeded the minimum criteria for certification into the program. The Agricultural <br /> Preservation Board voted unanimously to recommend approval of the certification for the ten <br /> (10) farms, including 1,855 acres of farmland, and their inclusion in the Voluntary and/or <br /> Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District program. The certification documentation is on file in <br /> the DEAPR/Soil and Water Conservation District office. The farms are described briefly below: <br /> Brief Farm Descriptions <br /> 1) Owners of the Ramble Rill Farm, Jane Saier and Darin Knapp, have submitted an application <br /> to enroll one (1) parcel of land totaling 10.01 acres as qualifying farmland for the Enhanced <br /> Voluntary Agricultural District program (EVAD) in the New Hope/Hillsborough Agricultural <br /> District. The farm operation includes various vegetables and fruit crops such as grapes, <br /> strawberries, radishes, onions, and tomatoes (to name a few) and managed woodland. The <br /> Ramble Rill Farm has been evaluated against each of the EVAD certification requirement <br /> standards and meets or exceeds all of the measures above. <br /> 2) Owners of the W & F Family Farm, LLC, Frances Griffin, Michael/Margaret Griffin, <br /> Edward/Linda Griffin, and Katherine G. Von St. Paul, have submitted an application to enroll <br /> five (5) parcels of land totaling 175.49 acres as qualifying farmland for the Voluntary <br /> Agricultural District (VAD) program in the High Rock/Efland Agricultural District. The farm <br /> operation includes hay crops, and managed woodland. The W & F Family Farm and <br /> adjourning acres owned by the Griffin family has been evaluated against each of the VAD <br /> certification requirement standards and meets or exceeds all of the measures above. <br /> 3) Owners Claude Hughes and Linda Sakiewicz have submitted an application to enroll four (4) <br /> parcels of land totaling 105.9 acres as qualifying farmland for the Voluntary Agricultural <br /> District (VAD) program in the Cane Creek/Buckhorn District. The farm operation includes <br /> vegetables, herbs, fruit crops and managed woodland. The Hughes /Sakiewicz Farm have <br /> been evaluated against each of the VAD certification requirement standards and meets or <br /> exceeds all of the measures above. <br /> 4) Owners of Spring Crest Farm, Kim and Chad Woods, have submitted an application to <br /> update ownership of existing acres in the VAD program and enroll two (2) parcels of land <br /> totaling of 15.06 acres as qualifying farmland for the Voluntary Agricultural District (VAD) <br /> program located in the Caldwell Agricultural District. The farm includes pasture, hay crops <br /> and managed woodland. The additional acres are adjacent to the existing VAD farm, and <br /> will increase the total farm acres to 98.62 acres. The farm has been evaluated against each <br />