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1 <br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 4, 2013 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 4 -a <br />SUBJECT: Voluntary and Enhanced Agricultural District Designation — Multiple Farms — <br />Walker, Kirk, D. Pope, J. Pope, Hill, Ranells /Bergmann, Green <br />DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No <br />Parks and Recreation <br />(DEAPR); Soil & Water <br />Conservation <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />1) Norman Walker Farm Application and <br />David Stancil, 919 - 245 -2510 <br />Location /Site Maps <br />Gail M. Hughes, 919 - 245 -2753 <br />2) Kirk Farms Application and Location/ <br />Peter Sandbeck, 919 - 245 -2517 <br />Site Maps <br />3) Donald and Faye Pope Farm <br />Application and Location /Site Maps <br />4) John Pope Farms, LLC Application and <br />Location /Site Maps <br />5) Betty Walters Hill Farm Application and <br />Location /Site Maps <br />6) Fickle Creek Farm Application and <br />Location /Site Maps <br />7) Allan and Christine Green Farm <br />Application and Location /Site Maps <br />8) Overall County Map Showing Voluntary <br />Agricultural District Properties <br />PURPOSE: To consider applications from multiple landowners /farms to certify qualifying <br />farmland within the Cedar Grove, Cane Creek /Buckhorn, High Rock /Efland, and Caldwell <br />Voluntary Agricultural Districts; and enroll the lands in the Orange County Voluntary Agricultural <br />District (VAD) and the Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District (EVAD) programs. <br />BACKGROUND: Orange County's Voluntary Farmland Preservation Program was started in <br />1992. To date, 25 farms have enrolled in the Voluntary Agricultural District (VAD) program, <br />totaling 4,994 acres within the seven districts comprising the non -urban portions of the County. <br />The County's Voluntary Farmland Protection Ordinance (VFPO) outlines a procedure for the <br />Agricultural Preservation Board to review and approve applications for qualifying farmland, and <br />to make recommendations to the Board of Commissioners concerning the establishment and <br />modification of agricultural districts. Section VII of the VFPO contains the requirements for <br />inclusion in a voluntary agricultural district. To be certified as qualifying farmland, a farm must: <br />