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3 <br /> and managed woodland. The farm property has been evaluated against each of the VAD <br /> certification requirement standards and meets or exceeds all of the measures above. <br /> FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with this item. Voluntary <br /> Agricultural Districts are non-monetary and non-binding conservation agreements. Enhanced <br /> Voluntary Agriculture Districts are non-monetary and are binding 10-year conservation <br /> agreements. <br /> SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: The following Orange County Social Justice Goal is applicable to <br /> this item: <br /> • GOAL: ENSURE ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY <br /> The creation and preservation of infrastructure, policies, programs and funding necessary <br /> for residents to provide shelter, food, clothing and medical care for themselves and their <br /> dependents. <br /> The Orange County Voluntary Agricultural District Program ordinance conserves, protects and <br /> encourages the preservation and improvement of agricultural land within the County boundaries <br /> as a critical component of the County's cultural and rural character and its economy by virtue of <br /> the production of food, fiber and other products. The purpose of the Ordinance is to reduce the <br /> loss of productive and existing farmland by promoting agricultural values and the general <br /> welfare of the County, recognize the existence of important farmlands by seeking to minimize <br /> risks of nuisance suits that arise from the onset of other land uses, encourage participation in <br /> voluntary programs to preserve and protect farmland from non-farm development and increase <br /> identity and awareness of the agricultural community, and its role in the economic and cultural <br /> quality of life for all County residents. (From the Orange County Farmland Preservation/VAD <br /> Program Ordinance) <br /> RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board certify the six (6) farm <br /> properties noted above totaling 756 acres*; designate them as a Voluntary Agricultural District <br /> farm within the Caldwell, Cedar Grove, High Rock/Efland, and Cane Creek/Buckhorn Voluntary <br /> Agricultural Districts; and enroll the lands in the Orange County Farmland Preservation <br /> Program; Voluntary and Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District (VAD and EVAD) programs. <br /> With approval of these acres, the Orange County Farmland Preservation program will have <br /> enrolled 115 farms; totaling 12,493 acres* in the VAD and 2,566* acres in the EVAD for a total <br /> of 15,059 acres* in the program. <br /> *acres are rounded numbers <br />