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2 <br /> enhanced farmland protection in the county. The team is still gathering data to assess, <br /> evaluate and map farmland conversion/loss. This process could lead to a program to <br /> develop a regular farmland census in the county as a way to gather and maintain more <br /> accurate data. She showed a PowerPoint presentation that provided the preliminary <br /> findings to date, with helpful graphics generated by Brian Carson, the GIS expert with the <br /> Planning Department, using USDA cropland data from 2017to 2021, broken down by <br /> southern and northern portions of the county. As part of the process, she is planning to <br /> hold an initial meeting with Cy Stober, the new Planning Director, along with Mike Ortosky. <br /> Discussion followed. She noted that there are multiple ways to approach the challenge of <br /> farmland loss: farmland protection programs like VAD, EVAD and easements, as well as <br /> programs that help enhance farm viability and sustainability. Members agreed that this <br /> presentation would be an effective way to communicate the work of the subcommittee <br /> with Dave Stancil and perhaps later with the BOCC. Woods and other members <br /> complimented Saiers and the subcommittee for their great work. <br /> b) VAD Breakfast: Perrin provided an update on the planning for the upcoming VAD Breakfast, <br /> scheduled for December 1 and shared a draft agenda. She proposes holding it at the Ruritan <br /> Club in Cedar Grove. She has a good line up of speakers and has arranged for the food and <br /> beverages. For the main presentation, the group suggested that she invite Evan Davis to <br /> speak about farmland preservation if possible. Discussion followed. She will share an <br /> updated agenda soon. <br /> c) Membership/roster update: Sandbeck reviewed the current roster situation. There are <br /> three vacant at-large positions along with tow District Position vacancies, for VAD farm <br /> owner in the Cedar Grove and Caldwell districts. Discussion followed with a review of all of <br /> the current applications on file with the County Clerk. Given the lack of a quorum, Sandbeck <br /> said he will re-send all the applications to all members again, so that members could review <br /> them at their leisure and submit their rankings of the applicants to staff, who will then <br /> propose the highest ranking applicants to the County Clerk for recommendation to the <br /> BOCC. Members agreed that this sounded like a feasible approach. All agreed it would be of <br /> great importance to see if there is a way to allow Saiers to remain on the APB given all the <br /> progress she has made with the farmland preservation initiative. Woods agreed with the <br /> idea of proposing shifting her position so that she could fill the vacant Caldwell District <br /> position. Vaughn Compton has indicated that he will apply for the vacant Cedar Grove <br /> District position, so that would allow us to fill most of the vacancies when the BOCC makes <br /> appointments in November. <br /> 7. Informational Items/Future Agenda Items: <br /> a. Staff report on VAD program: Perrin provided a brief update. She has six farms now in <br /> various stages of the application process, so she expects to have at least several farm <br /> applications to present to the group in November. She is having good success with getting <br /> applicants to sign their new conservation agreements that she has worked on. The date for <br />