Agenda - 12-13-2022; 8-b - Enhanced Voluntary and Voluntary Agricultural District Designation

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2 ten years, except for the creation of not more than three lots that meet applicable County zoning and subdivision regulations. The Orange County Agricultural Preservation Board reviewed the findings of the staff assessments for the attached applications for the Orange County Voluntary Agricultural District program at its regular meeting in November 2022. All farm applications were reviewed and verified to have met or exceeded the minimum criteria for certification into the program. The Agricultural Preservation Board voted to recommend approval of the certification for these four (4) farms, and their inclusion in the Voluntary and/or the Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District programs. The certification documentation is on file in the DEAPR/Soil and Water Conservation District office. The farms are described briefly below: Brief Farm Descriptions: 1) Owners Tamara and Whitney Watson have submitted an application to enroll two (2) parcels of land totaling 21.1 acres as qualifying farmland for an Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District in the High Rock/Efland Agricultural District Region. The farm operation includes vegetable, cut flower, and fruit production; pasture; and woodlands. 2) Owners Robert Lux and Tracy Goldstein have submitted an application to enroll one (1) parcel of land totaling 37.57 acres as qualifying farmland for a Voluntary Agricultural District in the Cedar Grove Agricultural District Region. The farm operation includes livestock, pasture, and woodlands. 3) Owners John Charles Sharpe Sr., John Charles Sharpe Jr., and Jeanne Sharpe Walker have submitted an application to enroll one (1) parcel of land totaling 132.6 acres as qualifying farmland for a Voluntary Agricultural District in the Cedar Grove Agricultural District Region. The farm operation includes a tobacco-rye crop rotation and managed forest land. 4) Owners Sheila, Michael, Christopher, and Carson Bishop have submitted an application to enroll three (3) parcels of land totaling 54.52 acres as qualifying farmland for a Voluntary Agricultural District in the in the New Hope Agricultural District Region. The farm operation includes hay production, livestock, pasture and woodlands. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with this item. Voluntary Agricultural Districts are non-monetary and non-binding conservation agreements. Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural Districts are non-monetary and are binding 10-year conservation agreements. SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: The following Orange County Social Justice Goal is applicable to this item: • GOAL: ENSURE ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY The creation and preservation of infrastructure, policies, programs and funding necessary for residents to provide shelter, food, clothing and medical care for themselves and their dependents. The Orange County Voluntary Agricultural District Program ordinance conserves, protects and encourages the preservation and improvement of agricultural land within the County boundaries as a critical component of the County's cultural and rural character and its economy by virtue of