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3 <br /> 31 <br /> Department and the BOCC in matters relating to agriculture. <br /> • Continue to promote and recommend Voluntary Agricultural Districts and <br /> Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural Districts <br /> • Support continuation of the successful Farm-to-Table Event for <br /> approximately 300 students in local 4t" grades, held annually at <br /> Blackwood Farm Park <br /> • Enroll additional farm owners in the Century Farm Program through <br /> assistance with applications and deed research. <br /> • Purchase and install additional road signs to better identify farms in the <br /> Voluntary Agricultural District Program (existing and new farms) <br /> What are the concerns or emerging issues your board has identified for the <br /> upcoming year that it plans to address, or wishes to bring to the <br /> Commissioners' attention? <br /> • The APB believes that the ongoing loss of prime agricultural land is a <br /> significant threat to the future of agriculture in the County. Former farms <br /> continue to be developed at an alarming rate in response to rising land <br /> prices, making it difficult or impossible for existing farmers to continue to <br /> make a viable living. Likewise, the cost of establishing a new farm is <br /> prohibitive. As a result, farmland throughout the county is being taken out <br /> of production and converted to residential use, which requires expanded <br /> use of County services at additional taxpayer cost. The APB Farmland <br /> Preservation Subcommittee is currently assessing the extent and rate of <br /> farmland loss and will present their findings to the BOCC. <br /> • The last large dairy farm in the county, Maple View, was sold in 2022, <br /> leaving only one active small dairy—a drastic decline from 117 dairy <br /> operations in 1954. Commodity milk prices are too low to support our local <br /> dairies through conventional production strategies. The APB will support <br /> efforts to promote interest in processing facilities to produce value-added <br /> dairy products. The loss of these dairy farms has contributed greatly to the <br /> growing loss of the County's farmland. <br /> • Agritourism continues to be an important way for farm owners to maintain <br /> their farms and diversify. The APB supports efforts to increase new <br /> agritourism opportunities to enhance farm income and attract visitors. <br /> • The average age of our farmers continues to increase, creating concerns <br /> about retirement and farm succession planning. Our "senior" farmers <br /> control a large percentage of our open farmland, creating the potential for <br /> a large decline in active farm acreage over the next decade. Rising land <br /> prices make it difficult or impossible for young farmers to take up farming. <br /> • The majority of the new farm operations being started in the County are <br /> small market farms, where crops are grown intensively on smaller parcels, <br /> to be sold locally at markets. There is an ongoing need for new processing <br /> and cooperative marketing opportunities to allow smaller farmers to supply <br /> large-scale customers, including local universities and schools. <br /> 3 <br />