APB Meeting Summary 01182023 - Laserfiche WebLink

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3 6. Informational Items/Future Agenda Items: a. Ag Summit scheduled for Feb. 20th: Perrin provided copies of the informational postcard that they are sending out to promote the event. The program agenda covers a variety of current topics, including a keynote by new president of NC Farm Bureau, succession planning, PUV, and showcasing the new mobile processing unit. Food will be catered by Mama Dips. Will be held at the Cedar Grove Ruritan Club. b. Staff report on VAD program: Perrin provided a written report handout. The VAD breakfast was very successful, with 81 landowner participants. Expenses were $1,700. They will resume installing VAD signs when it starts to dry out. She spoke with the County Attorney's office to get guidance on implementing the changes from our new ordinance revision. The BOCC approved all four of the new VAD and EVAD farm applications that she presented in December. She now has five applications in various stages that she'll plan to bring back to the APB by or before May to have them ready for the June BOCC meeting. Perrin also gave a brief overview of the current VAD process for the benefit of the new members. She plans to develop a new flow chart that helps illustrate how the process works. Discussion followed about the big picture goals of the APB and how this group could do outreach, to make connections with more members of the farming community about farmland protection. Right now we have county policies that encourage or at least enable farmland loss to large lot subdivision and other forms of development, so the updating of our farmland protection plan will be critical to helping to highlight the importance of farmland protection with the Planning Dept staff as they work on the new comprehensive plan for 2025. c. Ag Economic Development Update: Ortosky provided a brief overview of current activities. The county defunded their agreement with the Food Council, so that staff position is no longer funded. They continue to administer the successful ag grant program and are pleased to note that they have awarded almost 100 grants and nearly $1 million disbursed. They are considering doing a documentary video featuring the grant recipients. He continues to manage the 270 acre Breeze Farm to encourage new activities there. They have two growers there doing work right now, along with two incubator activities. They are still working with Tri Cog on a project to develop regional food processing facilities. 7. Time for Information Sharing: Staff reported on the Nature of Orange Photo contest coming up this spring. Information will be emailed to members. Woods reported on the showing of the documentary about the hog farmer called the "Trials of Joey Carter" about his legal challenge by attorneys from Texas. They will be showing it in Person and Granville in February. She will send an email to members with information. Compton reported on the Central Piedmont Livestock Show on April 11-12, coming up soon. Compton noted that the Board of Ed is now going to fund a new teaching barn and ag teacher at Cedar Ridge. 8. Adjournment: Woods moved to adjourn, seconded by Hughes. Meeting adjourned at 8:09 pm.