Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
11 <br /> DRAFT/March 28,2025 <br /> The economic impact of agriculture on the local economy exceeds that <br /> suggested by the values quoted above because of the linkages of agricultural <br /> production with other economic sectors (Walden, 2014; Agricultural Trade <br /> Multipliers, 2024). For example, agriculture economically impacts local suppliers <br /> as well as local consumer industries. In a study using 2017 data, each $1 of <br /> output produced using North Carolina-grown inputs was estimated to generate <br /> $1 .7 to $19.1 (depending on the input) of new spending in the state (NC State <br /> University, 2019). A similar multiplier effect likely applies at the level of the <br /> County. <br /> In addition to contributing directly to the local economy, farmland compared <br /> with developed land saves the County money in expenditures associated with <br /> community services. Across numerous studies (WeConservePA, 2024), agriculture <br /> costs less in services than it raises in revenue. In a 2006 study conducted by the <br /> American Farmland Trust (Renkow, 2006), for every $1 of revenue raised by a <br /> farm, forest, or open space, Orange County spent only 72 cents on services. In <br /> contrast, for every $1 in revenue raised by residential development, Orange <br /> County spent $1 .24 on services. To obtain updated Cost of Community Services <br /> statistics, a new Cost of Community Services Study is proposed in this Plan. <br /> Orange County decision-makers recognize the economic, environmental, and <br /> cultural benefits of sustainable agriculture and the necessity of a robust local <br /> farming community. The goal of Promoting Sustainable Agriculture is included in <br /> the Orange County Strategic Plan 2025-2029 as a primary means of achieving <br /> the County's top Strategic Priorities of Environmental Protection and Climate <br /> Action (Orange County, 2024). <br /> Orange County seeks to "incentivize and promote <br /> sustainable agriculture and local food systems <br /> development through supportive policy, funding, <br /> farmland protection, and educational outreach"in <br /> support of its top 2025-2029 Strategic Priorities of <br /> Environmental Protection and Climate Action. <br /> 9 <br />