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16 <br /> DRAFT/March 28,2025 <br /> Box 1.Totten Farm's Story <br /> I have many concerns about the loss of farmland, farming culture and <br /> community. 1 live in eastern Orange County, and the expansion of houses <br /> and neighborhoods on both forested and agricultural land is <br /> monumental. Last year/was gathering hay a quarter mile from my house. <br /> In the span of nine months there are three houses being built there with a <br /> fourth on the way. On property next to my driveway, there is a house that <br /> went up this month and another on the way. So for me I have to find <br /> another hay source, and deal with increased runoff on my land from <br /> development, which cost me thousands of dollars in new driveway pipe <br /> installation and loss of pasture due to erosion. <br /> Choices have to be made by societies as to what is really important. The <br /> loss of farmland and farmland impacted by development are a reality that <br /> has become a nightmare for many who try to hold on to their land and way <br /> of life. Once it's gone, it's not coming back.... <br /> Billy Totten, Orange County Farmer <br /> We must learn to grow like a tree, not like a fire. <br /> ---Wendell Berry <br /> Challenge: Agriculture is not an economically viable profession for most farmers. <br /> Achieving farm profitability is challenging for farmers across the agricultural <br /> spectrum from small farms selling directly to customers to large commodity farms <br /> (Burchfield, 2022). Orange County farmers are no exception. <br /> In the 2023 Orange County Farmer and Landowner Survey (Appendix 1 for <br /> summary), the most frequently cited challenges to making a living farming were <br /> small profit margins and high cost of land. Farming/forestry was the main source <br /> of income for only 30% of respondents. Two in three respondents (67%) <br /> employed 2 or fewer people including themselves in their agricultural operation. <br /> USDA Census of Agriculture data show that, for Orange County farmers in 2022, <br /> average gross income was $3655; average net income was -$2213 (negative <br /> $2213) (Agricultural Census, 2022). Nearly 40% of farms (271 of 687) had <$2500 in <br /> sales (Figure 5). Farming/forestry was the main source of income for only 30% of <br /> respondents in the Census of Agriculture as in the 2023 Orange County Farmer <br /> and Landowner Survey. <br /> 14 <br />