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12 <br /> Page 1 of 2 Vera Fabian <br /> Volunteer Application <br /> Orange County Advisory Boards and Commissions <br /> Name: Vera Fabian <br /> Name Called: <br /> Home Address: 818 Auburn Ln. <br /> Cedar Grove NC 27231 <br /> Phone: 919-801-4453 <br /> Email: vera.r.fabian@gmail.com <br /> Year of OC Residence: 2014 <br /> Township of Residence: Cedar Grove <br /> Zone of Residence: County <br /> Gender Identity: Female <br /> Ethnic Background: White <br /> Age Range: 35-59 <br /> Community Activities/Organizational Memberships: <br /> Co-organizer of CRAFT (peer to peer farmer training) <br /> Carolina Farm Stewardship Association Member <br /> National Young Farmer Coalition <br /> Past Service on Orange County Advisory Boards: <br /> none <br /> Boards/Commissions applied for: <br /> Agricultural Preservation Board <br /> Please explain how your background, education and experience is relevant to this board <br /> My husband and I have run our own farm here in Orange County for the last ten years. We <br /> started on rented land and then bought our own land in Cedar Grove several years later. Before <br /> starting our farm, I worked at Maple Spring Gardens in Cedar Grove and at Transplanting <br /> Traditions in southern Orange County. Growing up in an apartment in Chapel Hill, my mom <br /> would take us to visit area farms. I loved being on a farm and I admired the farmers <br /> tremendously. As a student at UNC, I took a field trip to visit Peregrine Farm and my farming <br /> dreams began to take shape. Having not grown up on a farm and knowing I wouldn t inherit <br /> land, I worried that farming wasn t possible. But the dream never went away and I kept working <br /> towards it.Today, we have students from community colleges and universities visit our farm and <br /> many of them seem curious about our experience of becoming farmers and getting on land. I <br /> tell them that I want it to be easier because we need more people growing our food. I feel ready <br /> to take part in our county s efforts to promote agriculture and protect farmland. <br /> Please explain your reasons for wanting to serve on this board <br /> I care deeply about the future of farming in our county. As someone who chose to start a farm <br /> here, I m intimately familiar with the pros and cons of getting a farm started and keeping a farm <br /> thriving in this place. On our farm we employ five young people, some of whom hope to find a <br /> future in agriculture, but most of whom worry they won t be able to afford land or make a living <br /> as farmers. I sincerely hope we can find ways to make farming a more viable profession in the <br /> future. I believe the county has a role to play in doing so - through access to affordable <br />