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ORANGE COUNTY <br /> NORTH CAROLINA <br /> INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM <br /> TO: Board of County Commissioners <br /> FROM: Jonathon Smith <br /> DATE: May 5, 2026 <br /> SUBJECT: Orange County Food System Assessment <br /> In March 2026,the Orange County Center of N.C. Cooperative Extension released an updated Orange <br /> County Baseline Community Food Assessment. The first edition of the document was first published in <br /> 2016 and was authored by Sophie Kelmenson, MCRP, and Sarah Prager, MPH, at the direction of the <br /> Orange County Food Council.This second edition builds off of their extraordinary work with significant <br /> updates to reflect changes in the food system since that time. <br /> This assessment utilizes a food system model adapted by Christy Shi from Cornell University's <br /> Discovering the Food System:A Primer on Community Food Systems(2002).This framework organizes <br /> the complex local food economy into seven key sectors: production, distribution and aggregation, <br /> processing, marketing, purchasing, consumption, and resource recovery. <br /> Over 30 county employees and community partners were involved in the development of this updated <br /> assessment. <br /> Key Takeaways from the Assessment include: <br /> 1. Growing Food <br /> a. Trends in Orange County's agricultural sector from 1992 to 2022, reveal a complex <br /> landscape of shifting demographics, profitability, and production characteristics.While <br /> the total number of farms increased by 58%to 687,total farmland acreage decreased, <br /> resulting in a more than halving of the average farm size.This contraction in land area is <br /> also reflected in a decline in cropland. Economically,the sector faces challenges. Despite <br /> substantial cash receipts of over$32 million in 2022, overall sales declined by 25.7% <br /> since 2017, and average gross income dropped by nearly 40%, indicating that farming is <br /> a secondary occupation for most operators. Government support has become more <br /> concentrated,with fewer farms receiving payments but with a near doubling in per- <br /> farm support. Production trends show a decline in tobacco and dairy operations, but <br /> growth in other areas like fruits, poultry, and grains.The organic sector saw a decrease <br /> in farms reporting sales but an increase in USDA-certified operations. <br /> 2. Preparing Food <br /> a. To meet the rising demand for locally sourced food, regional systems must expand <br /> beyond direct sales by developing robust processing and distribution infrastructure. <br /> 300 W.Tryon Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278 1 www.orangecountync.gov 1 919.245.2057 <br />