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13 <br /> FINAL DRAFT-5-27-26 <br /> aggregator/distributor. Food hubs can aggregate, store, and distribute products from <br /> multiple farmers to achieve and distribute wholesale quantities that individual small <br /> farmers cannot achieve on their own. <br /> d) In collaboration with the NC Department of Agriculture and in consultation with Tri-COG <br /> FEEDS (Food Ecosystem Economic Development Strategy), conduct a feasibility study for <br /> a regional market and aggregation/distribution center in the vicinity of I-40/1-85. <br /> 10)Provide citizens and decision-makers with information and education on agriculture <br /> in Orange County and with opportunities to engage with the farming community. <br /> a) Update the Agricultural Viability and Farmland Stewardship Plan biennially. Discuss the <br /> biennial update at a Board of County Commissioners meeting dedicated to agricultural <br /> viability in the County. <br /> b) Publicize and communicate about Orange County agriculture through an Agriculture <br /> web page or website, social media, and other electronic means. <br /> c) Convene a periodic agricultural festival for the public. <br /> d) Expand the County Farm-to-Table event to reach more children. <br /> 11)Support and enhance agricultural development in the County. <br /> a) Assess the utility of (a) modifying eligibility criteria for Agricultural Economic Development <br /> grants to include agricultural support entities and (b) assess expanding the scope and <br /> flexibility in awarding grant funds across three categories of recipient (new farmers, <br /> established farmers, agricultural support entities). <br /> b) Explore feasibility of legislative changes to revisit the acreage and income thresholds for <br /> Present Use Value program eligibility. <br /> c) Explore innovative approaches that focus on supporting new and existing farmers, <br /> including possible land bank programs. <br /> Potential funding sources include <br /> • Deferred Taxes from Farmland Coming Out of the Present Use Value Program <br /> Establish a program to provide additional funding for farmland preservation through <br /> deferred property tax revenue generated when a farm operation ceases to be eligible <br /> for the Present Use Value (PUV) program. A growing number of other counties in and <br /> adjacent to rapidly growing metro areas have recently adopted this approach as a key <br /> component of their farmland preservation efforts. This method creates a direct linkage <br /> between the loss of farmland due to development and county farmland preservation. <br /> • Grants from entities including the Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation <br /> Trust Fund, Golden Leaf, the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund, and the Orange County <br /> Farm Bureau. <br /> 11 <br />