Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
40 <br /> FINAL DRAFT-5-27-26 <br /> • Priority Action 10b: Publicize and communicate about Orange County <br /> agriculture through an Agriculture web page or website, social media, and <br /> other electronic means. <br /> BENCHMARK/PROGRESS INDICATORS FUNDING/RESOURCES <br /> • County agriculture website or web County staff including new proposed <br /> page published Ag Viability and Farmland <br /> • Website updated at least monthly Stewardship position <br /> • County agriculture presence on <br /> social media sites established <br /> • Number of followers on social <br /> media <br /> • County agriculture electronic <br /> newsletter circulated monthly <br /> • Number of subscribers to <br /> newsletter <br /> • Priority action 10c: Convene a periodic agricultural festival for the public. <br /> BENCHMARK/PROGRESS INDICATORS FUNDING/RESOURCES <br /> • Festival held County staff including new proposed <br /> • Number of attendees Ag Viability and Farmland <br /> • Attendee ratings or feedback Stewardship position <br /> • Priority action 10d: Expand the County Farm-to-Table event for fourth graders <br /> to reach more children. <br /> BENCHMARK/PROGRESS INDICATORS FUNDING/RESOURCES <br /> • Event held County staff including new proposed <br /> • Number of attendees Ag Viability and Farmland <br /> • Attendee ratings or feedback Stewardship position <br /> In current DEAPR budget <br /> Recommendation 11: Support additional agricultural development in the <br /> County. Skyrocketing land prices and high infrastructure costs in Orange County <br /> discourage and prevent new farmers from farming and impel established <br /> farmers to sell farmland for development. County programs to counteract these <br /> deterrents include a) the Present-Use Value Property Tax Program with reduced <br /> tax rates for land in agriculture and related uses; b) economic development <br /> programs such as Agricultural Economic Development grants; and c) the Breeze <br /> Farm Incubator, which provides new and aspiring farmers with access to land, <br /> tools, infrastructure, and services in an arrangement that minimizes the start-up <br /> capital need to start a small farm. Priority Actions 11 a and 11 b provide <br /> mechanisms for enhancing and expanding these opportunities. <br /> The Priority Actions below are restricted to those that can be implemented at <br /> the County level (although the PUV pilot program described in 1 1 b would <br /> 38 <br />