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Your Agricultural Land Is a Valuable Asset to the <br />Citizens of Orange County <br />Citizens of Orange County derive many benefits <br />from your farmland: clean water and air, plant and <br />animal habitat, fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and <br />dairy products, and scenic rural vistas. Now you can <br />enroll in a program that demonstrates your pride and <br />commitment to agriculture, and celebrates your <br />contribution to the exceptional quality of life in <br />Orange County. <br />Voluntary Agricultural Districts Promote the Pride <br />and Tradition of Orange County Agriculture <br />Orange County's Voluntary Agricultural District <br />Program enhances the identity of the agricultural <br />community by encouraging the voluntary <br />preservation and protection of farmland from non- <br />farm development. <br />How Your Farm Can Beneflt From Becoming a <br />Voluntary Agricultural District . <br />Recognition. The County will place signs (see <br />below) along public roads at your property line that <br />identify your farm as an Orange County Voluntary <br />Agricultural District. These signs will tell passersby <br />that you, the farm owner, are committed to the <br />preservation of the agricultural way of life in Orange <br />County. <br />You Are Entering an <br />Orange County <br />Voluntary Agricultural District <br />A6? S <br />Increased Protection from Nuisance Suits Persons <br />buying land within one-half mile of the District will <br />do so with the knowledge that a bona fide <br />agricultural operation exists. Agricultural Districts <br />will be identified in the County Land Records <br />System and on County Tax Maps. Applicants for new <br />developments will also be alerted to the presence of <br />an agricultural district within one-half mile. <br />Waiver of Water and Sewer Assessments. <br />Landowners within Agricultural Districts will not be <br />required to connect to water or sewer systems owned <br />and/or operated by Orange County, nor will they be <br />assessed water and sewer charges until their property <br />is connected to such service. <br />Public Hearing Required for Proposed <br />Condemnations No State or County agency may <br />initiate condemnation proceedings against any lands <br />within an Agricultural District until a formal public <br />hearing is conducted. <br />Priority Conslderadon in Development Review. <br />Agricultural Districts are considered `Primary <br />Conservation Areas' when reviewing new <br />development proposals adjacent to the District. <br />Eligibility for Preservation Funds. Agricultural <br />Districts may be eligible for farmland preservation <br />grants, should funding become available from local, <br />state, or federal sources. <br />How Your Farm Can Become a Voluntary <br />Agricultural District, To . become an Agricultural <br />District, a farm must fast be certified as Qualifying <br />Farmland. To secure certification, a farm must: <br />? Be participating in the farm Present Use Value <br />Taxation program <br />? Be certified by the Natural -Resources <br />Conservation Service as being a farm on which: <br />-at least two-thirds of the land is composed of <br />soils that are best suited for agricultural <br />purposes; or <br />-at lea <br />used i <br />operati <br />? Be ma <br />farm, i <br />contra: <br />Securil <br />An Agricu. <br />acres of c <br />contain a. <br />farms of sr <br />Smaller tra <br />voluntary a, <br />Contact one <br />more infoi <br />Agricultura <br />Agricullura <br />Voluntary,. <br />A Voluntar <br />subject to <br />between the <br />non-farm u <br />period of at <br />may be de <br />district. <br />Should you <br />A Volunta <br />revoke the <br />through a w <br />r