HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 06-01-2010 - 3aORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: June 1, 2010
Action Agenda
Item No. � —a
SUBJECT: Resolution Honorinq Joe Thompson — 2010 Small Farmer of the Year
DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, Parks PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No
and Recreation; Cooperative
Extension
ATTACHMENT INFORMATION CONTACT:
Resolution Dave Stancil, DEAPR Director, 245 -2510
Mike Lanier, Cooperative Extension, 245 -2063
PURPOSE: To recognize Mr. Joseph A. Thompson, owner and operator of Thompson
Prawn Farm, as the 2010 Gilmer L. and Clara Y. Dudley Small Farmer of the Year through
the Cooperative Extension program at North Carolina A &T State University.
BACKGROUND: Joseph (Joe) Thompson and his wife Geraldine relocated to northwestern
Orange County in 1979 to raise tobacco on 57 acres in the Cedar Grove community.
Over the past five years, Mr. Thompson has converted the former tobacco farm into a
freshwater prawn farm. The prawn farm is one of nine such farms located in North Carolina,
and one of just two operating west of Interstate 95. Mr. Thompson has worked very hard to
develop the prawn farm into a highly viable and sustainable operation. He sells 75 percent of
the annual prawn harvest directly to local restaurants in the Triangle and the other 25 percent
to a Virginia cooperative. Other portions of the farm are used to raise crops (corn, soybeans,
and small grain) that are used to create a special, high - protein feed for the prawns.
Mr. Thompson has worked with the Orange Soil and Water Conservation District and Orange
County Cooperative Extension on several projects to improve the operation. He is also
working with the Black Family Land Trust and the County's Lands Legacy program to protect
a large portion of the farm with an agricultural conservation easement.
On March 24, 2010 Joe Thompson received the Small Farmer of the Year award during a
ceremony at North Carolina A &T State University in Greensboro. The award is presented
annually to a North Carolina farmer who exemplifies prudent stewardship of the land and
advantageous use of Extension in a manner befitting the legacy left by Gilmer L. and Clara Y.
Dudley. An informative video presentation regarding Mr. Joe Thompson and his prawn farm
can be viewed at: http:// www .ag.ncat.edu /sfy10 /index.htmi.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: None
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the attached
resolution recognizing Joseph A. Thompson on receipt of the 2010 Small Farmer of the Year
and authorize the Chair to sign the resolution on behalf of the Board.
RES-0010 -0,.3
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
RESOLUTION OF RECOGNITION
FOR
JOSEPH A. THOMPSON
2010 Small Farmer of the Year Award
North Carolina A &T State University
WHEREAS, Joseph Thompson has been a loyal and dedicated farmer who has survived
economic and technological changes to lead a rigorous, but rewarding way of life; and
WHEREAS, Joseph Thompson opted out of the commodity agricultural system and joined
the "local foods system" which provides small and midsized farmers an opportunity to make a
living and provides other benefits including: farmland preservation, less energy intensive
farming, less reliance on distant food sources, increased food safety, and improvements in
animal welfare and environmental protection, as well as other benefits; and
WHEREAS, Joseph Thompson, as the owner of a small farm, is helping to lead the way
locally in the revitalization of rural communities and rural economies by setting an example of
how small farms can be profitable, attracting the attention of a younger generation who would
like to farm, and creating a demand for related local business in agricultural processing,
distribution, supplies, services, and equipment; and
WHEREAS, Joseph Thompson has been actively engaged in farming in Cedar Grove, which
has enriched the heritage of Orange County, provided economic opportunities and supported
the social structure of his community, and provided income and sustenance for his family,
while tending his land with dedication, commitment, appreciation, and determination; and
WHEREAS, Joseph Thompson has been recognized by the Cooperative Extension program
at North Carolina A &T State University with the Gilmer L. and Clara Y. Dudley Small Farmer
of the Year award for his resourcefulness and self - reliance skills resulting from his adherence
to "old school farming principles" that have saved him tens of thousands of dollars in costs,
and for his willingness to try new ideas and experiment with practices to maximize his profits,
as well as the adoption of new direct - marketing and computer skills that are vital to his
business;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners
hereby recognize Joseph Thompson on his receipt of the 2010 Gilmer L. and Clara Y. Dudley
Small Farmer of the Year award and bestows gratitude on Joseph Thompson for his many
years of farming, his leadership in helping create a new farming model, and his production of
a wholesome and exciting new food product for the residents of Orange County.
This the 1st day of June, 2010.
Valerie Foushee, Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners
Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board