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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 06-19-2012 - 4aORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: June 19, 2012 Action Agenda Item No. - a SUBJECT. Orange County Ag Tourism Farms Special Presentation DEPARTMENT: Economic Development & PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No Cooperative Extension ATTACHMENT(S): Farm Profiles INFORMATION CONTACT: Noah Ranells, Economic Development, 245 -2330 Mike Lanier, Cooperative Extension, 245 -2063 Steve Brantley, Economic Development, 245 -2325 Carl Matyac, Cooperative Extension, 245 -2050 Laurie Paolicelli, Economic Development, 968 -2000 PURPOSE: To recognize Orange County farmers that were featured in the March -April 2012 Chapel Hill Magazine as part of an Orange County ag tourism promotion and present each of the farms with a framed farm profile. BACKGROUND: During the past ten years, the BOCC has placed a renewed priority on expanding opportunities for farmers and other farm to fork businesses. Interdepartmental collaboration between Orange County Economic Development and Cooperative Extension has resulted in the establishment of the PLANT @ Breeze Farm Enterprise Incubator in 2008 and the Piedmont Food & Ag Processing Center in 2011. These two entrepreneurial programs were milestones for the Orange County agricultural economic development program. Ag tourism is also a strong component for some farms in Orange County and offers the opportunity for farm diversification that affords economic resilience to ag enterprises. Early in 2012, a team of agricultural and farm related departments, including Cooperative Extension, Economic Development, and Environment, Agriculture, and Parks & Recreation, worked closely with the Chapel Hill / Orange County Visitors Bureau to develop an ag tourism marketing insert for the Chapel Hill Magazine. Five farms were chosen for this media feature: Captain John S. Pope Farm, Chapel Hill Creamery, McAdams Farm, Parker Farm & Vineyard, and Walters Unlimited. Four of the named farms were also participants in the recent Farm to Fork Picnic as well as the April 2012 Piedmont Farm Tour. Both events were highly successful with the picnic raising 2 $23,500 for new farmer training programs at the Breeze Farm and the Center for Environmental Farming Systems. Of the 40 farms on the tour, 24 were Orange County farms, and these farms had a combined 8,908 visitors over the two -day tour. The strong public support for local farms continues to expand economic opportunities for local farmers and food system businesses. Recognition of local farms allows the opportunity to promote Orange County's strong agrarian heritage as well as innovative farms that meet local and regional demand for high quality, locally raised, grown, and made farm products. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact related to this special presentation. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board formally present the framed ag tourism profiles to the respective farms. s X Y s} P inUA L111 -011 ;-I-k A"L A 0 "E, AMM IL Captain John S. Pope's Farm Address: 6909 Efland -Cedar Grove Rd., Cedar Grove AS SEEN 1N Products Offered: Grass -fed Iamb Phone: 919 - 621 -1150 Website: www.dorperscedargrovenc.com Tours: By appointment only Although you can find Captain John's excellent quality grass -fed lamb at the Carrboro and Hillsborough farmers' markets and served in many fine dining restaurants throughout the Triangle, you won't experience this heritage farm's rich history that spans more than 200 years unless you go there yourself. "We have pieces of history everywhere in the farmhouse: lots of family photographs dating back to 1800s and even the pre- 1800s," says Robert Pope, who owns the farm along with his cousin Tommy Pope. "You can tell how farm life was a long time ago because we've maintained so many things." Another reason to pay a visit? For the Iamb burgers and lamb dogs, Robert says. "People lineup to eat them every day." I Ei 19 3a" fj FA Chapel Hill Creamery -- r ASS IN Address: 615 Chapel Hill Creamery Rd., Chapel Hill Products Offered: Fresh mozzarella, feta, Carolina Moon, Dairyland Farmer's, 11 Hickory Grove and Calvander cheeses Phone: 919- 967 -3757 Website: www.chapelhilicreamery.com Tours: By appointment only This small dairy farm, owned by Portia McKnight and Flo Hawley, has won many awards for its great cheese, including Best of Show at the N.C. State Fair. The cheese comes from 30 Jersey cows that graze a variety of seasonal grasses for up to 10 months per year and are known for the richness of their milk. Portia and Flo also raise whey -fed pigs on their farm and send most of their pork cuts to Lantern Restaurant. But cheese is what the Chapel Hill Creamery is known for, in fact, Portia has revealed that the Hickory Grove cheese, in particular, "makes the best grilled cheese sandwich in the world!" A r ® McAdams Farm " Address: 1100 Efland -Cedar Grove Rd., Efland AS SEEN IN Products Offered: Pick - your -own strawberries, fresh -cut flowers, vegetables, C locally- reared hormone- and antibiotic -free beef and Iamb `F6' Phone: 919- 732 -7701 Website: www.mcadamsfarm.com Tours: By appointment only; pick - your -own strawberries offered late April -May except Sundays. Please call before you come; farm stand offered June- November The McAdams Farm was established in 1885 and mainly grew tobacco until 2000, when changes in the economic farming climate led the family to replace tobacco with other produce. Today, owners Howard McAdams, Jr. and his wife, .Karen, grow more than 100 varieties of vegetables including tomatoes, eggplant, okra, squash and cucumbers that are sold at the Carrboro Farmers' Market, along with strawberries and, of course, fresh -cut flowers. "We have beautiful flowers - about an acre," Karen says. 'A lot of times people call us up to do bouquets for their weddings or even parties and pig pickin's." f I MI Walters Unlimited Farm Address: 7119 High Rock Rd., Efland Cha SEEN IN Products Offered: Grass -fed beef, pasture goat, pastured pork, free -range eggs,'..1 pastured chicken, catfish and a variety of vegetables; occasionally pecans and dried hot peppers Phone: 336- 212 -4296 Website: www.waltersunlimited.com Tours: By appointment or during this year's Piedmont Farm Tour weekend, April 28 -29 Walters Unlimited is operated by Roland Walters and his wife, Stacey, at the family farm, Carls -Beth Farm, which was established in 1957. When Roland took over the farm in 2004, he converted it to a true grass -fed beef program and recently began harvesting catfish. (Both the beef and catfish are favorites at the Wooden Nickel Pub in Hillsborough.) l Roland says that since his farm is budding with baby goats this time of year, he joined with the Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District to fence off the streams and ponds and supply the animals with different water sources. "This farm has always taken an active role in conservation," he says, "and the latest project is just continuing that role."