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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAPB minutes 031611March 16, 2011 Minutes 1 AGRICULTURAL PRESERVATION BOARD - MEETING SUMMARY March 16, 2011 MEMBERS PRESENT: Roland Walters, Elizabeth Walters, Howard McAdams and Spence Dickinson, Patrick McGarry, Joe Thompson and Allan Green. MEMBERS ABSENT/EXCUSED: Louise Tate GUESTS: STAFF: Gail Hughes, Soil and Water Conservation District Tina Moon, Natural and Cultural Division Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation ITEM #1: CALL TO ORDER Chair Roland Walters called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m. ITEM #2: CHAIR COMMENTS (none) ITEM #3: CONSIDERATION OF ADDITIONS TO AGENDA ITEM #4: APPROVAL OF MINUTES January 19, 2011 Members read through the meeting minutes. McAdams motioned to approve the January minutes. Thompson seconded the motion. The APB voted unanimously to approve the January 19, 2011 minutes. ITEM #5: ITEMS FOR DECISION a. Officer Elections McAdams nominated Roland Walters for APB Chair. Green seconded the motion. The APB voted unanimously to elect Roland Walters as Chair of the Agricultural Preservation Board for the next year. Elizabeth Walters nominated Howard McAdams for APB Vice Chair. Dickinson seconded the motion. The APB voted unanimously to elect Howard McAdams as Vice Chair of the Agricultural Preservation Board for the next year. ITEM #6: ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION a. New Farmer Welcome Kit Members read through some of the sample informational brochure materials in the packet and offered comments. Green suggested developing an Internet Wiki to help answer questions for local farmers. The Wiki could include all kinds of information from government agency contacts to recommendations for tractor repair businesses. Members and staff discussed the challenges of Internet upkeep and the problems associated with appearing to recommend one particular vendor over another. While the APB liked the opportunity to use the Internet and its various links for providing in-depth information some members expressed the importance of handing something in hand (a brochure) with names and addresses as a starting point or checklist. The brochure could include Internet addresses and links where users could go for more detailed information. Assignment for May meeting: members agreed to come to the May meeting with suggestions for information to be included on the brochure. Names and contact information for specific agencies or supply sources that APB members had found helpful in their own farming efforts, particularly information that they found after they really could have used it. Staff was asked to begin to assemble local farm agency information into brochures. b. Conversations with Conventional Farmers Members discussed their progress meeting with conventional farmers to discuss their thoughts on various topics discussed at the last few meetings. Staff prepared a one-page list of “talking points” to help members focus their conversations. March 16, 2011 Minutes 2 Elizabeth Walters reported on two conversations she had held with conventional farmers. Assignment for May: other members agreed to try to engage more farmers in conversations regarding the prepared questions before the May meeting. The questions were designed to help the APB target their efforts over the upcoming year, particularly with regard to the potential joint meeting with the Economic Development Commission. c. Agenda for Joint Meeting w/ EDC Members discussed the draft agenda in the packets as a starting point for the proposed joint meeting with the Economic Development Commission. A lot of the conversation focused on the purpose of the meeting— what deliverables did the APB hope to get from having a joint meeting with the EDC. While members were reluctant to postpone the meeting into the summer, the majority felt that they needed to do more research within the farming community before holding a joint meeting. The APB felt that they needed a better grasp as to what infrastructure local farmers feel is missing, what type of agricultural businesses are needed— before the APB can ask the EDC to help with recruitment. d. Updates & Information Sharing 1. Ag Summit 2011 Moon provided a brief last minute update on the upcoming Agricultural Summit. This year the Summit will be held in collaboration with NC A & T as part of their farmer of the year award, and will be located in the Cedar Grove Ruritan Club on Efland-Cedar Grove Road on March 21, 2011. 2. Meeting with Animal Services Advisory Board – Livestock List Staff reported on the brief “pre-meeting” with the APB Chair and Vice Chair and Gail Hughes from Soil & Water to review the Animal Services Livestock list and begin to update it. Staff to check in with the Cooperative Extension Service to compare their lists for various commodity groups, such as the Cattlemen Association. 3. Work Plan-Next Steps Staff included a meeting schedule chart in the packets to help the APB organize its time for the year. Members reviewed the APB work plan that was submitted to the BOCC and began scheduling the various tasks for specific meetings. Hopefully this approach will help the APB stay on track and continue to work on individual assignments during the off meeting months. ITEM# 7: INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS a. Handouts at the meeting ITEM #8: ADJOURNMENT Thompson made a motion to adjourn the meeting; McAdams seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned at 9:32 p.m. Next meeting scheduled for May 18, 2011, in the small Conference Room in the Environment and Agricultural Center.