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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAPB Minutes 091620 Orange County Agricultural Preservation Board Approved Meeting Summary: September 16, 2020 ***Virtual Meeting via GoToMeeting*** 6:30 p.m. Members Present: Compton, Dawson, McAdams, McKnight, McPherson, Myers, Parker, Redding, Saiers, Sykes, Vanhook, Woods Members Absent:Anderson, Finley; Shambley Guests: None Staff: Gail Hughes, Resource Conservation Coordinator-Orange Soil and Water; Peter Sandbeck, Cultural Resources Coordinator; Gail Hughes, Tyrone Fisher, County Extension Director; Chris Hirni, Land Conservation Manager 1. Call to order: Chair Redding called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 2. Chair Comments/Introductions: None 3. Considerations of Additions to Agenda: Staff noted that the Lands Legacy discussion might be moved earlier in the agenda depending on Chris Hirni's schedule. Hughes asked that we add the topic of making a decision about holding the annual VAD breakfast this fall. Redding asked that we consider moving forward to invite Roger Gund with the County Tax Administration staff to join one of our meetings to discuss Present Use Value and other issues of interest to the ag community. 4. Meeting Summary/Minutes: January 15, 2020: Saiers moved to accept the minutes/summary; seconded by Woods; motion carried. S. Items for Decision: a) New VAD/EVAD Applications(Attachment 2): Hughes presented the current applications listed below. All of these farms meet the requirements/criteria for VAD/EVAD enrollment. • Michael Hughes/Dale Morgan (Feb. application): 29.26 acres for EVAD, Cane Creek/ Buckhorn District. Apiary, grasses, livestock in the future (sheep) and managed woodlands. • Randy/Theresa Pope (March application): 127.74 acres for VAD, Cedar Grove Ag District. Grains, soybeans, livestock(chickens) and woodland • Charles Edens (April application): 32.92 acres for VAD, Cedar Grove Ag District. Vegetables; livestock: pigs, chickens,turkeys and woodland. • Matthew Pinkston (April application): 26.32 acres for VAD, Cedar Grove Ag District. Fescue grass/hayland. • Stanley Hughes, Linda Leach, Bennie Hughes Heirs(May application): 52.28 acres for VAD, Caldwell/Cedar Grove Ag District.Tobacco, sweet potatoes,vegetables and woodland. • Michael/Betsy Parker(Sept. application): 111.41 acres for VAD, Caldwell Ag District. Tobacco, soybeans, grain, corn and managed woodland. • NCSU -Breeze Farm (August application): 269.22 acres for VAD, Schley/Eno District. This is the NC Cooperative Extension Service incubator farm for new farmers.Vegetables, flowers, corn, soybeans, grain crops, beef cattle and managed woodland. 2 Vanhook moved to approve all of the applications, seconded by Compton; motion carried. b) Appointment of APB member to serve on Food Council:Staff introduced the topic of appointing a new APB member, or perhaps finding a volunteer to replace Ken Dawson,who has been the APB representative on the Food Council since it was started in 2016. Dawson provided an overview of the Food Council. Our member will attend the meetings and represent the ag community. It is made up of representatives from a diverse background across various non-profit entities and local governments; membership comes from the public health and education community as well. We need to continue to have this presence to represent issues of importance to real farmers. The Council helped initiate and coordinate ways to respond to the food insecurity issues created by the pandemic, such as the food distribution effort spearheaded by the Extension Service.Tyrone explained how they partnered with the Dept. of Social Services and others to implement food distribution to help provide local food, with around 180-200 households at both Cedar Ridge and Carrboro high schools. Chair Redding asked for potential volunteers to express their interest but no one stepped forward. Discussion followed. Staff explained that in such cases the APB could initiate a system of rotating representation, starting with the chair,then the vice chair,then moving through the roster. Dawson reviewed the recent initiative to implement the Ag Trust Fund program, which is still viable and will require a renewed push from the APB to keep alive. Chair Redding agreed to represent the APB at the next Food Council meeting. c) Annual VAD Breakfast: Hughes asked for a formal decision on this. Given all the restraints on meetings right now,this cannot be held this fall. Members expressed agreement that we needed to cancel the breakfast for this year. We can keep the topic on the agenda for future meetings. 6. Discussion Items: a) Lands Legacy Action Plan and funding update: Staff reviewed the handout provided by Chris Hirni and walked members through the comments that the APB made in 2017 when we last provided input. Hirni walked members through the core goals and purposes of this program, and how projects need to be ranked depending on the varying priorities of the agencies granting the funds. There is a list of projects in the pipeline if and when funds are obtained. It's not essential for farms to be in the PUV or VAD programs to be eligible, but those add points to applications. Ultimately, the BOCC needs to approve a project before he can apply for grant funds to proceed with a project. The APB continues to advocate for special emphasis on projects that promote the preservation of prime farmland.Also,we did get word that funding for this program has been preserved and is in the budget for FY 2021-22. b) Dates for the next APB meeting: Members agreed to plan to meet again on November 181n provided there are items of business to conduct. 7. Informational Items/Future Agenda Items: a. Local Food Distribution Program:Staff reviewed this topic,which was covered in more detail by Tyrone Fisher earlier in the meeting. b. Ag Economic Development Update: no report at this meeting c. Status of milk processing feasibility study grant application: Staff reported that the application that McKnight worked so hard on was not approved. She was hoping to learn more about how we might enhance our application to have a better chance to get funding.This can be revisited on the November agenda. 3 d. Status of Gail's position and schedule for filling it: Hughes reported on the current status following her retirement last December. Her position was frozen at the start of the pandemic and may well be frozen until January, or even July, 2021. Her position is high on the list for funding if/when the hiring freeze is lifted.The Department found some funding to allow her to work 15 hours per week since March to help keep some of her Soil and Water projects moving, as well as continuing to work on new VAD farms. Hughes explained that she was going to be running for a Soil and Water Commissioner post this November, and if elected,will no longer be able to work part time on Soil and Water projects due to conflict of interest. She doesn't want to see the momentum of the VAD program slow down.The APB might decide to send a letter of support for filling this position at the earliest possible time. e. Farm Act:Hughes reviewed some of the highlights of the new Farm Act bill passed by the General Assembly, including agritourism signage, along with some new provisions regarding the PUV program and how the PUV status transfers with the land to a new landowner. She will share the link with all the members. 8. Time for Information Sharing: We might consider inviting Roger Gund to make a presentation to the APB. 9. Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 7:50 pm.