Durham presents Farm Campus feasibility study; county purchased Orange Factory Road property

Durham County Cooperative Extension and consultants presented the final feasibility study for the Durham County Farm Campus on May 5, summarizing program goals, site characteristics, a phased buildout and a preliminary 10‑year operating budget.

County Extension director Donna Rewalt introduced the project and said the county has acquired roughly 129 acres on Orange Factory Road for the campus. Derek Fleming of HR&A Advisors walked commissioners through a three‑phase implementation timeline: a Year‑0 “preparation and activation” stage focused on site readiness, community activations and initial governance; Years 1–3 to establish basic public access, temporary infrastructure, an incubator farm program and education partnerships; Years 4–6 to expand programming and physical infrastructure; and Years 7–10 for full buildout with shared kitchen space, teaching facilities and a healing garden.

Key site and program details: the campus will host an incubator farm program for beginning growers, shared post‑harvest/teaching kitchen space, and education and outreach tied to Cooperative Extension and local schools. Study authors recommended a governance structure that centers Cooperative Extension, a steering committee of farmers and community leaders, and technical partners. The feasibility presentation included a sample operating budget phased over 10 years and suggested an initial small staff core (farm manager, caretaker and related part‑time support) with the option to expand as earned revenue and grants grow.

Capital and near‑term projects identified during the meeting: Cooperative Extension staff described two stormwater/green infrastructure projects linked to the farm campus conversation — a completed Neil Middle School bioretention retrofit (about $450,000) and a Whispering Pines stream restoration and bioretention project in design with an estimated construction cost of about $2.1 million; the latter has secured multiple grants and expects more than $1 million in outside funding. The farm campus consultants recommended beginning with one full‑time farm manager to coordinate programs and low‑cost activations while pursuing philanthropic and federal funding.

Next steps: the feasibility report and recommended governance/operating plans will be integrated into capital planning; staff recommended forming a steering committee, recruiting a farm manager and pursuing grants and private philanthropy. County staff said they will continue coordination with Durham Public Schools, Cooperative Extension partners and community organizations before bringing capital requests forward for formal CIP consideration.