Lomax incubator farm operator asks Cabarrus County to raise annual support from $80,000 to $120,000

Carolina Farm Stewardship Association representatives presented the county work session with a request to increase annual funding for the Lomax Incubator Farm from $80,000 to $120,000.

CFSA representative Dylan Alexander explained the organization operates the 32-acre Lomax site and runs farmer training, research and donation programs there. He said the group has expanded donation production since the pandemic and that between 2021 and 2025 CFSA raised more than 37,000 pounds of produce for local distribution. CFSA is also participating in a USDA-supported organic seed production research project at the site.

Karen McSwain, identified in the presentation as the associate executive director for programs, reviewed line items the group uses to run Lomax and asked the board to consider the higher annual payment to reflect rising labor, fuel and input costs and to account for a manager-level position overseeing 32 acres. "Our labor has increased. Our cost of fuel and propane has increased. The cost of inputs has increased," the presenter said, explaining why the group is asking for an additional $40,000 per year.

County staff and commissioners questioned funding sources and legal authority for the payments. County staff said the money to pay CFSA has come from a deferred-tax account and that an ordinance adopted more than a decade ago restricts that funding stream to conservation easements, local food and parks. County staff noted the lease language ties payment to funds being available in that deferred-tax account.

Commissioners also asked whether CFSA could restart earlier school programs that paused during COVID; CFSA said it could, subject to staff capacity and that the lease includes $10,000 earmarked for community programming. Staff emphasized that eliminating the external operator would shift responsibility and maintenance costs back to the county.

The county manager said staff will return with a proposed lease extension during the budget process and asked the board if it wanted different guidance prior to that step. No formal lease approval was taken at the work session; staff said a proposed lease extension will return for the board to consider as part of budget deliberations.

Next steps: staff will bring a proposed lease extension and funding recommendation to a future meeting during the budget process; commissioners requested copies of the relevant ordinance language and a clearer budget breakdown for the CFSA request.