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APB hears VAD, grant and outreach updates; seeks volunteers for education subcommittee
Summary
Staff reported VAD program progress, upcoming Ag Summit and VAD Breakfast plans, a $14,000 grant application for a Cost of Community Services study, Extension grant totals, and volunteers for an education subcommittee to raise public awareness of the APB.
APB staff provided several program and grant updates at the Jan. 21 meeting and the board discussed outreach and next steps.
Jessica Perrin reported on the VAD (Voluntary Agricultural District) program and said several farms would be ready to present at the board’s March meeting; those farms are expected to go before the Board of County Commissioners in April. Perrin reviewed feedback from the recent VAD Breakfast at Chestnut Ridge, reporting that members liked the venue and food and that the board should avoid holding the VAD Breakfast and a board meeting on the same morning. The Ag Summit is scheduled for Feb. 16. Board members suggested presentation ideas, including a local horse logger, Patrick Flanagan (601-917-3276).
On administration and outreach, Perrin said staff had submitted the board’s annual report and work plan on Jan. 16 and that the chair will present the report at the BOCC work session on Feb. 10. The board discussed creating a subcommittee to design educational initiatives about agriculture and APB work; Fabian, Neff and Rose volunteered to serve (Hooten, Miller and Weitzel had also expressed interest).
Staff summarized informational items: a grant application seeking $14,000 to fund a new Cost of Community Services study (Dr. Jeffrey Dorfman, NCSU Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, could start this fall if the grant is awarded); Extension’s Ag Grant program awarded five grants totaling $47,435 and has awarded 142 grants totaling just over $1.1 million to date; and Extension is awaiting word on a Golden Leaf grant for an agrivoltaics project at Breeze Farm. Staff also noted an upcoming vacancy for the at-large APB position and asked members for candidate suggestions.
During time for information sharing, Ashley Parker, Thompson and Dana Hall reported on takeaways from the American Farm Bureau annual meeting in California, including sessions about FSA and NRCS programs; board members compared development pressures seen elsewhere with local conditions.
No formal votes were taken on program items at this meeting; several follow-up items (volunteer subcommittee formation and BOCC presentations) were left to staff and the board.
