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Orange County adopts updated farmland plan as commissioners warn of rapid farm loss
Summary
The Orange County Board of Commissioners unanimously accepted an updated Agricultural Viability and Farmland Stewardship Plan to replace the 2009 document, citing a 24% loss of active farmland since 2017 and projections of further significant losses without action; staff will forward the plan to the state ADFP Trust Fund for program eligibility.
The Orange County Board of Commissioners on June 2 unanimously accepted an updated Agricultural Viability and Farmland Stewardship Plan intended to replace the county’s 2009 plan and guide farmland preservation through 2030.
Michael Hughes, chair of the Agricultural Preservation Board, told commissioners the plan results from three years of work with farmers and county staff and lays out a strategy to slow farmland loss and support farming viability. Hughes said Orange County lost roughly 24% of its active farmland between 2017 and 2025 — a decline from about 70,000 acres to approximately 53,000 acres — and projected the county could lose another 14,000 to 19,000 acres in the next 15 years without action. He described recommendations including conservation easements, voluntary agricultural districts, support for markets and aggregation, and technical assistance for farm succession planning.
"Good farmland faces increasing pressure from urban growth," Hughes said, summarizing the plan’s rationale and urging the board to accept the document so the county could remain eligible for state Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation (ADFP) Trust Fund grants.
Public commenters, including farmers and local food advocates, told the board the plan is urgent. John Dempsey said local farms provided critical food access during the COVID‑19 pandemic and urged the county not to treat the plan as a merely symbolic document. Ashley Parker, a fifth‑generation Hurdle Mills farmer, described how local processing and markets connect farm products to consumers and argued losing farmland would force Orange County to rely on outsourced food production.
Commissioners described the plan as a practical roadmap. Commissioner Jamezetta Bedford asked staff to clarify how county departments would coordinate implementation and how conservation easement procedures would apply specifically to farmland. Commissioner Sally Greene praised the plan’s integration with the county land‑use and climate strategies. Chair Jean Hamilton moved to authorize staff to submit the final plan to the state ADFP Trust Fund; Commissioner Bedford seconded the motion, and the board voted unanimously.
Next steps: staff will forward the adopted plan to the North Carolina ADFP Trust Fund for acceptance, which is required for state grant preference and reduced matching requirements. The plan document calls for implementation actions targeted for 2026–2030 and biannual updates.
