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Elma C. Lomax Incubator Farm <br />Public to Private Transition Plan <br />FY 201-5 Operating Agreement Extension Funding <br />February, 2015 <br />warm StF tp <br />o � a <br />aS soc i at\ <br />LOCALLY CROWN <br />K 5k <br />z <br />From 2009 through June of 201-4, the Elma C. Lomax Incubator Farm was managed by <br />Cabarrus County government and served as a teaching facility in cooperation with Cabarrus <br />County Cooperative Extension. In June 2014 the Board of County Commissioners as part of a <br />procedural budgetary vote, unexpectedly eliminated all funding for the Elma C. Lomax <br />Incubator Farm effective July 1-st, 201-4. <br />On September 1-st, 201-4 Cabarrus County entered into a Temporary Operating Agreement (TOA) <br />with Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) allowing CFSA to take over operational <br />management of the Lomax Farm. Many individuals, organizations and startup businesses have <br />come to rely on the Lomax Farm. Still others have planned partnerships for future cooperation. <br />This TOA allowed operation of the farm to continue in the fourth quarter of 2 0 1 4. <br />Carolina Farm Stewardship Association is a member - based, farmer - driven, non - profit <br />organization with a mission to promote local and sustainable agriculture in the Carolinas, <br />including education and support for new farmers. CFSA (carolinafarmstewards.org), <br />headquartered in Pittsboro, NC, is willing to continue the role of fiscal sponsor for the Lomax <br />Farm, continue operational management of the Lomax Farm and assist in the development of a <br />long -range plan for its continued operation. <br />To continue a smooth transition and ensure the success of the current and future farmer -in- <br />training, use and maintenance of all tools, equipment, and improvements purchased for and <br />associated with operations of the Elma C. Lomax Incubator Farm will be assigned to CFSA solely <br />for use at the Lomax Farm. It should be noted that, initially, all the tools, equipment and <br />improvements at the Elma C. Lomax were purchased with proceeds from a Cannon Foundation <br />grant award. Any tools, equipment or improvements purchased subsequently by the county were <br />funded through the Cabarrus County Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation <br />Trust Fund. <br />The county attorney has advised that the operational agreement between Cabarrus County and <br />CFSA can be maintained and will continue to provide for the management and fiscal <br />responsibility of the Elma C. Lomax Incubator Farm by CFSA. <br />Attachment number 2 <br />F -3 Page 19 <br />