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C. Rising Property Values and Taxes_ As suburban development increases in rural areas, land prices invariably increase, which has been the case in Cabarrus County. Increasing land prices restrict a farmer's ability to purchase more land on which to operate, thus restricting his or her flexibility to change their agricultural operation or otherwise produce more to increase their income. The eastern part of the county, where the majority of the agricultural production is located, is projected to have property values rise by at least 30 percent in the 2008 property revaluation. D. Conflicts with Non - farmer Neighbors. Cabarrus County farmers have indicated that conflicts with non - farming neighbors are increasing. As residential development moves to the farm's edge, new neighbors find themselves faced with the realities of agricultural production processes: dust, livestock smells, noise from machinery, slow moving farm equipment on roadways. Complaints create a hostile operating environment, can end up in costly litigation, and at worst, can result in curtailing a farmer's ability to operate his or her farm. Safety issues are becoming a concern as farm machinery is moved on increasingly overcrowded hichways. E. Loss of Local Farm Services. As noted above, a significant amount of Cabarrus County businesses support agriculture enterprises, and in turn count on agriculture as a large portion of their service base. As farms cease to operate, local businesses depending on that revenue close or relocate further away from agricultural production areas. With the loss of these support businesses, farmers incur rising costs due to delays in their own production due to the lack of an urgently needed service (such as tractor repair) that only a nearby business can provide in the critical amount of time, or they may have to travel further for needed services adding time and travel expenses to their operation. Additionally, farming is a unique business, and the loss of support businesses, particularly in the financial sector, means a drain from the county of service providers who understand the unique needs of agricultural producers. F. Fractured Infrastructure from Poorly - planned Residential Development. Time is a very important asset in agricultural production. The ability to achieve certain goals within certain windows of weather and season are critical to successful farming. Often these schedules are based on the farmer's reliance of corridors of transportation between fields, services and markets. As poorly - planned development encroaches into farming areas, these corridors between fields or other necessary destinations can be disrupted, increasing farmers travel time and operating costs. Also, increased traffic in these corridors imposes similar costs. ARTICLE V: OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENHANCING AGRICULTURE IN CABARRUSCOUNTY 7 Attachment number 1 G -1 Page 204