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efforts and policies. The county Board of Commissioners bears the responsibility for approving funding to help implement this plan. 3. State Agencies: Some key agencies providing assistance to agricultural producers in the county are North Carolina Cooperative Extension, North Carolina State University, and North Carolina A &T State University. The Soil & Water Conservation District provides technical support and cost -share funding to farmers for adopting certain conservation and water quality improvement practices. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services provides data on Voluntary Agricultural Districts throughout the state, as well as marketing advice to agricultural producers. 4. Federal Agencies: USDA has a strong presence in Cabarrus County with its NRCS and FSA local offices. NRCS administers financial and technical assistance program for farmland protection and conservation initiatives, including grants for best management practices, habitat improvement and purchase of development rights. FSA lends money to operators and provides credit counseling and farm business consulting. 5. Business and Industry: Participation of local farm businesses in this plan is critical its implementation. Private industry, both farm supply and nonfarm businesses and the Chamber of Commerce play an important role in promoting the agricultural sector of the county's economy. These organizations should also help in developing new markets such as tourism that will benefit agricultural producers. 6. Non governmental Organizations: Organizations such as land trusts, historic preservation groups, and groups dedicating to assisting agriculture provide necessary advocacy and other service necessary for implementation of this plan. 7. Residents: The success of this plan ultimately relies on the participation of county residents in the local agricultural market. The proximity of their purchases to the producers ensures that more of each dollar paid for an agricultural item will return to the farmer, thus increasing his or her profitability and increasing the likelihood that he or she will continue to farm their land. Residents of the county can also recognize the importance of working farms to the local economy and environment and heritage of Cabarrus County by supporting an effort to establish and subsequently support funding for a purchase of agricultural conservation easements program. Adopted this the 20 day of February, 2012. Elizabeth F. Poole, Chairman Cabarrus Co. Board of Commissioners ' This countywide Protection Plan is a suggestive model based on North Carolina statutory law and county agricultural protection plans (called farmland protection plans under NC Law from other states, primarily New York, which has a statewide program whereby the New York State Department of Agriculture and 19 Attachment number 1 G -1 Page 216