AG 2011 09 19 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

The Cabarrus Board of Commissioners has made it a priority to establish Cabarrus County as a sustainable community, one that meets present needs without compro- mising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Commissioners agree a local food system that fosters local production, processing, distribution, and consumption of food in Cabarrus County is at the heart of a sustainable community. In 2010, the County hired the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) to conduct a Food System Assess- ment to: 1) provide an initial evaluation of the food system in the County, 2) highlight assets and challenges within different segments of the food system, and 3) make recommendations for action. This assessment, summarized below, identifies key find- ings and recommendations derived from secondary data sources and interviews with over 60 different stakeholders involved in the County's food system. PRODUCTION Cabarrus County has a strong agricultural heritage from which to build and strengthen its local food system. While agriculture is one of the County's largest industries, farms and farmland are rapidly disappearing due to a host of factors, including an aging farming population, increased production costs, and rapid population growth. The County recognizes this trend and has made agriculture a priority in guiding its long -range planning and land -use decisions. Almost all farms in the County are locally owned, and the majority are relatively small, with over half fewer than 50 acres. Only one -third of farmers in the County report that farming is their primary occupation, and thus a large percentage of farms can be characterized as either retirement or lifestyle farms. The County's strength is in livestock production, particularly beef; half the County's farms have cattle and calves. In contrast, fruit and vegetable production comprises a very small portion of the agricultural industry in the County, with only 24 farms working 86 acres. The County's soils and climate are considered adequate, but not ideal, for vegetable production and access to sufficient water and irrigation is and will continue to be a chal- lenge throughout the County. PROCESSING Throughout the 20th century Cabarrus County was dominated by the textile industry, which means few investments were made in infrastructure to support agriculture. Today there are no produce processing facilities in the County, and farmers don't have ready access, within the county or the region, to facilities that wash, cut, store, transport, freeze, can or in other ways process and add value to fruits and vegetables. In contrast, the County is home to Cruse Meats, which has provided meat fabrication (e.g., cutting, wrapping, and labeling) services for area farmers for many years. What has been missing is nearby slaughter capacity. The County has been working for the past two years to remedy this and will soon begin construction on a kill floor at Cruse Meats. Cabarrus County has a strong agricultural heritage from which to build and strengthen its local food system. 4 CENTER for ENVIRONMENTAL FARMING SYSTEMS Attachment number 1 1 -1 Page 618