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rising 35%, from $10,974 to $14,847. In comparison, North Carolina's 2007 net farm income totaled $2.4 billion — with an average income per farm of $45,532 across the state. Increase in female farmers — The majority of Cabarrus farmers are white men and women who serve as decision makers on 592 farms. Between 2002 and 2007, the number of women working as the principal operators on Cabarrus farms increased by 31%. Local ownership a strength — As was true in 2002, Cabarrus boasts strong local ownership of its farms. Almost all (550 or 90%) Cabarrus farms are family farm operations. Four hundred and thirty farmers are full owners, which means they own the land they farm, while 146 are part owners and 35 are tenant farmers. Twenty Cabarrus farms produced commodities under production contracts, with 12 of those producing broilers or pullets? Local farm ownership can be considered the keystone of sustainable communities. Farmers who own the farms they operate can provide numerous benefits. They are more likely to participate in the local economy and take care of the land and surrounding environment for future generations. They also provide the human capital society needs to feed itself. FARM SIZE AND CHARACTERISTICS Overall market sales increase — As reported above, the total market value of agricultural goods sold in the County increased between 2002 and 2007 by 71%. When looking at the total market value of products sold by farm, the number of farms selling between $20,000 - $49,999 increased from 31 to 40 (29%). The number of farms selling between both $50,000- $99,999 and $100,000 - $249,999 increased as well (by 27% and 44% respectively), and the number of farms selling more than $500,000 increased by 58%. Small acreage and lifestyle farms are on the rise — According to the 2007 USDA Census, the average Cabarrus farm size was 109 acres, and 53% of the County's 611 farms were less than 50 acres. Compared to 2002, the number of farms between 1 -9 acres stayed relatively the same, while the number of farms between 10 -49 acres increased (from 247 to 282) . GRAPH 1. CABARRUS FARMS BY SIZE 300 250 200 E I ? 150 100 50 0 Acres Issues to be explored To build its local food system, Cabarrus needs to encourage new farmers to enter farming as a career and to keep existing farms in business. In particular, the County needs to support the growth of small and mid -scale farms. One way to achieve this goal is to make sure farming is a viable career path, one that allows farmers access to training, capital, disaster relief programs, and disability and health insurance. When looking at the total market value of products sold by farm, the number of farms selling less than $1,000 increased from 171 to 193 (13%) between 2002 to 2007. This category includes farms that can be considered lifestyle farms — those maintained without expectation of being a primary source of income — as well as farms with the potential to combine sales and government payments for a total greater than $1,000. Cabarrus County Food System AsAsesssment nu 1.3 1 1 -1 Page 627 1 -9 10 -49 50 -179 180 -499 500 -1.000 1000+ photo: Mike Linker