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SUMMARY OF PHASE I RESULTS I. Production Characteristics Agriculture impacts Cabarrus County's economy- In the 2006 Countywide Farmland Protection Plan for Cabarrus County, North Carolina, agriculture was ranked at the County's second largest industry by gross sales. Census data reveals that as of 2007, agriculture was still making a significant impact on the Cabarrus economy. The total market value of agricultural products sold from Cabarrus was $52,394,000 that year —a 71% increase over the 2002 —with the average value of goods sold per farm of $85,752. Livestock production dominates- In 2007 livestock sales accounted for 86% of the market value of goods sold throughout the County. The remaining 14% was made up by crop sales (including greenhouse and nursery). Fruits and vegetables, including melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes, make up a very small portion of the agricultural economy, representing only $332,000 in sales market value. The top three commodities by sales value were poultry and eggs, cattle and calves, and nursery products, which include floriculture and nursery crops, as well as greenhouse fruits and vegetables. Grains; hogs and pigs; and milk and dairy products follow respectively. 4W Fruit and vegetable production is minimal- In 2007 24 Cabarrus farms harvested 86 acres of vegetables. While the number of farms growing vegetables increased by 100% between 2002 and 2007, fruit and vegetable production remains limited in both quantity and variety. For example, 70 of the 86 acres were devoted to sweet corn, pumpkins, tomatoes and watermelons. Issues to be explored Cabarrus County has a strong agricultural heritage from which to build and strengthen its local food system. Its strength in livestock production provides a crucial foundation for economic growth and signals an opportunity to supply meat and meat products to the County and surrounding region (see Section IV for discussion of data related to livestock). While produce production is minimal, the County's farms are beginning to diversify. This is evident by the increase in vegetable farms and acreage devoted to vegetable harvest, plus the opening of the Elma C. Lomax Incubator Farm. Diversity is needed to increase the supply of locally -grown produce available for Cabarrus citizens. The County will need more produce farmers — either new farmers or farmers willing to make this ` All 2002 and 2007 figures were collected from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Census of Agriculture. 3 Additional data related to the role agriculture and food plays in the Cabarrus economy was recently made available. These data, which are based on the IMPLAN economic model, are being evaluated and will be incorporated into the final assessment report. 5 Attachment number 2 G -4 Page 514