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transition —in order to strengthen the County's food system and provide fresh, healthy foods. This raises several important questions. What are the barriers to increased fruit and vegetable production? How can Cabarrus scale up fruit and vegetable production? For farmers looking to transition into specialty /vegetable crop production, what are their needs in relation to skills, labor, equipment, and markets? II. Farming Population Aging farmer population- In 2002, there were 946 farmers in the County, working on 611 farms, with an average age of 57.9. In 2007, a total of 893 farmers worked in the County, and the average age of farmers was 57.4. Although it is encouraging to see that the average age of farmers lowered slightly over five years, Cabarrus County continues to face a challenge that is all too common across North Carolina: farmers are aging, and few young farmers are ready to take their place. With the average farmer over 55, the next 10- 15 years will be a time of transition as farms and their assets potentially come under new ownership —a change that could make Cabarrus farmland acutely vulnerable to development pressure. Another concern is that the farming skills needed to manage farmland and grow and raise food will be lost. Many of these skills have been passed down through generations. Farmers face financial pressures- The 2007 USDA Census reports that only 222, or 36 %, of Cabarrus farm operators list farming as their primary occupation —a significant decrease from the 53% of Cabarrus farmers who reported the same in 2002. Compare the 2007 figure (36 %) to the 46% of North Carolina farmers who reported farming as their primary occupation during the same year, and it is even more noteworthy. In 2007 46% of Cabarrus farmers worked more than 200 days off the farm, compared to 36% in 2002. Although our existing agricultural system is designed to incorporate mechanization and pesticide use to give farmers some freedom to work off farm, an increase in farmers working off -farm often points to an increased need for supplemental income from off -farm employment. Net farm income in Cabarrus increased by 26 %, rising from $7.21 million to $9.07 million with average income per farm 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 %. 4 For USDA Census purposes, the total number of operators reporting on principal employment and days worked off farm is the same as the total number of farms. In 2007, the total was 611; in 2002 it was 658. 6 Attachment number 2 G -4 Page 515