GoalsLocalFarms


 * Benefit Description for Local Farms & Food**

Well-managed farms and associated woodlands enhance our communities by sustaining rural economies that produce food, wood products, and other crops. They provide clean water, wildlife habitat, scenic vistas, and educational opportunities. Local farms also supply fresh food to our tables through farmers markets, grocery stores, and restaurants. Our region’s growth and other factors are fracturing agricultural communities, and farms are vanishing.

TLC envisions a Triangle Region in which economically viable, sustainable agricultural communities provide food and forest products to people living right here in the region.


 * Potential Goals**

The Triangle continues to have viable agricultural communities. (How many and how distributed?)

1) In Year Y, X% (currently about 24%) of land in the Triangle remains [ in owner-operated farms / available for farming (conserve the land / soil resource) ]. (Hold-the-line thinking. Note that farmland was 28% in 1997, 26% in 2002, 24% in 2007 USDA Ag Census data - these figures include the woodlands associated with farms (which are about 1/3 of the farmland) ) I like this goal. I'm not sure what percentage to use, but I think it fits well within our mission and is clear. Perhaps we could do some research to see how much of our region is still in farmland and then determine what we think is a reasonable percentage to attain. (js) I like this goal as well. I think our percentage may depend on whether we say it remains 'in farms' or 'available for farming'...I'm leaning towards 'in farms' if we also go with the goal below about undeveloped prime farmland (TR)

2) By Year Y, all people in the Triangle are within an x-minute (15-min) drive of a farmers’ market or community garden . I'm not sure this falls within our mission. Perhaps we could assist with securing farmer's market locations, but otherwise I don't know if we should be planning where farmers markets will go (js) But it does connect the farms to people beyond the farmers themselves. (george) I tend to agree with Jon that at first it seems like mission drift, but we could argue that TLC's involvement with farmland protection, land availability for beginner farmers, etc...maintains/enhances a thriving local ag community and # of farmers markets...We could also include community gardens since we're involved with that and a 15 minute drive seems reasonable so they are convenient and close as any grocery store for most people (T R) Perhaps could include identified sustainable Ag. communities in this goal, since there seems to be a trend to on-site sales

By Year Y, X% of food consumed in the Triangle is produced in the Triangle. Another goal that I'm not sure we can or should pursue. Are we the best organization to be the liaison between farmers and end users of their products? (js)(funny that I'm saying this since I mentioned a version of this goal at the meeting) But it does connect the farms to people beyond the farmers themselves. (george) This one is more difficult to measure...we would need to do some research to see if this data is even available (TR) I agree that this falls a little too far outside of our realm 3) 90% of undeveloped prime farmland is protected by 2050 [check soils data to see what current status is ] I also like this goal. Per my comment above, I think it would be worthwhile looking at how much prime farmland remains in the Triangle and then refining the percentage based on what we believe is an attainable goal. (js)   This goal has potential, but as stated contains a verb (protect) - need to reword to something like "In 2050, 90% of the prime farmland that exists today (2010) is still undeveloped." The difference is that when stated this way it allows us to think about approaches other than protection. (george) I think this goal and goal 1 do a nice job of covering a lot of work we do already...we're not only protecting # of farms, but important farms with prime soils - more specific (TR).  Perhaps focus on prime soils instead of prime farmland

New Goal - Protect X number of owner-operated farms in the Triangle by X date. - I think it's important for us to consider which farms we're protecting, not just farmland. I'm not sure if this is true, but hopefully by protecting farms where the landowner is also the farmer, we can better ensure that agriculture remains viable in the Triangle. (js) Same issue as above - This goal has potential, but as stated contains a verb (protect) - need to reword to something like "In Year X, the Triangle still contains  owner-operated farms." The difference is that when stated this way it allows us to think about approaches other than protection. (george) When wording it George's way it's very similar to goal 1, maybe we can just add 'owner-operated' to the first goal and delete this one (TR)

New Goal - Provide access to land for a community garden in each Triangle county by X date. [potential partners include Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, County Extension offices] - I know we're still trying to determine whether or not to be involved in community gardens, but if so, this seems like a reasonable goal for us to strive towards. (js) This is a good strategy...see my comment to goal 2 about community gardens (TR) Should this be access, or should we focus on space, perhaps each county will have a permanently protected space for a community garden by X date 4) New Goal - Provide access land (or at least one farm) for beginning or limited resource farmers in each Triangle county by X date. [potential partners include CEFS, Breeze Farm, CCCC Sustainable Ag program] (js) By year Y, a beginner or limited resource farmer has access to TLC land in each Triangle county (TR). Should we focus on the farmer or the land, By year X, ...% of farmland is affordable (could define based on afforable houseing standards for the area)- (LAC) I like to think we can achieve a goal of providing access to land. We could take out the beginning and limited-resource part. I don't know that we have any control over the market in regards to affordability of farmland. (js)


 * items of interest**
 * arable / tillable / prime soil (once developed it’s gone)
 * running out of time
 * farms confer other of our pubic benefits also
 * ag communities / local ecnomies
 * ag heritage and scenic landscape
 * food security
 * economic diversity
 * reduced transport of food
 * healthy foods
 * forest products
 * access to local food
 * education about where food comes from
 * affordable farm land available for farmers
 * community level AND land level – in other words, thinking about ag communities as well as land protect
 * profitable farm community
 * farming remains one of our top industries (eg, remains #1 in some counties)
 * community gardens
 * markets
 * organic vs commodity farming
 * access to farmland
 * Jon’s starter dream, half joking: By 2025 all foods consumed in the Triangle will be produced locally.
 * There is a viable community of local organic growers in every county.
 * Something about the number of farmers – lower limit?