Agricultural and Forest Strategic Plan Agricultural and Forestry Viability Task Force 1
9 Goals I. More Ag & Forestry Training Options (Mike Burton) II. Need Comprehensive Food Assessment (Mike B.) III. What Grows Here (Dennis Dove) IV Buy Local Food and Forest Products (Dennis D ) IV. Buy Local Food and Forest Products (Dennis D.) V. Farm and Forestry Continuity (Ann ‐ Margaret Shortt) VI. Promote Biomass Energy Production (Jack Wall) d VII. Research & Educate Forest Land Use Valuation (Jimmy Conner) VIII. Provide Info to Farmland and Forest Owners (Dennis Anderson) IX. Water Strategies (Dennis Dove) 2
Task Force Participants Businesses • VA Dept of Forestry • Stellar One • Farmers: Beef Dairy Produce • Farmers: Beef, Dairy, Produce Non ‐ profits/Other • Floyd Eco Village Volunteers • Farm Bureau F B Agencies • New River Land Trust • Cooperative Extension • Partnership for Floyd Partnership for Floyd • Economic Development • SustainFloyd Authority of FC • Young Farmers g • Floyd County Comm & Econ Floyd County Comm & Econ Devel • Floyd County High School Ag • Floyd County Planning Commission 3
Additional Future Collaborators? Businesses • VA Dept of Ag & Consumer Svcs • Banks • VA Dept of Emergency Mgmt • Floyd Press Floyd Press • VA Dept of Conserv. & Rec. VA D t f C & R • More Farmers • VT Appalachian Foodshed • Riverbend • Roanoke Times • Roanoke Times Non ‐ profits/Volunteers • R G Cattle Co., etc. • 4 ‐ H Agencies g • Floyd County Chamber of Floyd County Chamber of • Floyd County Board of Commerce Supervisors and PSA • Master Gardeners • Floyd County Emergency • Floyd County Emergency • Sustainable Living Education S t i bl Li i Ed ti Services Coordinator Center • Floyd County Schools • Western Virginia Land Trust • New River Valley PDC ll • Young Farmers • Skyline Soil & Water District • Any interested citizens 4
I. Increase Options for Ag & Forestry Training • K ‐ 12 Students – Experiential learning at schools, begin early – Real field experience like Real field experience like internships on farms including entrepreneurial/small entrepreneurial/small business training • Adults – Working Model Farm School with hands ‐ on farming skills and farm management using local experts 5
II. Comprehensive Food Assessment • Develop detailed list of inflows and outflows of food to and from Floyd County outflows of food to and from Floyd County area to understand potential food markets 6
III. What Grows Best Here? • Provide simpler d l interpretation of Soil Data now available online now available online • Develop County specific list of best ‐ fit crops (build on general info from l i f f Cooperative Ext) • Look into small grains and Look into small grains and infrastructure requirements • ID additional/alternate / livestock opportunities (and highlight current (and highlight current successes) 7
III. What Grows Best Here? • Provide simpler d l interpretation of Soil Data now available online now available online • Develop County specific list of best ‐ fit crops (build on general info from l i f f Cooperative Ext) • Look into small grains and Look into small grains and infrastructure requirements • ID additional/alternate / livestock opportunities (and highlight current (and highlight current successes) 8
III. What Grows Best Here? • Provide simpler d l interpretation of Soil Data now available online now available online • Develop County specific list of best ‐ fit crops (build on general info from l i f f Cooperative Ext) • Look into small grains and Look into small grains and infrastructure requirements • ID additional/alternate / livestock opportunities (and highlight current (and highlight current successes) 9
III. What Grows Best Here? • Provide simpler d l interpretation of Soil Data now available online now available online • Develop County specific list of best ‐ fit crops (build on general info from l i f f Cooperative Ext) • Look into small grains and Look into small grains and infrastructure requirements • ID additional/alternate / livestock opportunities (and highlight current (and highlight current successes) 10
IV. Buy Local Food and Forestry Products Campaign d • Produce a Buy Local • Produce a Buy ‐ Local Guide 11
IV. Buy Local Food and Forestry Products Campaign d • Create Buy ‐ Local food and forest product and forest product campaign 12
IV. Buy Local Food and Forestry Products Campaign d • Explore the options of Explore the options of local School system using more local using more local products (food and forestry) forestry) 13
IV. Buy Local Food and Forestry Products Campaign d • Create website example: www.buylocalpa.org 14
V. Encourage Farm and Forestry Continuity through conservation easements land Continuity through conservation easements, land transition ‐ estate planning, mentoring & other voluntary programs voluntary programs • Coordinate with the Planning Commission • Provide education and outreach 15
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VI. Promote Biomass Energy Production using Advanced Incinerators For heat and power for b businesses and schools i d h l • Assess how the system could work in FC – Follow evolving technologies – Investigate compact development strategies d l t t t i for ultimate efficiency – Base biomass energy production on Forest production on Forest Growth Potential – Co needs oversight to approve or refuse facilities based on scale to protect natural resources like water 25
VI. Promote Biomass Energy Production continued – Look at Schools and Prepare for when coal ‐ fired boiler replacement needed to replacement needed to convert to local biomass ‐ fired boiler bo e – Also, look at full range of forest resources, like more , local composting and planting media (like bark) and pellets 26
VII. Research and Educate regarding Educate regarding Forestry Land Use Valuation • Educate all citizens on value of forestry in l f f t i Floyd Co inc. economic water economic, water quality and quantity) • Encourage Analysis and • Encourage Analysis and Planning, including Board of Supervisor’s participation sought adoption of new adoption of new Comprehensive Plan 27
VIII. Provide Succinct Info for Forest and Farmland Owners d l d • Distribute new Forest Owner’s G id f Guide for Floyd County Fl d C – Seek grant funds to print copies copies – Distribute Guide to New Residents (County website, realtors, etc.) l ) • Create Checklist for starting a farm or forestry business farm or forestry business • Create a Checklist for Farmers regarding what’s needed to seek a loan (PLUS options for income such as easements, 28 renting)
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IX. Water Priority Strategies • Maintain Water Quantity and Quality • Maintain Water Quantity and Quality – Need Water Plan to avoid/reduce drought impacts – Protect current springs/wells from quantity disruption P t t t i / ll f tit di ti and contamination – Educate citizens on water resources Educate citizens on water resources 30
IX. Water Priority Strategies • Maintain Water Quantity and Quality • Maintain Water Quantity and Quality – Educate citizens on water resources 31
IX. Water Priority Strategies (cont) • Educate Landowners on the need to manage • Educate Landowners on the need to manage Drainfield and Septic Tanks 32
Water Priority Strategies cont • Gather more Information on Water in Floyd County Water in Floyd County – Continue building water database – Add monitoring equipment to – Add monitoring equipment to one or two wells – Add a weather station or two to Add a weather station or two to better track rainfall – Add one or two stream gauges Add one or two stream gauges along Little River – Seek assistance in analyzing data y g to understand groundwater recharge and water resources 33
IX. Water Priority Strategies cont IX. Water Priority Strategies cont • The County should explore all options to The County should explore all options to provide for future water needs and to protect local ground and service water from pre ‐ emption from other localities. – Conduct preliminary assessments of possible pumped storage or reservoir – Adopt any and all measures to prohibit or oppose inter basin transfer of water (in which oppose inter ‐ basin transfer of water (in which other localities could lay claim to the waters of Floyd County.) 34
Evaluation and Follow Up Evaluation and Follow Up • Group Plans to Meet at least Twice/year to Group Plans to Meet at least Twice/year to Continue Explore and Follow Up—Agricultural and Forestry Committee? and Forestry Committee? • Also available to the Board of Supervisors if any information is needed any information is needed 35
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