Latest news with #SanfordAreaGrowthAlliance
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Marshall's tour highlights Sanford businesses, RISE program
North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall spent Wednesday touring area businesses and then participating in a Small Business Roundtable at Central Carolina Community College. Marshall came to town to discuss the Rural RISE NC initiative, which helps put resources into the hands of business creators early on. As she walked downtown, she stopped at several of the businesses to talk about the successes and challenges with their owners. Many of the business owners she spoke with are graduates of the Sanford Area Growth Alliance's RISE program, which is done in partnership with CCCC's Small Business Center. Marshall's entrance to the city was marked with a lunch at Mrs. Lacy's Magnolia House and a chance to meet with owner Faye Shultz. The walking tour included a visit to High Cotton Couture and a short discussion of the business with owner Maggie Cranford, who opened the business after completing the first cohort of the local RISE program. From there, it was on to Family Grounds Coffee and meeting with owner David Heimbecker and a lesson in how to make one of the signature coffees. Marshall's next stop was a brief visit to the Sanford Antique Mall, which is considered the largest in the Sandhills. There she talked with owner/operators Jane Bane and Jenks Youngblood, who told Marshall about the 75 dealer spaces and more than 18,000 square feet of antiques and collectibles at the business. Across the street, Marshall had the chance to visit the historic Sanford Depot and check on the progress of renovations. In 2022, Sanford City Council committed $703,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act to renovate the building. The North Carolina General Assembly then earmarked $500,000 in State Capital Infrastructure Funds, and another $100,000 has been raised through private donations. Marshall also got a chance to see the construction going on at the Pilgrim's Sanford Agricultural Marketplace and then had the chance to tour the Temple Theatre, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. From there, it was on to the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center, where area business owners and representatives of local government entities had the chance to hear her speak about the Rural RISE NC Initiative and share their experiences and ask questions. Before she spoke, CCCC President Lisa Chapman, Mayor Rebecca Wyhof Salmon and Lee County Commission Chair Kirk Smith spoke briefly. 'I met lots of great people while we were walking around,' Marshall said as she thanked Chapman for hosting the panel. 'We got to see some great businesses earlier today.' Marshall is no stranger to Sanford and Lee County, having represented the area in the North Carolina Legislature. She spoke about the RISE program and the business climate for those who are opening small businesses. 'Since 2020, we've called this the new era of entrepreneurship,' she said. 'Our entrepreneurial spirit is why North Carolina has been ranked best in the country. Not everyone is sharing in that good news across North Carolina.' Marshall said a survey of businesses had more than 4,000 answers and by the end of 2021, had led to the development of a new program. 'We called it Rural RISE,' she said. 'It's not a copycat. This RISE stands for Resources for Innovators, Startups and Entrepreneurs. We started with one county. Our test pilot was in Western North Carolina. We then branched out to 14 counties, and now, we have 93 counties enrolled in this database.' Marshall said all of the 78 counties deemed rural by the state are in the database and have items available to business creators. Marshall said when she became Secretary of State in 1997, there were about 30,000 new businesses created in North Carolina. 'Fast forward to 2021, it was 178,000 new businesses that were formed that year,' Marshall said. 'There has been some moderation over the past three years, but it still equates to 63% growth since 2019. In 2021, new business creation outpaced every other year on record. They have doubled from 2017. In 2024, there were more than 162,000 new business creations in this state.' Marshall noted that all 100 North Carolina counties have noted double-digit growth over the past several years. 'What is really awesome is that some of the most rapid growth came in more economically distressed Tier 1 counties,' she said. 'For example, Scotland County grew by 138%. Berties County grew by 123%. Of the 13 counties that grew by more than 100%, 10 of them were Tier 1 — our poorest counties.' Marshall said that Lee County grew by 68%, which is higher than the statewide average of 63%. Marshall also noted that since taking office in 1997, her agency has filed paperwork for more than 2 million businesses. 'That is 2 million dreams, countless jobs created, expectations for the community and incredible growth for the North Carolina economy of the past couple of decades. These are dreams that build families and communities.' Marshall said that in an effort to get resources to people that needed them, her office launched Rural RISE. She said her offices serves as the primary communications channel to new businesses. 'We're the very first to know,' Marshall said. 'We know the entrepreneur that woke up this morning and said, 'Today's the day I'm going to do it.' Then they want to file today. All of you who have been through the RISE program know that isn't the first step. There's a whole lot of planning and thinking that go into it.' For more about the program, visit
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Small Farms, Big Impacts': It's Lee County Ag Week
More small farms are emerging in Lee County and beyond, and over the next week, they'll be celebrated locally. Lee County Ag Week kicked off Thursday with a breakfast at the McSwain Center that featured discussions of agriculture in Lee County. County Extension Director Bill Stone said this year's theme, 'Small Farms, Big Impacts,' recognizes the emergence of more small farms across the county. He said Ag Week is designed to celebrate the role these farms play in the economy, stewardship of the land and the preservation of the rural character of the community. Stone noted that it is the fourth annual Lee County Ag Week. 'By recognizing the importance of these small farms, while continuing to support businesses and operations of all sizes, Lee County can ensure a vibrant agricultural sector for years to come,' Stone said. Jimmy Randolph, CEO of the Sanford Area Growth Alliance, also spoke, including about the important relationship of agriculture and economic development. 'I don't think the importance of that relationship can be overstated,' he said. 'For our community, agriculture was the basis for our economy at the beginning for the City of Sanford and the County of Lee. I'm excited to say that relationship is still strong and that agriculture is still an incredibly important part of the local economy.' 'We have conserved and maintained agriculture,' he said. Randolph noted that the county commissioners took an innovative approach to the conservation of farmland. 'They worked with other organizations to put in place a policy that would allow us to support the conservation of farmland in a really big way,' he said. 'I'm really excited about that and appreciative of the effort the commissioners have put in to understanding the opportunities and investing it.' Sanford Mayor Rebecca Wyhof Salmon gave an update on the Pilgrims Sanford Agricultural Marketplace, where ground was broken late last year. 'We can begin to envision what this project is going to look like. This will kick off the City of Sanford Central Green. The farmer's market is fantastic. It's not just a building,' she said. Salmon noted that the first week of this year's market drew more than 1,400 people to shop and look at the items available. She also said the target date to open the new marketplace is spring of 2026. Lee County Commission Chair Kirk Smith said the county is growing rapidly, and that as of 2024, it had 67,615 residents. 'You can drive down Tramway Road and see building here and building there,' he said. 'We're building a library and an athletic park, and we've got some other things on the agenda.' Smith said the growth means pressure for services like police, fire and city and county government. 'But that pressure also extends to the farms and forest lands,' he said. 'In 2021, the General Assembly adopted the Farm Act of 2021. From that act, Dr. (Bill) Stone and his staff, and the agricultural advisory board, Triangle Land Conservancy and others, sat down and updated and Lee County's agricultural development and farmland preservation ordinances.' He noted that by doing this, farmland would be preserved and maintained in the future. Attendees also got a chance to hear from local farmers Aaron and Hunter Ayers of Ayers Family Farm. The farm, which raises a variety of crops and livestock, has been in existence since 1941. Hunter Ayers spoke about the relationship that farmers have with all of the stakeholders who were present in the room. 'They allow us to do what we do and do it well,' she said. 'I just want to say thank you to SAGA, the Board of Commissioners and everyone here. You've always done a great job to make room for farmers.' Both men praised the farmer's market for giving them and other farmers a place to sell their goods locally. 'We love being farmers in Lee County,' Hunter said. 'It's what we do. We value the community and what you do for us.' They later closed their presentation by noting 'what farmers ask of you.' 'Farmers across the nation face daily challenges. If there are three things farmers would ask of you, they would be: One, pray for farmers across the U.S. Two, support your local growers. Three, provide a voice for agriculture.' 'The future of agriculture (in Lee County) is pretty good,' said Sarah Kirby, interim associate dean and director of the NC State Extension.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Commissioners invest in future of agricultural, natural lands
The Lee County commissioners made a landmark investment in the future of local agriculture and working lands at their Monday meeting. They voted to adopt a new conservation easement policy establishing an Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Fund and updating the existing Farmland Preservation Ordinance. The policy creates a conservation easement fund of $340,610, using roll back, or deferred, taxes generated when land is taken out of agricultural use and the Present Use Value program, most commonly when it is sold for development, according to Bill Stone, director of the county's Agricultural Extension Program. 'The newly established fund will reinvest the deferred taxes back into farmland preservation, earmarking these dollars toward landowner costs associated with conservation easement projects,' Stone said. Several residents spoke at Monday's meeting with most voicing support for the plan. 'It will empower farmers to resist rising development pressures, while advancing the public's goal of maintaining the open spaces which have always been such an essential and attractive element of life in Lee County,' said Jimmy Randolph of the Sanford Area Growth Alliance. Jim Foster noted that the county is continuing to grow and increase in population, subdivisions and schools. 'It's an increase in pretty much everything. With this type of growth, we have growing pains. One of the biggest pains is the loss of forest and farmlands,' he said. The board also voted to approve revisions to the existing farmland preservation ordinance that was last updated in 2013, Stone said. 'Along with maintaining their commitment to the Voluntary Agricultural District, or VAD, program, the board added the option for landowners to participate in the Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District, or EVAD. That program requires a 10-year irrevocable commitment from the landowner to agree to keep the land in agricultural use,' Stone said. The ordinance allows farms smaller than five acres to qualify for the VAD and EVAD programs, recognizing the growth of smaller farms in the county. 'I'm in support of the VAD and EVAD proposals, but I'm in opposition to creating a special fund that would provide taxpayer benefits to those paying taxes on the property,' Jim Womack said. 'The issue here is taking the taxpayers' money to benefit someone who doesn't want to pay taxes. The rollback taxes should come back to the taxpayer.' Commissioner Samantha Martin cast the lone vote against the conservation easement policy. Like Womack, she believes that rollback taxes should be returned to the taxpayers.
