As the year comes to an end, most of us are beginning to think about income tax reporting. We will spend hours getting all of our records together for the past year, trying our best to make sure we do not overlook any legitimate deductions. We will not spend much time trying to determine what to do differently for next year. Most of us will just continue to do the same thing next year that we did this past year.

Farmers and landowners in Robeson County are beginning to prepare for tax reporting time as well. But almost all of them are spending a lot of time trying to determine what they can do differently next year that will generate additional income for the farm operation while increasing their profits.

Both the tobacco buyout program and property revaluation in Robeson County have caused many small farm owners to reconsider what they need to do with the family farm. Many of these farm owners do not actually farm the land they own. They rent the land to local farmers. Without a tobacco quota, many of these farms are no longer attractive to producers, and some farm owners are finding it difficult to rent their land for crop production. Even if it is rented, without tobacco quota, the rent values are much less than they have been in past years. In addition, property revaluation has caused property taxes to increase for some of these farms, and the amount the owners are receiving for rent does not even cover the cost of the property taxes.

Many of our local farmers are facing the same problems. Property revaluation has caused their taxes to increase as well. In addition, because of the tobacco buyout, many of them are farming much less tobacco, or no tobacco at all, and, therefore, have lost a significant amount of income from their farm operation.

Many farmers, as well as those who own small farms in the county, are asking themselves what they can do differently next year. They see lots of information in newspapers and magazines about alternative crops, and they hear a lot of discussion about different things people are doing in other areas of North Carolina or in other areas of the United States. But what they really need to know is what are the most feasible and most practical opportunities for farmers right here in southeastern North Carolina. What can be done differently that has the highest possibility of success, and what is practical for this area given the available markets and the availability of production technology?

In order to help farmers and landowners decide the best possibilities to consider, the Robeson County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture have joined forces to provide an "Opportunities For Your Farm" conference. This conference will be held Tuesday, January 17, at the Southeastern North Carolina Agricultural Center and Farmers Market, which is located on US-74 south of Lumberton. The conference will begin at 8:30 a.m., and will conclude at 3:30 p.m.

Experts from across North Carolina will provide detailed information about a variety of realistic alternative opportunities for southeastern North Carolina, such as aquaculture; agritourism; fresh vegetables for both the local market and for wholesale markets; grapes and wines; organic fruits and vegetables; pastured meats, poultry, and eggs; forestry and forest products; ornamental flowers, shrubs, and bedding plants; fruits and berries; and organic soybeans.

Preregistration is encouraged so appropriate arrangements can be made for seating, lunch, refreshments, and handouts covering all topics that will be discussed. Preregistration is $15. Checks can be made payable to the Robeson County Extension Center, indicate on the check "Opportunities Conference," and mail it to P. O. Box 2280, Lumberton, NC 28359, prior to Thursday, January 12. Additionally, preregistration can be made by calling the Extension Center at 910-671-3276 prior to January 12 and then paying when you arrive at the conference on January 17. Late registration is $20 for those calling after January 12 or those registering when they arrive at the conference.

Mid-January is an ideal time to learn more about the opportunities that exist for farmers and farm owners. It does not matter if you are a small farmer or a large farmer. It does not matter if you own just a few acres of land or if you own hundreds of acres of land. By attending this conference, you can gain valuable information about alternative opportunities you may be considering at this time or you can simply gain information about a variety of topics, so you can make better decisions later about what you would like to do differently with your farm operation.

For more information about this conference or about alternative opportunities for farmers and landowners, please call 910-671-3276.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 01/06/06