Agricultural Commission Minutes

Meeting date: 
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
  • Town of Bolton Agricultural Commission
  • Meeting Minutes
  • Date: 20 September 2011
  • AGRICULTURAL COMMISSION
  • www.boltonag.com
  • 63 Main Street 978 779-2297 or 779-3308
  • Betsy Taylor-Kennedy 779-5213 betsy@taylor-kennedy.com Term Exp 6/30/2012
  • Barbara Parente 779-6303 bparente@comcast.net Term Exp 6/30/2012
  • Richard Pelletier 779-5521 email@nashobawinery.com Term Exp 6/30/2013
  • Eric Schartner 779-0212 schartnerfarm@verizon.net Term Exp 6/30/2013
  • Robyn Roberts 875-2273 wolfrunfarm@comcast.net Term Exp 6/30/2014
  • A meeting of the Bolton Agricultural Commission was held on September 20, 2011 at Town Hall. The meeting
  • was called to order by chair Rich Pelletier at 7:36 pm. Commission members in attendance: Betsy Taylor-
  • Kennedy, Barbara Parente, Robyn Roberts, Richard Pelletier and Eric Schartner.
  • The July and August 2011 minutes were approved and submitted.
  • Reports from Liaisons to Town Boards/Commissions
  • Board of Health (open) : no report
  • Planning Board (Schartner) : no report
  • Board of Selectmen (Parente) : Selectmen appointed Robyn Roberts to AgComm at their
  • September 8 meeting. More on the Townshend Farm utility pole next month.
  • Conservation Commission (Pelletier): The review of the Open Space plan is taking place now.
  • Since they meet at the same time as AgComm, we were able to ask for and obtain copies of section 7 to
  • review.
  • Conservation Trust (Taylor-Kennedy): The most recent meeting was postponed.
  • Complaints/Requests for Site Visits
  • none
  • New Business
  • New Member -- The board welcomed Robyn Roberts to the group.
  • Fall Sale – Robyn and Barbara agreed to solicit interest and based on response, co-chair a sale the weekend of
  • October 29-30 at either Slater’s (first choice) or Bolton Spring Farm. With a slim response to email sent this
  • week, Barbara and Robyn will contact potential participants by phone or in person. The board voted to fund up
  • to $300 for sale expenses.
  • Multi-town Farmers Meeting (and members of area AgComms at our November meeting) – Because
  • some towns do not have active commissions and listings sometimes are not on town websites, Eric is seeking
  • ways to find out who is on the Agricultural Commissions in local towns, in the hope of inviting them to our
  • November meeting, where we will discuss and schedule a winter multi-town farmers meeting. Members
  • suggested going to large farms in targeted towns, where farmers might be aware of board members.
  • Old Business
  • Membership Application for MA Farm Bureau – Robyn will coordinate this with Sue Storbeck.
  • AgRow at the Bolton Fair – Two participants responded to a survey and indicated that they liked the big tent
  • and would take part again.
  • Animal Emergency Management Plan – No notes yet from Sue Storbeck on her meeting with Jai Rezac or
  • follow-up. Barbara will try to get them for next month’s meeting.
  • Right to Farm Signs– Betsy reported that the new signs would be put up by the DPW, one on Still River Road
  • and one on Harvard Road, both near the Harvard town line.
  • Wayfinding Grant – Rich indicated there have been no new discussions since August.
  • Future Meetings/Events
  • October 18 – AgComm meeting, 7:30 pm upstairs at Town Hall
  • October 29 or 30 – Fall Agriculture Sale, Slater’s (tentative based on interest)
  • November 15 – AgComm meeting, 7:30 pm – with invited members of other AgComms – location?
  • The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 pm.