Agricultural Commission Minutes

Town of Bolton Agricultural Commission

Meeting Minutes

Date: 20 October 2009

AGRICULTURAL COMMISSION

www.boltonag.com

63 Main Street

978 779-2297 or 779-3308

Joe Kovacs             779-6979                          joseph.kovacs@comcast.net                         Term Exp 6/30/2010

Ken Nicewicz           779-6423                          nicewicz@nre.umass.edu                              Term Exp 6/30/2010

Sue Storbeck          779-6020                          slstorbeck@comcast.net                               Term Exp 6/30/2011

Barbara Parente      779-6303                          bparente@comcast.net                                 Term Exp 6/30/2012

Betsy Taylor-Kennedy  779-5213                     betsy@taylor-kennedy.com                           Term Exp 6/30/2012

            ~

A meeting of the Bolton Agricultural Commission was held on 20 October 2009 at Town Hall. The meeting was called to order at 7:36 pm.  Commission members in attendance were:  Joe Kovacs, Ken Nicewicz, Sue Storbeck, Barbara Parente, Betsy Taylor-Kennedy.

No reports from liaisons to town Boards/Commissions.

Working Session:

• Action: Barbara will collect and post all minutes from CY’09 on our website
• Board liaisons:

• Betsy will be our liaison to the Conservation Trust (as she’s already on that board)
• Barbara will be our liaison to the Conservation Commission
• Other board liaisons will remain the same (Ken – Selectmen; Joe – Planning; Sue – Board of Health)

Current business:

1. Right to Farm signs:

• Action: Joe will give Sue contact who is doing this for all Ag Comms; Sue will get two signs and work with Harold Brown and Selectmen to install.

1. Protection of Large Farms:

• Rob Held will remain involved and will work with the Conservation Trust & our commission in the effort to protect large farms.

1. Directional farm stand signs at Rte 495 exit ramps:

• Action: Ken and Betsy will lead this; rest of our team provide them with ideas or take pictures of  effective and pleasing signs they’ve seen.

1. Ag Comm website:

• Action: Joe will collect ideas for content
• Action: Barbara will contact Linda Day to establish link to town website and to update other information on the site.

1. 2^nd annual Ag Comm-sponsored holiday sale

• Action: Sue to coordinate with Barbara to confirm Great Brook Farms and participants;
• Action: Barbara to handle communications - write/distribute press release for the Common, communication fliers, and set up town sign at Police Station.

New Business:

1. Anticipated FY”10 budget is $1800 (to be confirmed)

1. Expenditures: 

1. $75 – Bolton Fair table
2. Unanimous vote to spend the following for the holiday sale: $75 – music; $150 – Great Brook Farm venue  (receipts required)

Next meeting: add new ideas to our list of possible FY’10 activities for consideration

Meeting was adjourned at 9:07 pm.