Agricultural Commission Minutes

Meeting date: 
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
  • Town of Bolton Agricultural Commission
  • Meeting Minutes
  • Date: 21 June 011
  • AGRICULTURAL COMMISSION
  • www.boltonag.com
  • 63 Main Street 978 779-2297 or 779-3308
  • 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
  • Richard Pelletier 779-5521 email@nashobawinery.com Term Exp 6/30/2013
  • Eric Schartner 779-0212 schartnerfarm@verizon.net Term Exp 6/30/2013
  • Sue Storbeck 779-6021 slstorbeck@comcast.net Term Exp 6/30/2011
  • A meeting of the Bolton Agricultural Commission was held on June 21, 2011 at Town Hall. The meeting was
  • called to order at 7:35 pm. Commission members in attendance: Sue Storbeck, Betsy Taylor-Kennedy, Barbara
  • Parente, and Richard Pelletier (who attended only first 10 minutes). Absent: Eric Schartner.
  •  
  • The May 2011 minutes were approved and submitted.
  •  
  • Reports from Liaisons to Town Boards/Commissions
  • Board of Health (Storbeck) : no report
  • Planning Board (Schartner) : no report
  • Board of Selectmen (Parente) : no report
  • Conservation Commission (Pelletier): Sue reported that although her term is up, she will
  • continue to keep in touch with Carol Gumbardt to follow through with a plan to walk the trails on the
  • Houghton Farms property.
  • Conservation Trust (Taylor-Kennedy): The Conservation Trust is working on the details of the
  • conservation restriction for the Weatherbee farm, approved at May Town Meeting and Town Elections.
  • Complaints/Requests for Site Visits
  • none
  • Old Business
  • Harvest Dinner -- Rich has had no response as of this date to his email asking ag businesses about providing
  • food for the Aug. 7 Harvest Dinner at the winery. Rich said he doesn’t currently need assistance from
  • AgComm, but we could talk to local farmers if we see them.
  • Member Opening – Sue has contacted one person but hasn’t had a return call. Betsy and Barbara will contact
  • four potential volunteers who checked off a form sent out with the town census, and given to AgComm tonight.
  • They will schedule interviews if any express interest and follow through by sending a letter of interest to
  • Barbara’s email.
  • AgRow at the Bolton Fair – Betsy reported that AgRow is set with five vendors and the tent and space invoice
  • has been submitted. Betsy will not be here Bolton Fair weekend, so set up will be Eric’s responsibility.
  • Animal Emergency Management Plan – Sue met with Jai Rezec and will write up notes from that meeting.
  • She and Jai plan to meet with the police chief and Tom Moses, emergency mgmt, about status. Sue agreed to
  • continue to be the liaison after her term expires June 30. Commission members thanked Sue for her service.
  • New Business
  • Peter Larsen Farm apple barn in Stow – Martha Remington contact – This is neither a Bolton nor an
  • AgComm issue. Sue reported she wrote back that people could write personal letters of support if desired.
  • 2011 Budget – Betsy has submitted an invoice for Agriculture Row at the Bolton Fair ($644) and Sue has
  • submitted an invoice for two Right to Farm Signs ($366). The commission agreed that Barbara should contact
  • the sign vendor for magnets or stickers for up to $190 and submit an invoice before the end of the fiscal year.
  • Right to Farm brochures – Betsy will get brochures (and banners) from Sue, so each member can take
  • brochures at the July meeting to give to local businesses.
  • Promoting Agriculture – Barbara will contact farms and other ag businesses to get information for an article
  • on products and opening dates. Possible locations for new Right to Farm signs: Route 110/Still River, Harvard
  • Road, and East End Road.
  • Future Meetings/Events
  • August 7 – Harvest Dinner at Nashoba Valley Winery
  • August 13 and 14 – Agriculture Row at Bolton Fair
  • August 16 – AgComm meeting, 7:30 pm upstairs at Town Hall
  • The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 pm.