PUBLIC
MEETINGS TO DISCUSS AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONS
Wouldn't it be nice to have neighbors and town officials who understand and support agriculture? Would it be helpful to have a town board to deal with agricultural issues?
Agriculture needs a voice at the municipal level and the formation of an Agricultural Commission is the best way to add that voice for farming to YOUR town hall!!
There are 40 towns in Massachusetts that currently have an Agricultural Commission and many more are making plans for Spring 2006 Town Meeting. Make sure YOUR town is part of the Ag Comm. movement!!
If you are interested in the formation of an Agricultural Commission or the passage of a Right to Farm by-law in your town, please attend one of these six informational meetings in your local area to learn more:
The two Western Mass. forums, entitled “WHAT AN AGRICULTURAL COMMISSION
CAN DO FOR YOUR TOWN,” will take place in Monson on Tuesday, November 29, at 7 pm at the Monson Free Public Library on Route 32; and in Williamsburg on Tuesday, December 13, at 7 p.m., at the Williamsburg Town Hall, 141 Main Street.
Speakers
will also include Nathan L’Etoile of the Massachusetts Farm
Bureau and the Northfield Agricultural Commission, Bob
Wagner of the Hatfield Agricultural Commission and the American Farmland Trust,
Rich Jakshtis of the Hardwick Agricultural Commission, and others. The meetings
will be co-sponsored by the Mass Department of Agricultural Resources, the
Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.
According to Leslie Duthie
of the Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, the meetings will give communities
the opportunity to learn about the benefits and roles of Agricultural
Commissions, how to set up a Commission, and what projects various western
Massachusetts towns are already implementing through their Agricultural
Commissions.
Duthie notes that “local farms provide our
community with local products. They
support the community by providing wonderful destinations for people from other
towns who come for the fresh fruits and vegetables, ice cream and the
experience of a farm. These meetings are to introduce the organization,
benefits, and roles of Agricultural Commissions, as well as how to set up a
Commission and project ideas that other towns are implementing.”
For
more information, call Pete Westover, Mass Dept of Agricultural Resources, 413-665-4077, westover03@comcast.net;
Chris Curtis, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission,
413-781-6045, chcurtis@pvpc.org; or Leslie
Duthie, Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary,
413-267-4859, leslieduthie@comcast.net.
Essex County
Regional Agricultural Commission Informational Meeting
December 5, 2005 - Topsfield
Fairgrounds, Coolidge Hall, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
US Route One (207 Newburyport Tpk), Topsfield, Mass. 01983
Directions:
From Ipswich, MA: Take Linebrook road heading west. Take a left onto Newburyport Turnpike (US
Route One). Follow Rte.1 for 4.0
miles. Topsfield Fairgrounds is on your
left.
From Hamilton, MA: Start out going southwest on Bay Road (Route
1A). Turn right onto Monument Street
for 0.4 miles. Right onto Cherry Street
for 1.1 miles. Right onto Topsfield
Road (Route 97) for 1.1 miles. Turn
slightly right onto Valley Road (aka Route 97 & 35) for 1.3 miles. Turn slightly left onto Central Street for
0.4 miles. Left onto US Route One (Newburyport Turnpike) Topsfield Fairgrounds
is on left.
From Lowell, MA: Take Route 495 North to exit 42A (North
Andover) to Route 114 East for 11.5 miles to Route One North for 4 miles. Topsfield Fairgrounds is on the right. Coolidge Hall is straight across and to the
left of the Main gate.
From I-90 East / MASS PIKE; Take I-95 (Route-128 North) exit 14 to all points north. Merge onto I-95 North via the exit on the
left towards Waltham/Gloucester (30.3 miles).
Merge onto US Route One North (Newburyport Turnpike) via exit 50 towards
Topsfield (2.8 miles). The Topsfield
Fairgrounds is on the right.
Contact: Cheryl Lekstrom, 508-835-2452, clekstrom@mac.com.
Worcester County West
Regional Agricultural Commission Informational Meeting
December 7, 2005 - Rutland Public Library, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
280 Main Street (Rte.
122A), Rutland, Mass. 01543
Agenda for mtgs in Topsfield, Rutland, Groton and Charlton
- Welcome.
Overview of the purposes and benefits of Agricultural Commissions – Doug
Gillespie, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural
Resources
- How other communities have established and manage Ag Commissions. Hear
from farmers and local officials about their experiences.
- Step
by Step…how to get started in your town.
- Technical
assistance and follow-up
- If you cannot attend but want to learn more, contact Cheryl Lekstrom at 508-835-2452 or clekstrom@mac.com.
Directions:
From the East through Worcester: Route 9 heading west to
495 North for 5.5 miles, to I-290 west via exit 25B towards Worcester for 12.3
miles. Merge onto I-190 North via exit
19 toward Rte. 12/ Fitchburg for 1.7 miles. Take exit 2 towards Ararat St/
Holden/ Greendale for 0.3 miles. Merge
onto Frontgate Rd. (runs parallel to Rte. 190N) for 1.0 miles. Turn left onto West Mountain St. for 0.4
miles which becomes Doyle Rd. (in Holden) for 0.7 miles. Turn left onto
Shrewsbury St. for 0.8 miles. Turn
slightly right onto Route 122A (Main St.) follow 7.4 miles. The Rutland Public Library is on your right.
From Auburn through Paxton, MA: Heading north on
Southbridge Street (Route 12) into Worcester.
Take a left onto Hope Ave continuing along Rte. 12. Take a left onto Mill Street extension,
which becomes Mill St. Left onto
Chandler St. (Route 122) for 0.1 miles.
Left onto Pleasant St. (Rte. 122) in Paxton for 4.7 miles. Turn slightly right onto Rte. 56 in Paxton
center for 4.9 miles into Rutland. Stay
straight to go onto Rte. 122A (Main Street) because the library is almost in
front of you.
From the North
heading south on Rte. 190 toward Worcester, MA: Take exit 5 for Rte. 140 South towards West Boylston. Left onto Redemption Rock Trail (Rte. 140
South) for 0.2 miles. Turn right onto
Hosmer Street for 0.8 miles. Turn right
onto Laurel Street for 0.7 miles which becomes Manning Street in Holden for 1.8
miles. Turn left onto Wachusett Street
(Rte. 31). Turn right onto Quinapoxet Street for 1.7 miles, which becomes Mt
Pleasant Ave for 0.3 miles. Turn slightly left to stay on Mt. Pleasant Ave for
less than 0.1 miles. Right onto Rte.
122A (North Main Street in Holden) for 4.0 miles into Rutland. The library is on your right.
From Spencer through Paxton, MA: Start out going
southwest on Route 9 toward Grove Street.
Turn right onto Pleasant Street (Rte. 31) heading north for 5.2
miles. Turn slightly left onto Barclay
Rd. for 0.1 miles, which becomes Rockland Rd. for 0.8 miles, which becomes
Pleasant Dale Rd. (in Rutland) for another 1.8 miles. Left onto Barre Paxton Road (Rte. 122 North) for 0.6 miles. Turn right onto Rte. 122A (Main St.) for 2.1
miles. Library is on your left.
Contact: Cheryl Lekstrom, 508-835-2452, clekstrom@mac.com.
Worcester County North
Regional Agricultural Commission Informational Meeting
December 12, 2005
Groton Grange Hall,
6:30 – 8:30 pm - 80 Champney Street, Groton, Mass. 01450
Directions:
From Ayer, MA: Take Route 111 North to Groton, bare left on
to Main Street (Route 119 West). After
Workers’ Credit Union and the gas station, turn right on Champney Street. The Groton Grange is 0.25 miles on the
right.
From Littleton: Take Route 119 West to Groton, through Groton
Center. After Workers’ Credit Union and
the gas station turn right on Champney Street.
The Groton Grange is 0.25 miles on the right.
From Pepperell: Take Groton Street (which becomes Longley
Rd. in Groton) for 3.5 miles. Bear
right onto Hollis Street. After 0.3
miles, turn right on Champney Street.
The Groton Grange is the second building on the left.
From Townsend: Take Route 119 East to Groton (becomes Main
St.). Go under the Rail Road
bridge; turn left on Champney Street
(at the gas station). The Groton Grange
is 0.25 miles on the right.
Contact: Cheryl Lekstrom, 508-835-2452, clekstrom@mac.com.
Southern Worcester County
Regional Agricultural Commission Meeting
December 19, 2005
Charlton Municipal
Offices, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, 37 Main Street (Route 31), Charlton, Mass. 01507
Directions:
From the Northeast
through Worcester: Route 190 South,
merge onto Rte. 290 West toward Aburn for 8.1 miles. At Exit 6B merge onto Rte. 20 West towards Sturbridge for 7.4
miles. Left onto North Main St. for 0.6
miles. The Town Hall is on your left.
From Brookfield, MA: Heading south on Rte. 148 (Fiskdale Rd.) into
Sturbridge, (past Rte. 90). Left onto
Rte. 20 (Main Street) in Sturbridge for 8.4 miles. Right onto North Main Street in Charlton 0.6 miles. The Town Hall
is on your right..
From Southbridge, MA: Take Rte. 198 (Elm St.) North. Turn left onto Rte. 169 / Rte. 131/Main St.
for less than .1 mile. Turn right onto
Rte. 169 north (Central St.) for 5.2 miles. Turn right onto Rte. 20 for 1.3
miles. Right onto North Main St. for
0.6 miles.
From Douglas, MA: Heading Southwest on Rte. 16 (Main St.) turn
right onto Webster St. (Rte. 16) for 5.2 miles. Stay stright to go onto Gore
Rd. (in Webster) for 1.2 miles. Merge onto I-395 North via the ramp on the
Left toward Oxford/Webster for 6.7 miles.
Merge onto Depot Rd. via exit 5 (in Oxford) toward North Oxford for 0.9
miles. Right onto Old Worcester Rd. for
less than 0.1 mile. Right onto Depot
Rd. for 0.2 mils, right onto Main Street (Rte. 12) for 1.1 miles. Left onto Leicester Street (Rte. 56) for 0.5
miles. Left onto Rte. 20 (Southbridge
St.) for 4.4 miles. Left onto North
Main Street for 0.6 miles.
From Sutton, MA: Rte. 146 North (Worceseter Providence
Turnpike) towards Millbury/Worcester.
Turn right toward Rte. 20 Auburn/I-90/Northboro for less than 0.1 miles. Right onto Rte. 20 Southwest Cutoff for 0.3
miles. Merge onto I-90 West (Mass.
Pike) towards Springfield for 4.1 miles (Toll Road). Exit 10 toward Rte. 12 Auburn/ I-395/Worcester/I-290. For 0.6
miles. Merge onto Rte 12 South toward
Charlton/Sturbridge for 1.7 miles. Rte.
12 South becomes Rte. 20 for 5.4 miles.
Turn left onto North Main Street.
Contact: Cheryl Lekstrom, 508-835-2452, clekstrom@mac.com.
