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Minutes – Agricultural Commission
These draft minutes have been posted for your convenience. Town of Agriculture Commission Minutes March 22, 2012 Present: Bob Butcher, Holly Cook, Ginger Heard, Betty Alcock, Caroline Snyder, Pat Russell; Selectman: Gerry Gingras; and Guests: Dick Devens, Mark Longley Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Bob at 7:01 pm. Secretary Report: Jerry added the last name of the person he referred to during the meeting last month, it is Dan Heyduk. Caroline moved to approve the minutes of the February 2012 meeting as amended and Ginger seconded the motion. All voted in favor of the motion.
Old Business Diane Booty spoke with Bob and
said the Farmer’s Market is organized and meeting with the Quimby
Trustees. There does not seem to be a need for our involvement at this time. Relative to the inventory, Pat
was curious to look at how much farm land is in town and found that there is 25,000
acres or less than 4% in farm land. Bob is concerned that we might step on the
toes of someone who might not want to be on a list that is available to the
public. Mark suggested making a personal contact that could get more
information. Survey questions will be developed. 420 people are registered for current use. There
are 11 farms greater than 400 acres, most are trees. 1/3 of the land in During Old Home Week Steve
Taylor will speak in Russ Norton will be leaving the
Extension Service. Ginger will contact the Small and Beginning Farmers for a
speaker. We will keep the date of May 27 at 7:00 for the Gerry spoke with Dan Heyduk who
is interested in doing an article on barn restoration. Mark is willing to do
an article on the barn restoration and easement process. Another article that
may be of interest is the history of agriculture in the town. Betty contacted the school. They
have received information from the Farm Bureau about agriculture in the
schools week. Jennifer Elliot and Betty will go to school with a lamb. Mark wrote up a flyer on Historic
Barn Preservation Easement. There was some discussion about how to get the
word out. The barn does not have to be used for agriculture. Mark will put it
out on the Sandwich Board for people to start thinking about an application
for next year which would be due in April 2013. Mark passed out an updated
website wish list. The town voted in $10,000 for the new software. We
don’t know its full capability yet. Mark will give this list to Cathy
so that she will know what we are looking for. There will be mapping
capability so we could show where the agricultural land is. We will add a
counter to see how many people access the site. The content will be the draw. New Business Caroline and Bob have been sworn in by the Selectmen. Dick and Mark have been sent letters of acceptance, but have not been sworn in yet. Caroline has purchased the movie, Fresh. Declan O’Connell would like to show it at the Yoga
Barn. Bob suggested we show it at the April 3 is the breakfast report What’s on your Plate. The old Dick went to a conference in Ginger moved to adjourn, Caroline seconded the motion, all were in favor and the meeting was adjourned at 8:10 pm. The next meeting will be held on April 19, 2012. Holly will not be available; Dick volunteered to take the minutes. Submitted by, Holly Cook Secretary February 16, 2012 Present: Bob Butcher, Holly Cook, Ginger Heard, Betty Alcock, Pat Russell; Selectman: Gerry Gingras; and Guests: Dick Devens, Mark Longley Not present: Caroline Snyder, Jennifer Martel Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Bob at 7:00 pm. Secretary Report: Ginger moved to approve the minutes from the October 2011 meeting and Pat seconded the motion. All voted in favor of the motion. Pat moved to accept the January meeting minutes and Ginger seconded the motion to accept the minutes. All voted in the affirmative. Old Business Diane Booty did not contact Bob
with the necessary information for discussion prior to this meeting and no
one from the Farmer’s Market is present. Ginger applied for a grant to
have Steve Taylor come and talk about the Sheep Boom on Aug 8 during Old Home
Week. Bob will do a press release. The NH Council for the Humanities will pay
the Honorarium. We will have to pay $27 after his talk. We will provide
refreshments again. Russ Norton will be speaking on
Tues May 27 at 7:00 pm at the New Business Mark Longley and Boone Porter have both had barns restored and have had the town forgive a percentage of their taxes. Mark felt that the process was easy and after going through it he is willing to help advise anyone interested. A barn has to be 75 years old and seen by the public. Gerry will have Cathy write it up and Mark can elaborate on it. It can be put on the website. The Agriculture Commission can provide assistance to anyone interested. The Selectmen view this as a win win situation. Mark is the area NH Preservation Society representative. Regarding membership, Bob’s term is up this year and he will be renewing. Dick sent a letter of interest to the Selectmen. Steve Bartlett is interested, but is not available until after he moves into his house. Bob will write to Caroline. Bob attended Farm & Forest on Saturday and went to the
Agriculture Commissions meeting. There was a lot of discussion about the
Agriculture Commissions and Planning Boards. Hollis sponsors a monthly column
in the local paper. Recipes were popular item. Their Commission leases farm
land. Dick is going to Mark talked about the website which is on hold until the warrant article requesting new software is addressed. If it is voted in it should be up and running in 2 months. Holderness uses it now; there are a lot of links, photographs, etc. Cathy will be working on our page during the middle of May and Mark is willing to start a wish list of what should be on it. Mark will bring an initial list to the next meeting to review and discuss. There needs to be someone who can update it weekly with events, etc. The resource list will be updated by Pat. Gerry talked about Dan who writes for the Meredith News and will ask him if he would be willing to write an agriculture column and come in to talk with us about it . Mark also attended Farm and March is National Agriculture in the Classroom month. Betty will look into what the Farm Bureau is offering schools. Betty moved to adjourn, Ginger seconded the motion, all were in favor and the meeting was adjourned at 8:10 pm. The next meeting will be held on March 22, 2012. Submitted by, Holly Cook Secretary January 19, 2012 Present: Bob Butcher, Holly Cook, Ginger Heard, Betty Alcock, Pat Russell; Selectman: Gerry Gingras; and Guests: Diane Decker Booty, Steve Bartlett, Peter Pohl, Dick Devens, Mark Longley, Dan Kusch Not present: Caroline Snyder, Jennifer Martel Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Bob at 7:05 pm. Secretary Report: Approval of the minutes from the last meeting will be tabled until the next meeting. Old Business Bob has submitted a report that
will go in the Town Report. New Business Last August the Commission was approached by several
people regarding the Farmer’s Market and the requirement of insurance
by the Quimby Trustees (landowners). Bob contacted Peter Pohl and discussed
the issues regarding the market being held on the town green. The Commission
encouraged the Farmer’s Market to become organized with the state,
which Diane reports has been done. The Commission invited Peter and people
involved in the Farmer’s Market to attend this meeting. The Quimby
Trustees support the Farmer’s Market and hope it will thrive and
increase in size. They do feel the market should deal exclusively with
agriculturally grown products, but recognize there are some gray areas. Last
summer someone spoke with Derek about including crafts, which could be in
conflict with the League shop. The trustees are concerned about over use of
the area. Also, the e Coli outbreak in Bob asked Peter if there is space available if insurance could be worked out. Peter suggested the lot adjacent to the League, with parking down behind the lot. The trustees would like to turn it into a park at some point in the future. The parking area would not happen until the town determines that there is a need. Peter feels that if the issues could be worked out, the green could continue to be used. Bob asked if stipulations could be outlined and agreed upon by the trustees. The Farmer’s Market is up and running and wants to have a venue to use. Ginger asked about the Forbes property which is owned by the Sandwich Fair Association which promotes agriculture. Diane feels that having the market in the center of town brings a sense of vibrant, social community. Ginger spoke with an agent and found that it costs about $400 for product liability insurance. It was suggested that maybe a scholarship could be made available to support the smaller vendors. The trustees don’t fund for operating expenses. There are a number of groups that might support it. We need to know how the Farmer’s Market has been organized. We will draft an agreement for the trustees to review. There has been some discussion among other people around having a Wednesday night market which could include vendors from out of town. This could be a concern for the trustees. Mark brought up that NRCS has consultants who might be able to assist. Old Business Pat will work on the resource guide. Holly will send a copy to each member again. Summer program ideas: Ginger will contact Russ Norton and
Ann Hamilton about demonstrations for the public. We could host Steve Taylor
to come back during Old Home Week (8/5-12) to talk about the Sheep Boom. We
could partner with the Historical Society or Member status: need to have 5 members and 2 alternates. Harry and Jennifer are no longer members. Other Business Gerry explained that the budget committee initially cut our budget of $500 since we only spent about $31.00 this past year, but reinstated it. Bob asked that agenda items be sent several weeks prior to the meeting. Gerry suggested that an agenda
item might include the pros and cons of preserving old barns and how to go about
getting help. Mark suggested a website that
included upcoming events, etc. Gerry reported that there will
be a warrant article for a virtual website established for the town.
The next meeting will be held on February 16, 2012. Submitted by, Holly Cook Secretary October 20, 2011Present: Bob Butcher, Holly Cook, Ginger Heard, Betty Alcock, Caroline Snider; Guests: Dick Devens Not present: Jennifer Martel, Pat Russell Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Bob at 7:01 pm. Secretary Report: Bob moved to clarify the minutes of the September meeting to read that “The Quimby Trustees also asked that the Farmer’s Market become formally organized…” Caroline seconded the motion, all were in favor and the correction will be made in the minutes. Betty moved to accept the September minutes as corrected, Caroline seconded the motion, all voted in favor of the motion and the minutes of the last meeting were approved as corrected. Old Business Cathy has posted the Commission vacancy on the website. Bob contacted Peter Pohl, Quimby Trustee. The main issue
involving the Farmer’s Market is insurance. The Trustees are supportive
and wish to cooperate. The liability issue was raised after an e coli
outbreak in The Commission supports the idea that the Farmer’s Market must first get organized so that they will have a representative. Betty shared that she was at a Farm Bureau meeting and understands that the vendors she saw all carry product liability insurance. A lot of them are not big farms, but are serious in their production. Caroline has been to several markets held in parking lots and observed that a variety of produce and crafts were sold. Ginger contacted the Franklin Farmer’s market and they sell vegetables, baked goods, crafts, etc. Ginger suggested the Forbes property as a potential site for the market. Bob suggested the Historical Society may also be a potential site. Ginger contacted a woman regarding the Wolfeboro
Farmer’s Markets. One is held across from the hospital where anyone
within 50 miles can participate with produce and crafts, but they are
required to have insurance. Another market held in Wolfeboro includes crafts
as well but does not require insurance. Caroline explained that the e coli
outbreak was from contaminated seeds from The next step will be to send a letter to the Farmer’s Market and encourage them to become organized. Ginger moved to address a letter to Monty as the interim head of the Farmer’s Market suggesting that they register with the state and compose bylaws. Caroline seconded the motion and all voted in favor of the motion. Ginger will draft a letter and email it out to all members to review. Comments will then be sent to Bob, who will integrate comments as needed and send it to Monty. New Business Dick brought copies of Nation magazine to share. He has a 4x8 compost pile that he is establishing. He has read several books and gone to the CES website, but received the most help from Nate Winship. This prompted him to think about putting together a list of people who would be willing to help teach others and generally share their expertise. We were developing a data base of farms, so a list of such
people could also be included. Bob will put out a request and start a list.
Dick also shared that a group is trying to use the property of the former Other Business Caroline is concerned that there is a conflict between the Conservation Commission goal of keeping land undeveloped and the Agriculture Commission goal of promoting agriculture. The Conservation Commission is sending a letter to the Sandwich Selectmen requesting that there be no parking on the conservation easement land on either side of Wentworth Hill. Bob received a thank you letter from the Historical Society for co-sponsoring the NH Humanities talk by providing blueberries and ice cream. It cost a total of $31.00. Betty sent out her two thank you letters. The next meeting is scheduled for November 17, 2011. Caroline moved to adjourn, Betty seconded the motion, all were in favor and the meeting adjourned at 7:55 pm. Submitted by, Holly Cook Secretary September 15, 2011Present: Bob Butcher, Holly Cook, Ginger Heard, Pat Russell; Guests: Dick Devens, Monty & Rudy Carlson, Nancy & Kirke Read Not present: Jennifer Martel, Caroline Snider Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Bob at 7:07 pm. Secretary Report: Pat moved to approve the minutes of the last meeting, Ginger seconded the motion, all voted in favor and the minutes of the last meeting were approved. Pat moved to approve the May minutes and Ginger seconded the motion. All were in favor and the May minutes were approved.
Old Business Bob has not had any contact from Cathy on new members. Betty will send a thank you card to Earl and Tom for their donations. New Business Caroline spoke at length with Bob Streeter and through her
email we learned that Monty reported that the Quimby Trustees already have trip & fall insurance and are looking for farm product insurance. Some members have farm product insurance through Farm Family, but that company wants a policy that covers the whole farm. Farm Family can only insure products that are being inspected. Food inspection for big farms will have inspectors look at the fields, washing stations, refrigeration, worker training, etc., so Farm Family will insure them. The smaller producers can’t afford to insure. Baked goods, syrup, jellies are all inspected. To clarify - this commission is not going to insure – we can only help get information. Bob asked how the request came to the farmer’s market. Peter Pohl called Monty and she contacted the other members. Then she and Diane Booty met with Peter and Derek Marshall and felt that it was a positive meeting. The Quimby Trustees also asked that the Farmer’s Market become formally organized and register with the Secretary of State in order to have a contract. Most members support this so that they could have a bank account and contract. The Quimby Trustees would like it to be only for produce and for local people, no crafts. There is a group of people who would like to expand the market, which has contributed to some discord. She feels that our interest could help resolve this discord. Monty has not had a chance to contact the Commissioner of Agriculture. The farmer’s market has grown since it started with Diane 5 years ago. Ginger suggested using the parking lot of the The Quimby Trustees will be invited to the next meeting. Dick will report on what he has learned during his farming this year. We will stroll through the fair and think about what we could do next year. The next meeting is scheduled for October 20, 2011. Caroline moved to adjourn, Ginger seconded the motion, all were in favor and the meeting adjourned at 8:05 pm. Submitted by, Holly Cook Secretary July 21, 2011Present: Bob Butcher, Holly Cook, Ginger Heard, Betty Alcock, Caroline Snyder, Pat Russell; Guest: Dick Devens Not present: Jennifer Martel, Harry Harrison Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Interim Chair Bob at 7:05 pm. Secretary Report: The minutes of the June meeting were reviewed by Bob. Two minor errors were corrected. Ginger moved to accept the minutes as corrected, Carolyn seconded the motion, all voted in favor and the minutes were accepted as corrected.
Old Business Pat contacted Harry and learned that he is unable to continue to serve on the commission. He has sent a letter of resignation to the Selectmen and Cathy has posted the opening on the Sandwich Board. Caroline nominated Bob to serve as Chairman and Betty seconded the nomination. There was no discussion, nor additional nominations. All voted in favor of the nomination; Bob will serve as Chairman for the remainder of the year. Betty nominated Ginger to serve as Vice Chairman and Pat seconded the nomination. There was no discussion, nor additional nominations. All voted in favor of the nomination; Ginger will serve as Vice Chairman for the remainder of the year. August 9 at 7:00 pm Steve Taylor will be coming to the Grange Hall to speak on the history of the Grange. Earl Pearson will donate blueberries and Tom Merriman will donate one tub of ice cream; the Agriculture Commission will purchase a second tub if needed. Betty will make enough blueberry sauce to serve 70 people and pick up a check from the town to purchase the ice cream and paper goods. Betty and Dick will work on a sign. Betty reported that she reviewed the minutes of the Wolfeboro Agriculture Commission from 2010 through the spring of 2011; their focus in 2010 was primarily zoning issues and a warrant article in regards to zoning, also they were gearing up to build a float for the 2010 bicentennial parade. They are also quite involved in Farmer's Market discussions. New Business The Quimby Trustees (own the green where the Farmer’s Market is held) are asking that all vendors have insurance to participate in the Farmer’s Market. The town is also requesting it for those who use town property. Caroline will contact Bob Streeter to see how the Tamworth Farmer’s Market handles this issue. This commission has two questions: 1) Is the local Farmer’s Market formally organized? 2) Is there a state organization of Farmer’s Markets and what are other towns doing about the liability issues. This commission encourages the Farmer’s Market to be
organized and supports agriculture in the community. We will offer our
support to resolve the issue. Pat will contact the person he heard speak on
Agriculture Commissions at Farm and The next meeting is scheduled for September 15, 2011. Caroline moved to adjourn, Ginger seconded the motion, all were in favor and the meeting adjourned at 8:05 pm. Submitted by, Holly Cook Secretary June 16, 2011Present: Bob Butcher, Holly Cook, Ginger Heard, Betty Alcock, Pat Russell; Caroline Snyder Guest: Dick Devens Not present: Jennifer Martel, Harry Harrison Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by interim Chair Bob at 7:04 pm. Secretary Report: The minutes of the May meeting will be tabled until next month.
Old Business Jennifer Martel has asked to step down and Harry Harrison may not continue. Pat will contact Harry and ask for a letter to be sent to the Selectmen if he is unable to continue. Betty and Ginger visited the Effingham Agriculture Commission and obtained a wealth of information. They will provide links to our commission members. Their focus is the definition of a farm, which will give them credibility. They govern their local farmer’s market. Betty reviewed the minutes of the Wolfeboro Agriculture Commission and they are focusing on a bicentennial parade float. August 9 at 7:00 pm Steve Taylor will be coming to the Grange Hall to speak on the history of the Grange. Earl Pearson will be asked for blueberries and Tom Merriman for ice cream - to support local people. The Historical Society will provide a serving table. Bob will contact Tom. Betty will get the paper goods. Betty will work with Dick on signage to support the donors. New Business Dick Devens recommended the book One Second After by William Forstchen and several others including The
Transition Handbook by Rob Hopkins; Pastures
of Plenty and The Real Dirt by
John Carroll who spoke recently in The Who’s Who in Agriculture lists our local farmer’s market as being held “in the pines”. Next meeting will be July 21. The agenda will include finalizing the details of the 8/9 event and how to best promote farmer’s markets. Betty moved to adjourn, Ginger seconded the motion, all were in favor and the meeting adjourned at 7:45 pm. Submitted by, Holly Cook Secretary May 19, 2011Present: Jennifer Martel, Holly Cook, Ginger Heard, Betty Alcock, Pat Russell; Guest: Dan Kusch, Toby Eaton Not present: Bob Butcher, Caroline Snyder, Harry Harrison Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Jennifer at 7:04 pm. Secretary Report: Betty moved to accept the April meeting minutes as written, Pat seconded the motion, there was no discussion, all voted in favor, and the minutes of the April meeting were accepted. Old Business Ginger reported that the grant the Historical Society had
applied for through the NH Council of the Humanities has been granted and
that Steve Taylor will be coming to
The Farmers Market will start next month. New Business Dan and Rachel Kusch own Big Love Mexican Diner, a mobile commercial kitchen. Dan came to the meeting to talk about it and let us know that it will be open in early June. Rachel made burritos for Moca last summer. Most menu items will be made from obtainable meats, vegetables, etc. which will be grown in the service area. They will travel to a number of towns and will be in Tamworth-Tuesday, Sandwich-Wednesday, Plymouth-Thursday, Meredith-Friday. They want ideas and local produce. Food will be available year round, with winter service for the staff at local schools. They want to create a delivery route and have family dinners available. Will do some promotions and have a community party around the last day of school. They will have a website and will be able to park at the town beach. Toby Eaton, a member of the Planning Board, spoke about the Master Plan. The Planning Board has identified a number of stakeholders, including the Agriculture Commission. 86 tasks were identified by the Master Plan Committee and of those the Planning Board identified 19 to address. Although the following tasks are not among the top 19 they may need to be addressed. EB 3.1 is to insure that agricultural, forestry, and outdoor recreation enterprises are promoted and encouraged through the town’s development regulations. We could identify issues that need to be addressed by the planning board. LU 3.1 is to review local zoning, subdivision and site plan review regulations to ensure that the full range of agricultural activities are permitted including subsidiary uses. This may include the signage issue. LU-3.2 is to establish forest management plans for all town forests. Toby pointed out that NH 432.33 - the right to farm law protects farms from nuisance complaints. Jennifer stated that she has to step down and take a leave of absence because she does not have the time to devote to the commission at this time. We need to recruit more people to be on the commission. Betty talked about the Agriculture Commission in Effingham
and Pat talked about the commission in Next meeting will be June 16. Jennifer moved to adjourn, Ginger seconded the motion, all were in favor and the meeting adjourned at 8:18 pm. Submitted by, Holly Cook Secretary April 21, 2011Present: Jennifer Martel, Holly Cook, Ginger Heard, Betty Alcock, Caroline Snyder, Pat Russell; Guest: Leslie Johnson Not present: Bob Butcher, Harry Harrison Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Jennifer at 7:03 pm. Secretary Report: Betty moved to accept the March meeting minutes as written, Pat seconded the motion, there was no discussion, all voted in favor, and the minutes of the March meeting were accepted. Old Business The commission will no longer pursue the development of a community composting area. Some concern has been raise about monitoring it, which would be very difficult to do if it is on the fairgrounds. The commission will provide information on composting to those who would like to learn how to do it for their own use. New Business Leslie Johnson came to the meeting to talk about the
Friends of Wentworth Hill. They have had three meetings and are forming a
group to look into purchasing the property for the purpose of preserving
public access to the land, grounds and facilities; supporting visual and
performing arts, historic conservation and display, educational programming,
and environmental preservation and sustainable land use. The first goal is to
obtain the property and preserve it through grants and other sources of
income. If there are activities going on there that will support local
businesses. A meeting will be held on May 10 at 7:00 at the Ginger shared a website for harvest to market. It is set up to provide information regarding all the farmer’s markets in the state. Vendors can register through the website. It is set up so that customers can order ahead of time. It is a nice way to advertise the market. Ginger also stated that Ann Hamilton did a demonstration on canning and would be a good resource to do a demonstration at the farmer’s market. Russ Norton sent Jennifer an email about the Mountain Grainery. They have decided not to continue with livestock and pet feeds, but still have stock that they are willing to sell at 50% off. We will ask Russ about doing a demonstration at a farmer’s market and ask Bob Wright do a demonstration on sharpening tools. Other Business The Historical Society has done renovations at the Grange Hall and Ginger has written a grant to invite Steve Taylor to speak on the History of the Grange on August 9th. There was discussion on hosting a picnic before he spoke. We will discuss this further at the next meeting. Ginger moved to adjourn the meeting, Caroline seconded the motion, all were in favor and the meeting was adjourned at 8:27 pm. The next meeting will be held on May 19, 2011. Submitted by, Holly Cook Secretary March 17, 2011Present: Jennifer Martel, Bob Butcher, Holly Cook, Ginger Heard, Betty Alcock; Alternates: Caroline Snyder, Pat Russell; Guest: Patty Heard Not present: Alternate: Harry Harrison Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Jennifer at 7:05 pm. Secretary Report: Caroline moved to accept the February meeting minutes as written, Ginger seconded the motion, there was no discussion, all voted in favor, and the minutes of the February meeting were accepted. Old Business Compost Update: Jennifer and Bob will be meeting with Dan Peaslee, so this topic will be tabled until the next meeting. Website Feedback: Patty felt the website was easy to navigate. Ginger will put a notice in the paper and on the Sandwich Board asking for people who want to be included on a list of agriculturally related business contacts to contact us. Also, it was suggested that there be a section for things that people are looking for. Everyone will email Holly information to add to the inventory that she has started. Term updates: We are all set. Ginger will have a three year term as a regular member and Harry will have a three year term as an alternate. Farmer’s Market: It should not be held on the fairgrounds; it is most visible on the green. There is a need to expand the consumer base with more marketing. Road signage and flyers were suggested. Ginger talked with Russ Norton, Ag Educator, CES, he would be willing to come to the Farmer’s Market and give a demonstration during the summer. A pickling demonstration would also be helpful. Bob suggested that a list of ideas be developed so that we could focus on a few as a commission. The commission will consider supporting ideas of the Farmers’ Market committee if presented. New Business A. Food Sovereignty There was an article about how a B. Dick Devens sent a letter stating that he has a huge garden plot that needs some work (1200 sq ft). He may be looking for someone to take over the garden and manage it. Jennifer will talk with him and ask if it can be put out on the Sandwich Board. There may be people in town or even the school who would like to use the garden space. C. Jennifer received information regarding the Carroll County Ag Day and asked in we would be interested in participating. It will be held on July 30th. The deadline is May 15th. It does not appear to be something we want to participate in, but will talk about it again next month. Other Business We have a meeting time conflict with the Planning Board who needs to use the meeting room. We agreed that we will continue to meet monthly at the same time. Jennifer moved to keep our meetings on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm and to be held in the tax collector’s office, Pat seconded the motion, all were in favor and the motion passed. Caroline shared that she has 2 books that others might be interested in and has order forms for them. Patty will ask the library if there could be a section where agricultural information could be kept and then we would get the word out to people that those resources are available. Pat noted that there are at least 7-8 new commissions that have been established in the state. Jennifer moved to adjourn, Caroline seconded the motion, all were in favor and the meeting was adjourned at 8:20 pm. The next meeting will be held on April 21, 2011. Submitted by, Holly Cook Secretary June 17, 2010
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:05 pm by Jennifer Martel, Acting Chairman. Secretary Report: Bob moved to approve the minutes of the May 20th meeting, Virginia seconded the motion, all were in favor and the motion passed. Nomination
of officers: Betty presented a proposed slate of officers: Chairman Jennifer Martel Vice Chairman – Bob Butcher Secretary – Holly Cook Treasurer- after discussion Bob suggested that filling the position should be postponed until needed. Bob moved that we open the discussion of officers as proposed by Betty, Betty seconded the motion, all were in favor and the motion was approved. After little discussion, Bob moved to approve the slate of officers, Jennifer seconded the motion, all were in favor and the motion approving the above officers passed. Old
Business A. Mission Statement – Bob suggested that our mission should be to advise on agricultural land use, planning, and potential; educate and inform – rich past agricultural history and its present use, and what might happen in the future; facilitate groups involved in agriculture and link them together; advocate and promote farms in production and support programs in production – without defining them. Jennifer added - to enhance, promote and develop the agricultural spirit, through such venues as educational programs. Bob welcomes any input and will bring a proposed mission statement to present at the next meeting. Jennifer moved to postpone writing the mission statement to next month, Harry seconded the motion, all were in favor and the motion was approved. Action
Items Compost Pile – Need to get it going because it will take time to get established. There was concern about space, but there may be space on the road on the way out of the transfer station. Need to determine sources of compostable material, define what will be composted, how to police it and confine it. Will need a big pile and be able to turn it to make it work. Leaves are fine, but food will bring vectors, bears. The Transfer station is under the highway department and maybe they could turn it. Need to define how it will be managed and distributed. Jennifer and Holly will visit the compost site in Moultonborough. Tamworth has a windrow turner. Bob Wright shared that the idea of a compost pile was discussed initially by the SASS group to use it for soil enrichment. The idea to compost leaves, grass and animal manures in the area of Sunshine Park was brought to the Quimby Trustees who are open to discussion. The landscape businesses are just dumping material and could participate. Jerry reported that the glass bins are no longer being used at the transfer station. The Conservation Commission has promoted the purchase and use of backyard composting bins. We may want to put an article out on composting to educate the public regarding composting. The Extension Service has information. Tips on composting could be put on the Sandwich Board & in the town newspaper column. Jerry reported that the Selectmen talked about Sunshine Park and felt that it would be an involved process, with issues of monitoring and turning. It may be possible to collect donations or build it into a self-sustaining project, maybe use a sticker to obtain compost. Look into having a guest speaker come in to talk about composting. Sandwich Market Bulletin - built on the idea of the Weekly Market Bulletin to advertise agriculturally related items and services. We could present it over the internet, Sandwich Board, email, or town website. We are not listed as a board yet; Jennifer will talk with Cathy. Maybe we could give Cathy information to post. We would need to set up guidelines. Bob will look at the Weekly Market Bulletin and NH Coop guidelines. We also will need to send a letter out or include a paragraph in the town newsletter. Jennifer talked about the guidelines for the Farmer’s Market. They are looking for more people to sell products. She will bring proposed guidelines to the next meeting. Resource Directory - Jennifer moved to postpone this discussion until the next meeting, Bob seconded, all were in favor and the motion to postpone the discussion regarding the Resource Directory until the next meeting passed. New
Business Master Plan – Land Use chapter suggested the formation of an Agriculture Commission which the town has done. We need to review the chapter and see if we want to add anything. Other
Business County Farm Day will be held on 8/1/10 at the Carroll County Farm. We will discuss potential involvement at the next meeting. Jennifer moved to adjourn the meeting, Betty seconded the motion, all were in favor and the meeting adjourned at 8:25 pm. The next meeting will be held on July 22nd at 7:00 pm Respectfully submitted, Holly Cook Secretary July 15, 2010
Present: Jennifer Martel, Betty Alcock, Bob Butcher,
Holly Cook, Pat Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:10 pm by Jennifer Martel, Chairman. Secretary Report: Bob moved to accept the minutes of the last meeting held on June 17, 2010 as written, Carolyn seconded the motion, all voted in favor and the motion passed. Old Business: Compost Update:
Jennifer and Holly visited the Jennifer shared that the Hannaford Fresh magazine includes steps to composting. Master Plan Submissions: covered above. New Business Information on Public Meetings - RSA 91-a States that commission members can only use email for minutes, announcements, and agendas. Jennifer will get further clarification from Cathy about it. RSA 91-a:12 talks about who can speak at meetings; the public can attend meetings, but must be invited to speak. Bob Wright will be speaking to a group in Resource Directory: Jennifer talked with someone who sells kitchen knives out of his home. Through discussions with people we can collect business cards to formulate a list and establish a directory. We should each come in with a list of people who offer a service. Harry has printers and would be willing to help with this project. Should we be in the business of publishing? Jennifer would like to accomplish two things to benefit the town during our first year: compost is tangible and a directory would be helpful. We could have a link from the website which could be easily managed with additions and deletions. We should put a request out on the Sandwich Board – Jennifer will ask Cathy how we can best do it. Holly handed out the inventory of information that she has begun to collect. Everyone will review it and bring back information to contribute to and update it. Educational Opportunities for Workshops by the USDA, Cooperative Extension Service and
other experts in the field of agriculture could be offered. We need to think about when and where they
would be held. It was noted that Agriculture Day at the Bob Wright asked if he could announce that he is speaking on behalf of the Agriculture Commission. It was agreed that it would be good PR for us. Other Business There being no other business, Carolyn moved to adjourn, Betty seconded the motion, all were in favor and the meeting was adjourned at 8:30 pm. The next meeting will be held on August 19, 2010. Submitted by Holly Cook Secretary September 16, 2010
Present: Jennifer Martel, Betty Alcock, Holly Cook, Gerry Gingras Not present: Bob Butcher, Harry Harrison, Virginia Heard, Caroline Snyder, Pat Russell Because we did not have a quorum present the meeting was cancelled. The next meeting will be on October 21, 2010 at 7:00 pm. December 17, 2010
Present: Jennifer Martel, Betty Alcock, Caroline Snyder & Holly Cook. Alternates Pat Russell & Ginger Heard were appointed. Not present: Bob Butcher, Harry Harrison Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Jennifer at 7:10 pm. Secretary Report: Ginger moved to accept the minutes of the November meeting as written, Pat seconded the motion, all voted in favor of the motion and the minutes were accepted as written. Betty moved to accept the October minutes as written and Pat seconded the motion. However, it was noted that Ginger and Harry were both present at the meeting. The motion was amended to read that the minutes would be accepted with the above correction, all were in favor and the minutes were accepted as corrected. Old Business The Master Plan Public Review will be held from December
10 to January 10, which will be before our next meeting. Ginger has been
going to the Master Plan meetings. Jennifer submitted the Mission Statement
to the Town with the idea that it be included in the Master Plan. It will not
be included as a Mission Statement, but they have used the wording in the
plan, along with a statement that the commission is open to working with
people of the town. We will meet on Monday, January 3rd at 4:00 pm at the
library to review the piece provided by Peg Merritt regarding the land use
section of Master Plan. There are concerns for the protection of ground water
and ground water withdrawal for commercial use. Ginger will get a copy of the
Caroline asked what would be included in the inventory that we are working on. It will include land that is productive, unproductive and/or in current use. The conservation commission is also working on an inventory of conservation land and easement maps. The two commissions can work together on the inventories and be a resource to the other. There was discussion about the compost area being placed on the fairgrounds and it was pointed out that it would be in line with the Fair Association’s mission statement. Dan Peaslee will talk with DES to see if it is feasible because DES has been previously involved with issues on the fairgrounds. Behind the fire station might be a potential site because it is flat. Dan had questions regarding maintenance, how it will function, cost, etc. The fair association is spending a lot of money to move the manure from the fairgrounds to the Ambrose pit. There is a lot of sawdust mixed in with the manure. Holly presented a power point presentation based on the compost area being placed at the dump. There are pros and cons to each of the proposed sites. We need to get numbers together for the blocks at both sites from Bob, response from Dan regarding DES input, finalize a proposal, prepare a budget and outline a plan of action. Jennifer moved to adjourn, Betty seconded the motion, all were in favor of the motion and the meeting was adjourned at 8:37 pm. The next meeting will be held on January 20, 2011. Submitted by, Holly Cook Secretary January 20, 2011
Present: Jennifer Martel, Bob Butcher, Harry Harrison, Holly Cook; Alternates: Caroline Snyder, Pat Russell & Ginger Heard; Selectman: Gerry Gingras, and Guest: Bob Wright Not present: Betty Alcock Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Jennifer at 7:06 pm. Secretary
Report: Bob moved to accept the final copy of the October minutes as corrected, Caroline seconded the motion, all voted in favor and the minutes of the October meeting were accepted. Bob moved to accept the December minutes as written and Pat seconded the motion. There was no discussion, all voted in favor of the motion and the December minutes were accepted as written. Jennifer reminded the group that the minutes need to go out within five days of the meeting. Old
Business A. Compost Update: The compost project was discussed. Bob raised the question of public access to the compost area. Jennifer shared that she spoke with Dan Peaslee and he didn’t feel that having compost on the fairgrounds would be a problem, but he is working with DES to address any issue it might present. There was some discussion about the possible need to put down a concrete floor with a curb if the project was on the fairgrounds. At the dump there would not need to be a floor. There would need to be 2 bins at the dump and 3 at the fairgrounds. Volume would be highly dependent on the quantity from the fair. Bob presented a draft budget for yearly maintenance: Turning 1 x/mos – 1 hour x $50/hr = $ 600 per yr. Moving the compost when done 2 truck loads @ $200/loadx2/yr = $ 800 per yr. Each bin might hold approx 18 yards. Material from the fair may need to be screened to separate the manure and sawdust. The sawdust takes longer to break down, but could be used for mulch. Constructed with a gravel bottom of 300 sq ft for 2 12 x 12 bins about $630. 45 blocks – 2 x 2 x 4 about $2000. It would take about 1 hr to set the blocks and 1 hr for clean up. An area to drive on and turn around would need to be prepared (not in budget). An educational sign or billboard would need to be constructed. The project might cost $3-4000. It would cost an additional $1500 for a third bin area. These bins are with no cover. It is recognized that donations of labor and/or materials may reduce this cost. Jennifer asked the committee how they felt about the idea.
Bob expressed that it is a great idea especially at the fairground because it
is easily accessible and fits into the mission statements of both the fair
association and the Ag Commission. The Quimby Trust and Conservation Commission might be sources of financial support. Once it is established it may be appropriate to ask the town to financially support the maintenance of it. Ginger suggested that we consider the fairgrounds as the primary site pending Fair Association approval and if it is denied we would look at the dump site. The fairgrounds have been closed due to vandalism and a concern for access was raised. Jennifer doesn’t believe that access would be an issue. We should prepare an article for the town newsletter. Jennifer prepared a statement regarding the commission that has been submitted to the town for inclusion in the town report.
The compost project could be constructed in May depending on what DES has to say. It may be helpful to have someone from the DES come to talk with us after we find out more about what needs to be done once a site has been established. We could ask for donations to support the project. It would be open for townspeople to drop off material and take small amounts – not truck loads. Jennifer will talk with Dan about the information Bob shared and ask about DES input. The $500 could be used for the educational signage. New
Business A. Term Update and Discussion: Terms start at town meeting and run to the next town meeting. Virginia, Pat and Harry were all appointed for one year terms, which will end in March. Jennifer asked if they would be willing to serve for a three year term; they need to let Cathy know as soon as possible and email Jennifer. Harry would like to stay involved as an alternate, not as a regular member. B. Sue Dail Guest for February Meeting: Sue is on the Sandwich Fair Association Board of Directors and has requested to come to a meeting to talk with us about working with the farmers market. She will come to the February meeting. Other
Business Bob Wright asked to speak. He had gone to an In the Round Meeting and talked with them about working with us. He shared an idea for the town of Sandwich to put together a craft consortium where classes could be taught to people who would come in to learn to make things. He also thought that it would be a good idea to ask the owner of the Sandwich Store to sell it to a group or the town to be used as a Coop to sell bulk produce. A root cellar and freezer locker could also be built on the property. He shared that two towns in VT have built a barter economy. There are some farmer’s markets that are being held through the winter. Jennifer reported that there is no interest for a winter market in Sandwich, except for maybe a holiday market. There has been some interest in leasing the store, but the owner has not been receptive because he is using it as a tax write off. Pat shared that there will be a NH Agricultural Commission Exchange on February 4, 2010 at 1:00 during the NH Farm & Forest Exposition in Manchester. Pat and Harry expressed an interest in attending and will share what they learn at the next meeting. Pat also shared that he noticed that several local businesses were on the NH Dept of Agriculture Markets and Food List. The link is: http://agriculture.nh.gov/publications/index.htm Ginger moved to adjourn, Bob seconded the motion, all were in favor and the meeting was adjourned at 8:37 pm. The next meeting will be held on February 17, 2011. Submitted by, Holly Cook Secretary February 17, 2011
Present: Jennifer Martel, Betty Alcock, Harry Harrison, Holly Cook; Alternates: Pat Russell & Ginger Heard; and Guest: Sue Dail Not present: Bob Butcher, Caroline Snyder Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Jennifer at 7:05 pm. Secretary Report: Betty moved to accept the January meeting minutes as written, Ginger seconded the motion, there was no discussion, all voted in favor and the minutes of the January meeting were accepted. Old
Business A. Compost Update: Dan Peaslee, President of the Sandwich Fair Association supports the idea of a compost pile on the fairgrounds, but has requested an additional 30 days before he will be able to discuss it with the commission. B. Pat attended the discussion on Agricultural Commissions held at the Farm & Forest Expo. Towns are encouraged to adopt the State’s definition of agriculture. The issue of posting signs to advertise farm produce was raised, how long they can be posted for and distance from the road. Three agriculture commissions were represented and there were representatives from several other towns who were interested in establishing commissions. There is a big change in agriculture because small farms are helping large farms. Wineries are becoming a big commodity and wine will be seen in farmer’s markets. A conference on How to Market Produce will be held in Sturbridge, MA March 1-3. Nada Haddad, CES put us on the list for NHACGM and there is a NH Coalition for Sustaining Agriculture meeting on March 7, 2011 from 9-11am at the Conservation Center on East Side Drive, Concord. There is a NH agriculture mediation program available to help settle issues. C. Ginger asked if the commission got put in the budget – Jennifer thought it had for $500, which could be used for the compost project and for attending events. New
Business A. Sue Dail - Jennifer gave Sue a brief overview of the mission of the commission and explained that we are interested in partnering with the fair to keep agriculture alive. The Farmer’s Market has come a long way starting with 3 farms and is now up to 6. Local farms are given priority to participate in the market. A fee of $50/season or $5/day is charged to each participating farm. Discussed having entertainment available by someone who might want to promote themselves. There was some discussion about sustaining the market through the winter, using a building such as the Grange Hall which could also be used on rainy days. Some markets include other craft vendors. Moving from under the pines to the green tripled the people coming to the market. The market is open 9-12 and closes on Columbus Day weekend. We would like to work collaboratively with the fair to make the fair farmer’s market more complete and include the vendors all in one area. Farm Bureau paid for the tent that was originally used, then Bill Stockman donated a tent but it became too much of an expense, then one was rented, and then there was a donation. The vendors paid a flat rate of $100 and received a 3 day pass to the fair. Since there was no tent this year many farmers chose not to participate. People don’t participate in farmer’s markets because they are too busy working on their farms. Have to make the market more like a destination. Sue shared an idea where the fair could sponsor some folks to come in to present programs on growing gardens, fertilizing, diseases, pests, etc. and the CES could send their staff out to help educate people. Maybe a pole building could be built that could house a year round farmer’s market. Sue can help with a list of vendors to expand the Farmer’s Market. Sue is looking to get back into agriculture at her home. Ginger suggested having an educational program or demonstration on the first Saturday of each month and will look into scheduling it. Other
Business A. Term Update: Ginger has submitted a letter to the selectmen to become a regular member and Pat has submitted one to continue as an alternate. Betty moved to adjourn, Pat seconded the motion, all were in favor and the meeting was adjourned at 8:55 pm. The next meeting will be held on March 17, 2011. Submitted by, Holly Cook Secretary March 17, 2011Present: Jennifer Martel, Bob Butcher, Holly Cook, Ginger Heard, Betty Alcock; Alternates: Caroline Snyder, Pat Russell; Guest: Patty Heard Not present: Alternate: Harry Harrison Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Jennifer at 7:05 pm. Secretary Report: Caroline moved to accept the February meeting minutes as written, Ginger seconded the motion, there was no discussion, all voted in favor, and the minutes of the February meeting were accepted. Old Business Compost Update: Jennifer and Bob will be meeting with Dan Peaslee, so this topic will be tabled until the next meeting. Website Feedback: Patty felt the website was easy to navigate. Ginger will put a notice in the paper and on the Sandwich Board asking for people who want to be included on a list of agriculturally related business contacts to contact us. Also, it was suggested that there be a section for things that people are looking for. Everyone will email Holly information to add to the inventory that she has started. Term updates: We are all set. Ginger will have a three year term as a regular member and Harry will have a three year term as an alternate. Farmer’s Market: It should not be held on the fairgrounds; it is most visible on the green. There is a need to expand the consumer base with more marketing. Road signage and flyers were suggested. Ginger talked with Russ Norton, Ag Educator, CES, he would be willing to come to the Farmer’s Market and give a demonstration during the summer. A pickling demonstration would also be helpful. Bob suggested that a list of ideas be developed so that we could focus on a few as a commission. The commission will consider supporting ideas of the Farmers’ Market committee if presented. New Business A. Food Sovereignty There was an article about how a B. Dick Devens sent a letter stating that he has a huge garden plot that needs some work (1200 sq ft). He may be looking for someone to take over the garden and manage it. Jennifer will talk with him and ask if it can be put out on the Sandwich Board. There may be people in town or even the school who would like to use the garden space. C. Jennifer received information regarding the Carroll County Ag Day and asked in we would be interested in participating. It will be held on July 30th. The deadline is May 15th. It does not appear to be something we want to participate in, but will talk about it again next month. Other Business We have a meeting time conflict with the Planning Board who needs to use the meeting room. We agreed that we will continue to meet monthly at the same time. Jennifer moved to keep our meetings on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm and to be held in the tax collector’s office, Pat seconded the motion, all were in favor and the motion passed. Caroline shared that she has 2 books that others might be interested in and has order forms for them. Patty will ask the library if there could be a section where agricultural information could be kept and then we would get the word out to people that those resources are available. Pat noted that there are at least 7-8 new commissions that have been established in the state. Jennifer moved to adjourn, Caroline seconded the motion, all were in favor and the meeting was adjourned at 8:20 pm. The next meeting will be held on April 21, 2011. Submitted by, Holly Cook Secretary April 21, 2011Present: Jennifer Martel, Holly Cook, Ginger Heard, Betty Alcock, Caroline Snyder, Pat Russell; Guest: Leslie Johnson Not present: Bob Butcher, Harry Harrison Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Jennifer at 7:03 pm. Secretary Report: Betty moved to accept the March meeting minutes as written, Pat seconded the motion, there was no discussion, all voted in favor, and the minutes of the March meeting were accepted. Old Business The commission will no longer pursue the development of a community composting area. Some concern has been raise about monitoring it, which would be very difficult to do if it is on the fairgrounds. The commission will provide information on composting to those who would like to learn how to do it for their own use. New Business Leslie Johnson came to the meeting to talk about the
Friends of Wentworth Hill. They have had three meetings and are forming a
group to look into purchasing the property for the purpose of preserving public
access to the land, grounds and facilities; supporting visual and performing
arts, historic conservation and display, educational programming, and
environmental preservation and sustainable land use. The first goal is to
obtain the property and preserve it through grants and other sources of
income. If there are activities going on there that will support local
businesses. A meeting will be held on May 10 at 7:00 at the Ginger shared a website for harvest to market. It is set up to provide information regarding all the farmer’s markets in the state. Vendors can register through the website. It is set up so that customers can order ahead of time. It is a nice way to advertise the market. Ginger also stated that Ann Hamilton did a demonstration on canning and would be a good resource to do a demonstration at the farmer’s market. Russ Norton sent Jennifer an email about the Mountain Grainery. They have decided not to continue with livestock and pet feeds, but still have stock that they are willing to sell at 50% off. We will ask Russ about doing a demonstration at a farmer’s market and ask Bob Wright do a demonstration on sharpening tools. Other Business The Historical Society has done renovations at the Grange Hall and Ginger has written a grant to invite Steve Taylor to speak on the History of the Grange on August 9th. There was discussion on hosting a picnic before he spoke. We will discuss this further at the next meeting. Ginger moved to adjourn the meeting, Caroline seconded the motion, all were in favor and the meeting was adjourned at 8:27 pm. The next meeting will be held on May 19, 2011. Submitted by, Holly Cook Secretary May 19, 2011 Present: Jennifer Martel, Holly Cook, Ginger Heard, Betty Alcock, Pat Russell; Guest: Dan Kusch, Toby Eaton Not present: Bob Butcher, Caroline Snyder, Harry Harrison Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Jennifer at 7:04 pm. Secretary Report: Betty moved to accept the April meeting minutes as written, Pat seconded the motion, there was no discussion, all voted in favor, and the minutes of the April meeting were accepted. Old Business Ginger reported that the grant the Historical Society had
applied for through the NH Council of the Humanities has been granted and
that Steve Taylor will be coming to
The Farmers Market will start next month. New Business Dan and Rachel Kusch own Big Love Mexican Diner, a mobile commercial kitchen. Dan came to the meeting to talk about it and let us know that it will be open in early June. Rachel made burritos for Moca last summer. Most menu items will be made from obtainable meats, vegetables, etc. which will be grown in the service area. They will travel to a number of towns and will be in Tamworth-Tuesday, Sandwich-Wednesday, Plymouth-Thursday, Meredith-Friday. They want ideas and local produce. Food will be available year round, with winter service for the staff at local schools. They want to create a delivery route and have family dinners available. Will do some promotions and have a community party around the last day of school. They will have a website and will be able to park at the town beach. Toby Eaton, a member of the Planning Board, spoke about the Master Plan. The Planning Board has identified a number of stakeholders, including the Agriculture Commission. 86 tasks were identified by the Master Plan Committee and of those the Planning Board identified 19 to address. Although the following tasks are not among the top 19 they may need to be addressed. EB 3.1 is to insure that agricultural, forestry, and outdoor recreation enterprises are promoted and encouraged through the town’s development regulations. We could identify issues that need to be addressed by the planning board. LU 3.1 is to review local zoning, subdivision and site plan review regulations to ensure that the full range of agricultural activities are permitted including subsidiary uses. This may include the signage issue. LU-3.2 is to establish forest management plans for all town forests. Toby pointed out that NH 432.33 - the right to farm law protects farms from nuisance complaints. Jennifer stated that she has to step down and take a leave of absence because she does not have the time to devote to the commission at this time. We need to recruit more people to be on the commission. Betty talked about the Agriculture Commission in Effingham
and Pat talked about the commission in Next meeting will be June 16. Jennifer moved to adjourn, Ginger seconded the motion, all were in favor and the meeting adjourned at 8:18 pm. Submitted by, Holly Cook Secretary June 16, 2011 Present: Bob Bucher, Holly Cook, Ginger Heard, Betty Alcock, Pat Russell; Caroline Snyder Guest: Dick Devens Not present: Jennifer Martel, Harry Harrison Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by interim Chair Bob at 7:04 pm. Secretary Report: The minutes of the May meeting will be tabled until next month.
Old Business Jennifer Martel has asked to step down and Harry Harrison may not continue. Pat will contact Harry and ask for a letter to be sent to the Selectmen if he is unable to continue. Betty and Ginger visited the Effingham Agriculture Commission and obtained a wealth of information. They will provide links to our commission members. Their focus is the definition of a farm, which will give them credibility. They govern their local farmer’s market. Betty reviewed the minutes of the Wolfeboro Agriculture Commission and they are focusing on a bicentennial parade float. August 9 at 7:00 pm Steve Taylor will be coming to the Grange Hall to speak on the history of the Grange. Earl Pearson will be asked for blueberries and Tom Merriman for ice cream - to support local people. The Historical Society will provide a serving table. Bob will contact Tom. Betty will get the paper goods. Betty will work with Dick on signage to support the donors. New Business Dick Devens recommended the book One Second After by William Forstchen and several others including The
Transition Handbook by Rob Hopkins; Pastures
of Plenty and The Real Dirt by
John Carroll who spoke recently in The Who’s Who in Agriculture lists our local farmer’s market as being held “in the pines”. Next meeting will be July 1. The agenda will include finalizing the details of the 8/9 event and how to best promote farmer’s markets. Betty moved to adjourn, Ginger seconded the motion, all were in favor and the meeting adjourned at 7:45 pm. Submitted by, Holly Cook Secretary |
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