Agricultural Commission Responsibilities
- Speaking for the farm and forestry community on town issues at Town Meeting and at other opportunities throughout the year.
- Working to improve the climate of support for farming throughout the town.
- Assisting the Select Board and other town boards and groups with farm and forestry-related questions.
- Helping steer town long-range planning in a direction that is beneficial to farm and forestry interests.
- Working to help protect and preserve farm and forest lands in cooperation with other town boards, state agencies, and regional and local land trusts.
- Compiling an inventory of farmers and farm and forest land in the town.
- Publishing a guide to local farms and local fresh produce for the town.
- Working with Agricultural Commissions in neighboring towns to promote farming and maintain communications about farm issues.
- Sponsoring farmers markets or community gardens to improve farm sales opportunities.
- Assisting in solving disputes between farmers and neighbors.
- Sponsoring town-wide forums and workshops on farm issues such as estate planning, agricultural wetland exemptions, farm safety, grants and other funding available to farmers, farmland protection, or animal identification.
- Organizing town farm events-farm festivals, farm and garden tours, sugaring dinners, farm fairs.
- Staying in touch with the Mass Department of Agricultural Resources, Mass Farm Bureau, and other organizations to obtain current information on farm and forestry issues.
- Reviewing town zoning bylaws and other bylaws and regulations to be sure they do not inadvertently penalize farm interests. Promoting innovative zoning provisions such as Natural Resource Overlay districts.Taking on a subdivision-review advisory role.
- Drafting Right-to-Farm Bylaws that put the town on record as being farm-friendly, create a mediation mechanism for disputes, and establish a notification procedure for residents that the town is farm-friendly.