Comprehensive Planning Committee
Agriculture Workshop Minutes
February 28, 2012 at 6:00-7:30pm
I) Welcome at 6:00pm
Cyndie Lamoreau welcomed everyone.
II) Review Agricultural Data
Nicole Briand reviewed the handouts and the results from the agricultural survey.
III) Identify Needs
The following needs where identified by workshop participates:
§ security in land tenure
§ consumers purchasing products
§ town might match % CSA shares to share holders
§ town supports classes on preparation and handling of whole foods
§ create scholarship to fund farmers to travel to convention – participate or present
§ sources for affordable organic feed grains and other feed grains
§ “zoning” that benefits farms & farming?
§ housing/ seasonal housing affordable
§ making local food more affordable – someway for lower food budgets
§ infrastructure – towns puts water on land, using state land, future farmers, use land that’s here to be used.
IV) Presentations
§ Tori Lee Jackson, Extension Educator Androscoggin and Sagadahoc Office, UMaine Extension Service. Tori provided an overview of some of the programs and services she and UMaine Extension Service provide. She encouraged participates to check out their facebook page or contact her for more information. Additionally, all information can be found on their website.
Tori Lee Jackson, Extension Educator
Androscoggin and Sagadahoc Office
24 Main St. Lisbon Falls, ME 04252-1505
Tel. (207) 353-5550 x11
Fax. 1-866-500-9088
extension.umaine.edu
§ Stephanie Gilbert, Farm Viability & Farmland Protection Specialist for Maine Dept. of Agriculture, Food & Rural Resources. Stephanie provided an overview of some of the programs and services she and the Maine Department of Agriculture provided.
Stephanie R. Gilbert
Farm Viability & Farmland Protection Specialist
Maine Department of Agriculture,
Food & Rural Resources
28 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0028
Office: 207.287.7520
Fax: 207.287.5576
www.maine.gov/agriculture
§ Stacy Benjamin, Municipal Outreach Contractor, Maine Farmland Trust. Stacy provided an overview of their new publication, "Cultivating Maine's
Agricultural Future: New Guide for Towns Looking to Encourage Local Farming."
Stacy Benjamin
Municipal Outreach Contractor
Maine Farmland Trust
Phone: (207) 342-2929
Mobile: (207)322-5048
www.mainefarmlandtrust.org
V) How can we support agriculture and reach our goals?
Participates provided the following ideas on how the Town can:
1. To enhance the viability of agriculture so that it will remain an economic strength for future generations.
§ Cooperative resource board on town website
§ support farm easement acquisitions by state, local and federal government and by private trust groups
§ enhance viability for future generations
§ flexible ordinances
§ tax breaks for farm equipment, barns, structures
§ education for all ages
§ democratize access to fresh produce: a program that matches WIC or SNAP$ via tokens (11 existing programs at portland market)
§ farming techniques and crops for the marine clay lands of Town
§ encourage land owners to think about leasing really good soils
§ bring back 4th of july barbeque and make it an agriculture celebration
§ treat all economic sectors/businesses equal
§ lower taxes on farm buildings/infrastructure
§ support it. provide incentives to farmers and consumers. protect all land, water resources. treat it as a necessity and not a commodity.
§ root cellar workshop to keep more food in local homes
§ make taxation of farms user friendly for the farm owner/operator and make it long term/permanent to ensure that this land can be transferred with the same benefit.
§ leave the complaining people who initially love farm animals stop hindering the animal growth
§ affordable housing
§ increase markets
§ support competitive prices
§ increase production infrastructure
§ separate current use - working vs non working
§ inventory farm land in use & availability
§ more community :farmers talk with the town" meetings
§ reduction in property taxes for working farms
§ encourage land owners with unused agricultural land to rent it to farmers
§ create revolving loan fund to assist the maine farmland trust or similar organizations to save endangered farm land
§ get a deal with butcher or get a local butcher
§ incentivise preservation of farmland is subdivision ordinance
§ avoid zoning
§ explore tax options for encouraging farmland protection (there seem to be new options)
§ keep practices close to nature simple and beautiful and healthy
§ farmland overlay zones created to protect land with prime farm land soils and soils in production
§ consider purchase of development rights of land with prime soils
2. To promote buying local foods and enhance opportunities to obtain local foods
§ sliding scale for healthy food
§ farm to school program
§ support Long Branch Store & School
§ help farmers keep costs down (where possible) so they an be profitable with lower prices
§ create “Bowdoinham Foods Brand”
§ promote local farm stand near entrance to Town
§ Bowdoinham food pantry
§ Food freaks
§ Create a program to help foster and manage community gardens
§ Property tax credits for purchase of Bowdoinham produced food
§ Add an element to Town website highlights local farms and food sources
§ Work with other Town to develop a regional cultural marketplace including locally produced ag products, arts, crafts, programs, etc.
§ Farm tours
§ Maple syrup Sunday
§ we need cooperative buying club opportunities
§ continued support for Bham farmers’ market, advertising at exit 37 to remind people; market should have a “special” each week – advertise on sign board
§ connect with school lunch program
§ expand hours of farmers’ market in Bham
§ utilize existing spaces/structures like Grange – use membership or use as educational space
§ help with marketing & outreach (in newsletter, post/mail flyers) for cheap
§ provide assistance with business loans
§ get long term lease agreements for people who can’t purchase land
§ crop ripening schedule on Town website
§ allow all vendor at farmers market not just full time farmers, include craftspeople too
§ “Bowdoinham Farms” page to Town website
§ promote work with school as focal point for consuming
§ encourage local farmers to participate in local farmers’ market
§ marketing, marketing, marketing
§ buy local foods for Town events.
§ force Hannaford to sell only local products at a cost relative to the avg income of local residents
§ school to farm programs: field trips- show process and where and when food is produced (not just how grown)
3. To safeguard our agricultural resources.
§ develop land use ordinance districting plan that safeguards those areas of town with soils best suited to agriculture
§ maintain a business friendly attitude towards agriculture
§ to safeguard, we just need to stay in business
§ contact local & state legislators regarding farm bill provisions
§ easement, acquisition, promotion
§ make sure farmers have input on policy decisions
§ educate: conservation easements need to allow clearing of forest for future farmland
§ zone a business industrial specific area
§ follow up comp plan with regulation that supports the plans goals
§ create a revolving loan fund to help main farmland trust or similar organization save endangered farmland
§ make it easy to guide the sale or transfer of farms to prospective farmers
§ let people farm sustainably.
§ make housing developments illegal
§ help farmers physically conserve their land
§ someone at the town should stay up to date on available programs/agendas who help farmers, if the town is the first stop we don’t want it to be the last
4. To encourage economically viable, ecologically sound and socially responsible agriculture.
§ discourage environmentally irresponsible farming practices
§ events
§ town create events that show and celebrate how these 3 (economic, social, environmental) happen and co-exist
§ scale is part of this discussion – plan to save/steward conserve for the future population. Plan 1.5 ac/family to ensure local is available.
§ keep farmland taxes low
§ continue to be involved with local farms (asking questions, updating town goals to be supportive)
§ work toward developing a cooperative commercial kitchen for value added farm products and facility for crop storage.
§ don’t impose social values on farmers. let them make their own economic decisions about the type of farming they do.
§ develop cross-section draws: bike tours for farms, tasting tours, etc
§ keep policies friendly to processors. a big bottleneck for farmers is at the processing point.
§ town side farm brochure for promotion
§ farm to school
§ education
§ farmer encouraged to attend educational opportunities – like trade show or state organizations offer educational programs
§ in a policy way can we support family (small) farms
§ town sponsored – Bowdoinham potluck, picnic, barbecue – feast Bowdoinham
§ encourage the leasing of land by smaller land owners with land for use
§ encourage the revitalization of the grange as a forum for farmers to share ideas and help each other
VI) Thank you for joining us!
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