Agriculture Commission Agenda and Minutes September 27_2016Northampton Agricultural Commission
Agenda and Minutes
7:30 PM TuesdaySeptember 27, 2016
Planning & Sustainability, 210 Main Street, 2nd floor, City Hall
Northampton, MA
Members present:
Chair John Omasta
Chip Parsons
Stan Zawalick
Vice Chair Rich Jaescke
Tim Smith
John Bobala
Robert Vollinger
Wayne Feiden (staff)
Public comment—NO public comment
Welcome back- Chair Omasta greeted the members after a dry growing season.
Approval of Agriculture Commission minutes of March 9, 2016, uon motion by Chip Parsons and second by Rich Jaescke, by unanimous vote.
Farmland at Montview Avenue section, Meadows Conservation Area—Rich Jaescke discussed the work he did getting the farmland ready for planting, the garlic that has been planted, and his
hope that ¼ acre of fallow land can be used as a farm incubator. To be discussed with the Meadows City Conservation Coalition, in October.
Certified “Bee City USA”—To be discussed with Peggy MacLeod at their October meeting
Changes to Agriculture Commissions from the Municipal Modernization Act—Feiden went over the changes to Commission make up and potential scope from this new legislation. The Commission
agreed, by consensus, to request that the Conservation Commission charge the Agriculture Commission with managing farmland and farmland license rules of operation, while leaving it to
staff to coordinate with farmers to avoid any potential conflict of interest.
Jail “work farm” and other farmland preservation—Feiden reported that the legislature passed a bill to transfer the former state’s Venturers Field Road farmland to the City, although
that transfer has not taken place yet.
Agriculture Commissions joint meeting—the commission agreed to support a regional agriculture commission meeting this year, maybe in Deerfield, and to urge the Dept. of Agriculture Resources
to invite agriculture commissions and farmers.
Next meeting date: Tuesday October 25, 2016 at 7:30 PM
Adjourn: 8:30 PM