Author: dgroberg

Minutes of Board of Directors Meetings October 29^th, 2007

Members in Attendance:

K. Stoner                                   
B. Giddings
F. Jordan 
R. Gagliardi
A. Mitlehner 
L. Canas
C. Goertz
G. Melville
J. Rapoport 
J. Casertano (secretary)

Guests:

E. Esty, Democratic Candidate for First District, Town Council
L. Murray, Republican Candidate for First District, Town Council 

Kim Stoner began the meeting with introductions on candidates for Town Council. Each candidate made a short presentation of their own position on open space and the current status of Boulder Knoll Farm.

E. Esty made the following points:

– No decision regarding the property will be made until ERT results are in. Mowing of the farm must be done regularly and soon to prevent reforestation The Council has not shut the door on FBK proposal at Boulder Knoll, no vote has been taken either way. She is uncertain if Boulder Knoll is the most appropriate space for a community farm, as water contamination is still an issue.

– Town may, in the future, use the ERT process for other parcels of open space. Land use plans will be developed under the auspices of the Environment Commission for other parcels of open space.

– One of the biggest issues for open space in town is effective policing of property to ensure its environmental protection; notes problems of ATVs on Dime Savings Bank property- how to stop and prevent this;  how to also allow public use of open space in a non damaging manner. She believes that education of the town is critical on this point.

L. Murray made the following points:

– He does not understand what the problems and hold up is at Boulder Knoll Farm- in the past the water has been used and the land has been mowed.

– Mowing must be done. He expressed frustration that the town declined to allow a private citizen to mow the land, instead insisting on using public funds.

– Does not believe that the town should use large sums of public funds for the barn at Boulder Knoll, but sees it as a serious danger and its problems issues need to be resolved or the barn torn down.

– Views farms as an essential element in history of Cheshire and efforts need to be made to preserve farmland and the traditional taste of the town

Bob Giddings raised the following points/questions:

–       The water is not fine at Boulder Knoll, but a new well could be drilled that would provide water for a farming operation. NRCS will reimburse 90% of cost for well drilling. With a potential cost of $15,000. to drill a new well, the town’s cost would only be $1,500. What of this?

–       The town needs funds to maintain open space. Would candidates support a referendum for funds to maintain open space?

L. Murray response:

– Town should not buy that which it can not take care of.

E. Esty response:

– Some open space funds are currently available for maintenance of open space.
Other funds, specifically those which have come from DEP or other state and/or federal sources, may be “bundled” in different ways, which  may prevent expenditure for maintenance of open space.

Ron Gagliardi asked about the candidates openness to the idea of an Agricultural Commission.

L. Murray responded that citizens’ groups such as our have a lot to offer to the town and should be allowed to participate.

Al Mitlehner noted that the town has not to date been receptive to our efforts to participate.

At this point a copy of the chronology developed by Kim Stoner was given to Candidate Murray. 

Kim Stoner inquired about the confusion regarding responsibility for open space in town. Specifically, she referred to the role of the Environment Commission to create management plans but the role of Parks and Recreation to implement such plans. Environment commission can not implement its plans nor has funds to do so.

Candidate Murray responded that this is an example of “passing the buck” in the current town government that prevents effective management.

Councilwoman Esty responded that this is an issue of the Town Charter, which reflects the need to revise the Town Charter. (She also noted that the charter itself makes changing the charter very difficult, but efforts at charter reform are under discussion in the Council.)

Greg Melville at this point inquired on the current status of our proposal, in regards to the Council and the town attorney.

E. Esty responded that our proposal is not dead in the Planning Committee as it has never been voted on. She believes that we should withdraw our proposal and focus on mowing. Nothing will be done until the ERT results are in.

Greg ask that our file be removed from the files on the former town attorney and be given to Dwight Johnson, the current attorney. Esty promised to look into this and stated that she believed Johnson’s firm has experience with issues of land use. (Esty excused herself at this time.)

L. Murray closed by stating that he really wishes to simplify the process of starting something at Boulder Knoll Farm, and to help us get our vision going.

—————————————————

Fellis thanked Jeff for his questions to the forum for candidates to Town Council. Jeff reported that all candidates voiced support of idea of agriculture commission and a policy to maintain agricultural open space.

Kim continued that we are at another turning point and need to stop, reassess and refocus on our goals as an organization. She distributed copies of goals from holistic planning meeting with Erica Frenay for discussion. She also noted that we need to prepare for the release of the ERT and prepare a response for the town, in hopes of helping the guide the town through the ERT, perhaps in our favor.

Discussion followed of the need to prepare to streamline our proposal and the results of the ERT. Ideas regarding reaching out to other town organizations, such as Park and Recreation, to accomplish goals were also discussed. The need to focus on the Planning Committee who will actually make final decision was also discussed.

 Kim Stoner redirected the group to other issues:

1)    Jeff Rapoport is to be given a key to the mail box so that he may collect mail and ensure that dues funds are deposited in a timely manner.

2)    Jill, Jeff and Fellis will work together to solidify and unify mailing and member lists to ensure all members are receiving emails and postal mail.

3)    A copy of the agreement with the Community Foundation of New Haven has been given to a lawyer by Jeff, and approval to sign the agreement appears close at hand. Jeff indicated that 1% of all donations via the Foundation will go to the foundation, and we can direct the recipient of the 1%.

4)    Bob read both a letter of thanks and award of recognition to Diane Visconti for her work on our behalf. Kim expressed hope that the letter also noted thanks for facilitating communication and ensuring access to information for us. This letter and award of recognition will be given to Diane at the last Town Council meeting of her term.

5)    Coming Adult Education presentation by Jiff Martin from the Working Lands Alliance on November 15. We will send an information reminder/invitation to members of Town Council, the Planning Committee, the Environment Commission and Parks and Rec. to attend.

6)    Reminder for membership dues payment will be sent in the mail to those who have not yet paid. Color brochure will be sent along with a letter outlining the accomplishments of the FBK in the past year and a return envelope.

Further discussion of the goals for the organization and the results of the ERT was tabled until the next meeting

Gail Feenstra, researcher with the UC Davis Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program has written an excellent piece on how farmers market can be greatly beneficial to both local economies and family farmers. The following is a summary of that piece from the UC Davis Newscenter. The study originally appeared in full in Gastronics Sciences Journal  (free registration may be required).
 

UC researcher: farmers markets benefit local economies

Steve Smit of Mt. Moriah Farms in Lodi sells his organic fruit at the Davis Farmers Market. Farmers, communities and individual residents are the three beneficiaries of local farmers markets, according to a University of California food systems analyst who reviewed studies of the markets and their growth.

“There was a huge rise in farmers markets in the last 40 years and I wanted to find out why,” said Gail Feenstra, with the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP). In 1970 there were only 340 farmers markets in the United States; by 2006, there were more than 4,385 farmers markets, an increase of approximately 1,190 percent. California makes up more than 11 percent or almost 500 markets, half of which are open year-round, she said.

“Farmers benefit from the ability to sell smaller and variable quantities, and learn the skills they need to increase their business,” she said. Her article “The Roles of Farmers Markets in Fueling Local Economies” in the newly released Food for Thought issue of the journal Gastronomic Sciences, reported that direct marketing venues such as farmers markets helped farmers sell their products in local communities for higher prices than they could get from wholesalers. Annie and Jeff Main, two of the founding farmers of the Davis Farmers Market, who Feenstra interviewed, noted how essential the market was to them.

“When they started their organic farm in 1975, they found that wholesale markets were virtually inaccessible to small farmers,” said Feenstra. “The Davis Farmers Market offered them a consistent marketplace where they could sell their organic produce at retail prices. Unlike other marketing outlets, the farmers market tolerated fluctuations in quantity and varieties throughout the season, and became a place where they could learn the skills they needed.”

Feenstra said the total gross receipts farmers receive at farmers markets, although modest by comparison to supermarkets, are still significant. Her 1999 study of California farmers markets estimated total annual sales at approximately $140 million. She noted that the Davis Farmers Market averaged $2 million in annual sales in 2006 for its year-round weekly market (eight hours of sales per week).

Communities that support local agricultural production systems and food marketing as part of a diversified economic development plan have greater control over their destinies, Feenstra said. An important way that communities support and benefit from farmers markets is through social interaction.

“The social benefit that farmers markets bring to communities can’t be overestimated,” she said. In her interviews with market patrons, she found farmers markets to be a major source of interaction, both between farmers and their customers, and among the market visitors. Feenstra cited research that shows farmers markets not only encourage economic transactions on their premises, but also bring customers into town where they make purchases at other businesses.

Individuals said they benefit from patronizing farmers markets by their ability to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, and meat, and value-added items including baked goods, olive oil, jam and salad dressing. Customers Feenstra interviewed expressed positive feelings about buying food they believe to be clean and safe from farmers they know.

Low-income and elderly community residents receive particular benefits from farmers markets, Feenstra said, where they are more likely to find healthful, affordable, nutritious food or ethnically appropriate foods than at retail food outlets. Many markets accept food stamps or vouchers from the Farmers Market Nutrition Program or the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program. Feenstra noted that farmers markets have become the foundation of local food systems for low-income clientele and some ethnic groups in many regions of California.

“At this point in history when we see cracks in the health of our environment, economic and social systems and declining natural resources, concerns about the future of long-term energy, and rising obesity rates, creating and sustaining local food economies with farmers markets as an important component, may be both an admirable goal and a necessity,” Feenstra said. “The markets are important exchange networks that offer farmers, consumers and communities opportunities to participate in and strengthen the local food economies in unique places.”

The following article is reprinted from The Motley Fool, an online personal finance service. It originally appeared here and provides helpful tips on making an organic diet more affordable. 

“If the prices at my local Safeway are used as a measuring stick, you have to be downright rich to afford an all-organic diet. But it’s not just the wealthiest among us who crave food free from pesticides or like the idea of fewer steps from field to table. What about average-income consumers who would like to buy organic but haven’t quite figured out how to do it on a real-life budget? Sound like you?

Here are seven tips for going organic without breaking the bank:

1. Find your nearest CSA (community sponsored agriculture) program. You buy a share of produce, meats, or even flowers from a CSA farm and in return are supplied with fresh products throughout the growing season. Shares typically run around $350 to $400 for produce for a 20-week growing season.

2. Learn how to cook. If your definition of cooking is mixing the neon orange powdered cheese into macaroni noodles, then you’re likely to be stuck with the overpriced and overpackaged grocery store organics. To take advantage of fresh organically grown produce and meats, take a few courses at a local cooking school or pay a culinary friend for lessons.

3. Go late to the farmer’s market. When quitting time comes, most farmers would rather sell their remaining stock for less than lug it all back home. You can get some great deals on produce, meats, and baked goods if you don’t mind culling from the leftovers. If your shopping list is less flexible, come earlier but buy in bulk. Often, if you help them move more inventory (and freeze it at home), you can ask for a discount. (Keep in mind that farming is a tough business in which the profit margin is quite low already.)

4. Preserve. We’re apt these days to simply stick leftover foods in the freezer, but don’t forget the lost arts of canning and drying. Consult the National Center for Home Food Preservation to get started.

5. Think seasonally. To really save money when buying organic, you’ll have to shift your mentality as a consumer. Unlike in the grocery store, where you have access to “fresh” oranges and blueberries in winter (shipped from some far-off tropical isle), you’ll now need to harmonize your organic shopping list with the seasons, supplementing your diet with frozen, canned, or dried produce.

6. Cooperate. Join a food co-op or a buying club to take advantage of the price benefits of buying in bulk without having to store all that food yourself. Co-ops are member-owned businesses in which you pay dues in order to get a range of items on your grocery list for less; buying clubs buy directly from the distributor to save big.

7. Turn your thumb green. You won’t get much more control over the food you eat than when you grow it yourself. Live in the city? Try a window box garden or rent a garden plot in a community garden.”

Is the USDA ignoring the fastest growing sector in the food industry? Read the full article to hear the Times’ take:

“THE organic industry has gone wild in the last decade, but you wouldn’t know it at the Department of Agriculture.

Despite year after year of double-digit growth, organics receive a pittance in financing and staff attention at the department, which is responsible for writing regulations about organics and making sure that they are upheld.”

 Read the full article in the August 19 issue of The New York Times.

A very interesting article about the sudden popularity of local food and farmers’ markets and one woman’s quest to savour it:

“MY church is a farm. Give me a few chickens, a long row of carrots and the smell of dirt, and I’ll find the open heart and inner peace others might seek from a prayer book or a pew.

The connection between what I put in my body, the land around me and the miracle of things that grow makes me feel as if I’m part of something bigger than myself.”

Read on in The New York Times, August 19, 2007.

“Business is booming behind David and Ty Zemelsky’s peach house on Fowler Avenue.

Here at Star Light Gardens, cream-colored butterflies flutter between pink and purple zinnias growing in long rows. Tall sunflowers, vibrantly yellow against a backdrop of green, stretch nearby. Insects hum and a variety of vegetables – long shoots of garlic, heirloom tomatoes sweet enough to eat straight from the vine, spicy greens exploding with flavor – are cultivated organically in a cluster of five enormous greenhouses and surrounding land.

The Zemelskys didn’t have plans to farm when they bought their house and the adjacent land in the town’s historic district. But eight years ago, when David and his wife, Ty, who is an artist, were looking to start a business out of their home, the two decided to return the land to its roots.

Their story, one of a quiet and hard-working life in the outdoors, is not unique. Instead, their small farm – with its devoted customer base and budding success – represents a growing movement.

Star Light Gardens is part of a new wave of farming. The Zemelskys have prospered in a struggling industry by carving for themselves a place in a mounting market for natural and specialized foods.”

— Read more in The Hartford Courant, August 19, 2007

ERT Experts Tour Boulder Knoll
by Josh Morgan
Cheshire Herald Staff

An Environmental Review Team (ERT) came to Cheshire on Thursday May 24, to review the Boulder Knoll farm and to compile a report about the area. The team comes by request from the Town Council, which is looking for more information on the property. Environmental Planner Suzanne Simone said that this was just a preliminary walkthrough and that a full report won’t be complete for several months. “The full report is going to be over 100-pages long,” Simone said. “So it will take a while to complete.” The seven-person ERT team reviewed the property to see the geology, the wetlands, the species and the vegetation of Boulder Knoll. Simone explained that they want to gather more information before any decisions are made on the property. “We want to make sure that we are not impeding or hindering any existing habitats,” Simone said. She added that “nothing is planned or being developed” as of yet, as they are waiting for the full report from the ERT. Simone said, however, that as part of the state funding used to purchase the land, they “must keep public access and use for the property.” Currently on the property, there are hiking trails for the public to use. Simone said that there’s a kiosk at the beginning of the trail with information about the trails and area. The Friends of Boulder Knoll, a local non-profit organization, had urged the town to request an ERT to come and research the property earlier this year. According to the organization’s website, some of the goals they are hoping to see accomplished at Boulder Knoll are to “turn the property into an open space for passive recreation, to produce locally grown food and provide educational opportunities to people of all ages.” Kim Stoner, president of the Friends of Boulder Knoll, said she is “concerned about invasive species moving in” onto the property. Stoner added that the organization did not attend the ERT because of proposals that they have submitted to the town are deemed “a conflict of interest” but said she is “hopeful we can continue to find ways to be useful for the town.” The town’s management plan seems to be in agreement with the Friends of Boulder Knoll, stating, “the properties shall be managed for a combination of public access and passive recreation, wetland and upland habitat conservation, and active agricultural purposes.” Stoner explained that besides having goals for the Boulder Knoll property, she wants to “educate the community about preserving farmland” and “producing local agriculture” across the state. Stoner added they would be holding adult education forums, which would help “educate the community on farmland preservation.” The three farms on the property, which make up the Boulder Knoll area, cover over 150 acres of land, which can be hilly, flat, wooded, open, wet or dry and everything in between. The property does not permit the use of ATVs, hunting, camping, or having a fire. You can however take your dog for a stroll on the property. The Boulder Knoll area makes up the town’s largest open space of land and was purchased separately between 1994 and 2002. The Boulder Knoll property consists of the Lassen Farm, the Jackman Farm and the Blauvelt property, and it is located on the north and south sides of Boulder Road. The 35.23-acre Jackman Farm includes one house and some storage buildings. The 93.5-acre Lassen Farm includes buildings and homes and was once a dairy farm from the early part of the 20th century until March 2000. The 19.5-acre Blauvelt property was formerly used/leased by the Lassen family to grow silage.

Get excited about the new fall Friends of Boulder Knoll-sponsored adult education course: Celebrating the Harvest of Connecticut Farms.

Here’s the course description that will appear in the soon to be released Fall Adult Education Brochure:  

Although Connecticut is losing farmland faster than any other state in the country, farming continues to be a vibrant part of the history and economy of our state and our town. The Friends of Boulder Knoll will offer a series of free classes that will tell the engaging stories of several Connecticut farms and also help you learn how to preserve farmland, support local farmers, and enjoy fresh, local food.  One session will also explore the development of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farm in Cheshire, an innovative way for a community of eaters to invest in a share of a local farm and get a weekly box of fresh produce in return. A schedule of events will be provided to all registrants.

Meeting time: Thursdays 7-9 pm, October 18, 25, and November 1,8, 15
Location: Cheshire High School

For more information, contact Friends of Boulder Knoll President Kim Stoner at kstoner@friendsofboulderknoll.com. 

Registration information is coming soon! Stay tuned to www.friendsofboulderknoll.com for the latest updates. 

Area Resident Says Produce Could Be Donated To Food Pantries

By CHARLES STANNARD
Courant Staff Writer

May 30, 2007

KILLINGWORTH — The town may at last have a use for the 133-acre Bosco property on Route 81.

Peg Schofield, a website designer who edits the Killingworth Today website, told the board of selectmen Monday she is looking into the possibility of establishing a community garden on a field behind the vacant 19th century farmhouse on the front section of the property.

Schofield said the field could support up to 24 plots, each one about 20 feet by 20 feet. The vegetables grown on the plots could be donated to food pantries in Killingworth and surrounding towns, Schofield said.

She suggested the nearby Haddam-Killingworth Middle School could become involved to provide an educational component, while older residents at the Jensen’s mobile home community could be offered a plot for their own garden.

“If it starts small and stays small, that’s fine,” she said. “If it starts small and grows, that would be all right, too.”

The town acquired the Bosco property for $640,000 in 2001. The property, a former turkey farm, was the subject of two failed bonding proposals for a $5 million community recreation complex in May 2003 and November 2004.

The town office building study committee is investigating the possibility of building a new town hall or some other municipal building on a section of the property while setting aside the rest of the land for hiking trails and other passive recreation.

Schofield said the community garden project would require fencing, to keep deer and other animals out, and a pump to draw water from a well on the property. She said several volunteers, including Peter Venuti of Venuti Enterprises, have offered to help complete the necessary site preparation work this year for planting in the spring of 2008.

First Selectman Martin Klein, who helped organize community gardens in Hartford as a Vista volunteer, said he supports the project. Klein said the items needed, such as the fencing and a pump, could be “scrounged up,” at minimal cost to the town. Prospective gardeners would have to sign a hold harmless liability waiver to satisfy the town’s insurance carriers.

The board urged Schofield to continue with her efforts on the community garden project.

In other business, the board again discussed in closed session the public works foreman position that has been vacant since December.

Klein said earlier Monday that the town has received nine applications for the job. One of the applicants is Walter Adametz Jr., a town resident and 12-year road crew employee who has been serving as acting foreman since December.

Contact Charles Stannard at cstannard@courant.com.
Copyright 2007, Hartford Courant

Environmental team to evaluate 3 sites

New Haven Register
Byline: Luther Turmelle

May 23, 2007—CHESHIRE — A team of environmental professionals will be in town Thursday to begin an evaluation of three town parcels that a local nonprofit group wants to use.

Members of the Connecticut Environmental Review Team will begin an assessment of the Jackman and Lassen farms and the Blauvelt property, which residents refer to collectively as Boulder Knoll.

The team is a Haddam-based, state-funded entity that draws on the environmental expertise of individuals from federal, state, regional and local agencies who assist municipalities in reviewing sites proposed for development or preservation.

Town Manager Michael Milone said the team’s work will prove invaluable as the Town Council tries to determine the best use for the three properties, which span about 150 acres near Boulder Road in Cheshire’s southeast corner.

“They will tell what species are on those properties and will do other types of environmental inventories,” Milone said.

“It allows us to know what we’re dealing with so that we don’t destroy some important portion of the environment out there.”

The council currently has two proposals before it for using the land.

One is a plan submitted by Kerry Deegan, a lieutenant with the Police Department, that involves growing three to five acres of sunflowers on part of the property.

Deegan, who rents a home from the town on one of three parcels, would sell the flowers with proceeds to go to the American Cancer Society.

Republican Councilman Tim White said he would support Deegan’s proposal when the council ultimately votes on how to use the properties.

A broader plan was submitted to the council last fall by the nonprofit group Friends of Boulder Knoll.

Kim Stoner, the group’s president, said her organization is proposing using some of the three parcels as a wildlife habitat.

But Friends of Boulder Knoll is proposing that about 90 acres north of Boulder Road be used for a community farm that would initially be paid for by the town.

The group’s plan called for hiring a farm manager and involved spending $540,000 over four years before the farm was expected to become self-sufficient.

Stoner said she hopes the environmental inventory that is being done will spur the council to act on the group’s proposal.

“I think it is an opportunity to get some good information about what to do with these three pieces of property,” she said. “The council has never really been able to make a decision on it.”

D e m o c r a t i c C o u n c i l m a n Michael Ecke, vice chairman of the governing body and chairman of its Finance Committee, said that while the proposal presented by Friends of Boulder Knoll is comprehensive, “given the town’s (financial) situation, I think it’s something that would be very difficult for the council to support.”

“It’s a lot of money, a lot of money,” Ecke said.

Stoner said members of the group are now looking into the availability of other financing sources so that the town wouldn’t have to take on the expense.

She said members of Friends of Boulder Knoll had hoped to participate in Thursday’s environmental inventory, but were told by town officials that they can’t because they have a proposal before the council.

“They said it would be a potential conflict of interest for us,” she said.