Town of Bolton Agricultural Commission
Meeting Minutes
Date: 15 June 2010
AGRICULTURAL COMMISSION
63 Main Street
978 779-2297 or 779-3308
A meeting of the Bolton Agricultural Commission was held on June 15, 2010 at Town Hall. The meeting was
called to order at 7:40 pm. Commission members in attendance: Joe Kovacs, SueStorbeck, Barbara Parente,
and Betsy Taylor-Kennedy. Ken Nicewicz was absent. The April 14 minutes were read by members and
approved; the May 18 minutes were read and accepted as amended.
Reports from liaisons to Town Boards/Commissions
Board of Health (Storbeck) – No report
Planning Board (Nicewicz) – No report – Barbara will follow-up with Ken
Board of Selectmen (Kovacs) – Joe has submitted his resignation, with a recommendation that Selectmen
appoint Rich Pelletier as a new member of the Agricultural Commission, as supported by all AgComm
members.
Conservation Commission (Parente) – Barbara will review Cons Comm documents Joe brought to the meeting.
Conservation Trust (Taylor-Kennedy) – Preservation efforts are ongoing
Working Session:
o Board membership – Ken Nicewicz has indicated his intention to resign, leaving a vacancy on the
board. Members expressed a desire to involve another commercial farmer and in addition to having the
Selectmen post, will talk to farmers and agricultural business owners to engender their interest. Susan
Miles will get back to the Board to answer a question as to whether or not members need to be Bolton
residents. Barbara will let Ken know that he must send a letter or an email to selectmen to make his
resignation official.
o Complaint – Martha Ashe – Memorial Day Weekend - Members agreed that this has been addressed
previously, is a Board of Health topic, not AgComm, and the Memorial Day weekend complaint cited a
potential issue, not a complaint requiring action.
o Joe reported that Animal Control Officer Sue Latham said that Nan Norseen’s horse got loose, and the
fence is not the issue. Joe said he would stop by to see Nan, since the sheep had been successfully
confined. Barbara will invite Nan to attend the July meeting to discuss how to keep the horse confined.
o The board needs to have a member post meetings beyond September.
o Joe offered to continue to maintain the AgComm website.
o Sue will provide a compost update in July.
o Members agreed on the need for a newspaper article to promote “Buy Local” efforts, including opening
dates for Bolton’s farms and other agricultural businesses. Betsy agreed to call businesses within a week
and Barbara agreed to write and send the article to local papers,including information about the new
“Right to Farm” signs and the AgComm website.
Current business:
1. 2010 budget -- The board approved the purchase of 100 stamps by Betsy for mailing the Bolton
Agricultural brochures to residents new to town since the September 2008 mailing. The board approved
an expenditure of $65 by Sue and Joe for promotional materials. The board approved a $50 expenditure
to the Friends of Bolton Seniors for the Agricultural Commission page in the FOBS pet yearbook.
2. AgComm chair – tabled to July
3. Members discussed “The Taste of Bolton” that had been suggested at the April Farmers Meeting, asking
whether a late August date at the Nashoba Valley Winery was still feasible. Barbara will ask Rich
Pelletier if a date is still available. If so, a subcommittee should be formed to proceed.
4. Update on USDA grants – Barbara distributed a list of grants and loans she compiled from materials
gathered at a spring workshop. Joe will post the list on the AgComm website.
5. Farmstand directional signs – tabled to July
6. Betsy reported on attending a meeting at the Nashoba Valley Winery sponsored by the Joint Committee
on Community Development and Small Business (a MA House and Senate committee), as part of their
statewide listening tour. State Rep. Kate Hogan hosted the roundtable discussion. Attendees included
farmers from Bolton, Stow and neighboring towns, advocates from the Massachusetts Farm Bureau, and
authorities from the UMass Extension Service. The food-to-schools program, importance of buying
from local producers, and a growing demand for local meat were among the comments and topics.
About 40 people attended.
Future Meetings/Events
Next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 20 at 7:30 pm at Town Hall.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:07 pm.
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