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| Smithfield Farm in Hatchville. Photo by Leslie Lichtenstein. |
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| Tony Andrews' Farm on Old Meetinghouse Road. Photo by Leslie Lichtenstein. |
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Falmouth's 'cranberry bog war'
Cape Cod Times
May 24, 2007
Falmouth is one of the most beautiful towns on Cape Cod, seemingly peaceful and serene-idyllic. At Christmas time, its downtown beauty is remarkable. It is the town that all towns were before "progress" took over. It's hard to fathom the wars that lurk beneath.
Read the full article at http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070524/OPINION/705240367
River Supporters All
Could we please have a correction of your news account of the Wednesday
selectmen's meeting with the conservation commission? Your reporter
referred to the audience as the usual "bog advocates squaring off
against river advocates." The cranberry bog preservation group has
always supported efforts to improve the health of the Coonamessett
River. Your identification of us implied that supporters of the bogs
do not support the river. Both groups support the river.
The difference between the two is whether the river is improved with or
without cranberry bogs - whether one group supports and the other group
opposes bogs.
Ann L. Sears
Locust Street
Falmouth
(This letter appeared in the Tuesday, April 24 issue of the Falmouth Enterprise)
Don't Flood The Bogs
The selectmen's vote on Wednesday against farming the Coonamessett River cranberry bogs this year will make it impossible to hold a Cranberry Harvest Festival at the bogs in the fall. The selectmen voted not only against farming the bogs this year, they approved a plan to flood the bogs in June when the cranberry vines are in flower so that they cannot bear fruit. If their plan succeeds, there will be no berries to harvest.
The vote was a devastating blow to the organizers of the October harvest festival. They had hoped that visitors to the festival would be able to see cranberries on the bogs even if there were no grower to harvest them. Cranberries are a native Cape Cod vine that can grow wild so long as it has adequate light and moisture.
The Falmouth Cranberry Harvest Festival was established four years ago by four retired schoolteachers to educate people about the value of the cranberry bogs to the town and to provide an opportunity to watch the colorful wet harvest. Attendance has grown each year, reaching 4,000 last October. The teachers created a memorable event for the East Falmouth community, indeed, the entire town. The event was expanded after the first year to include other farms.
On Wednesday, Assistant Town Administrator Heather Harper said that preventing the vines from fruiting this year will improve the productivity of the bogs next year. I would like to believe the intent is good, but the town has already broken promises to Town Meeting to continue farming on the Coonamessett bogs. The selectmen drove out longtime grower Brian Handy, by reducing the amount of bog to be farmed from 60 acres to 43. Then when the grower said it would not be economical for him to enter a new lease for the bogs under those conditions, the selectmen charged him with breach of contract, and then failed to find a grower to replace him.
Largely in an effort to support the festival organizers, Mr. Handy offered to take care of the bogs for free this year until the town can find another grower. The selectmen rejected the offer.
Sadly, the grower and town officials are engaged in bitter proceedings ending a 30-year partnership, and we, the townspeople, like children of divorce, are suffering and will continue to suffer the consequences if Falmouth permanently abandons these bogs.
Can we not find some wise and neutral counselor to help the town and Mr. Handy work out a fair resolution to their claims and counterclaims of breach of contract, and save the taxpayers the expense of more legal and court costs? In this climate what farmer will ever come to Falmouth to work the bogs knowing that he, like Mr. Handy, could be charged with breach of contract because he paid his rent late?
One selectmen told me the bogs are a "political issue." To me this means the selectmen are counting votes. They need to hear from people who want to see these 50 acres of historic rural landscape preserved. Give them a call. Tell them you want to see a cranberry harvest festival on the bogs this year.
Ann L. Sears
Locust Street
Falmouth
(This letter appeared in the Tuesday, April 24 issue of the Falmouth Enterprise)
Equestrian farm forced to close leaves horses homeless
WHDH Channel 7
EAST FALMOUTH, Mass. -- An equestrian farm is set to close now, the horses that used to call it home have nowhere to go.
Read the full report at http://www3.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO47322/
Well Planned Failure
Before
you dismiss this as just another letter about the cranberry bog
issue, I would like to ask the board of selectmen, the town
administrator, and the group responsible for the termination of
cranberry growing on the town bogs a few questions.
Are
you proud of yourselves?
Do
you believe that because you have various degrees in biology,
chemistry, physics, law, business, et cetera, that you are in a
position to make decisions about complicated issues regarding
cranberry growing?
Do
you think that you are more knowledgeable on the subject than the
experts from the Cranberry Co-op?
Do
you ever wonder if maybe, just maybe, you should have thought this
through a little bit more?
If
the predicament we now find ourselves in wasn't so pitiful, it
would be a great joke. Somehow, you seem amazed that the town is
unable to find a cranberry grower willing to take on the project of
the bogs. Further, you appear perplexed that no one wants to be the
bog manager and that two different people who took the position soon
resigned. Well, golly gee! You are insulting the intelligence of us
over here in Hatchville and East Falmouth.
It
seems that your actions can only be described as a well planned
failure. The advice of experts from the Cranberry Coop was completely
ignored during the planning of the original RFP. Consequently, no
grower has been willing to sign the license. They offered insight on
how to manage the bogs in a way that would provide a compromise for
all involved, but it seems you felt that you could handle it on your
own.
Those
of us who own private bogs abutting the town bogs were promised that
we would not be affected by the decisions you made. Well, if you're
not controlling and maintaining your bogs, do you think the pests,
bacteria, fungus, ticks, and their diseases acknowledge property
lines?
The
Town of Falmouth had a pretty good deal going when they had someone
to maintain their bogs free of charge and actually supplemented the
income for the town. Of course, you felt you weren't getting paid
enough - now there is no income and the town administrator claims
there is no money to maintain the bogs.
Throughout
the whole debate, Brian Handy was painted as the villain...there
always has to be a scapegoat. You defamed his family, insulted his
intelligence and those of us who support him.
It
seems that with all your combined education you could have proceeded
with a realm of common sense and proper planning, instead of
operating on the fear factor. Now you are left with nothing. In the
process, you have broken your promises to me and put my own community
at risk because of your lack of responsibility.
That
doesn't even begin to touch on the ramifications for others in the
area and the town as a whole. The division within the community and
between neighbors is immeasurable.
What
I find almost amusing, now that you have wreaked this havoc in the
name of what you claim to be your love of restoring the river, is
that while I walk the bogs every single day, I have yet to run into
any of you out there admiring or maintaining your accomplishment.
You
must have a new project/disaster.
Thomas
D. Adams
River
Hill Road
Hatchville
(This letter appeared in the Tuesday, April 17, 2007 edition of the Falmouth Enterprise)
Falmouth must protect its berry bounty
Cape Cod Times
April 11, 2007
By LOUISE HOULE
The
Coonamessett River cranberry bogs in East Falmouth are a historic and
scenic rural landscape. The 50 acres of bogs comprise almost a third of
the cranberry acreage in town. A hundred years ago the bogs served as
the gateway to town for settlers from the Azores and Cape Verde Islands
who came to work on them. Falmouth purchased the Coonamessett bogs in
1972 to preserve them as a reminder of the town's early cranberry
industry...
Read the full editorial at http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070411/OPINION/70411001/-1/OPINION0310
Right-to-Farm Bylaw Passes Town Meeting!
April 6, 2007
After
a brief discussion, town meeting overwhelmingly passed the
Right-to-Farm Bylaw on a voice vote. The significance of this bylaw
cannot be understated. By implementing it, the town reaffirms existing
state laws and makes it known to residents that farming is protected
and encouraged by the state.
Objections to the bylaw included
the suggestion that it will create new zoning (it doesn't) or that it
allows individuals to generate noise at odd hours of the day (existing
state farming regulations already allow for this due to the nature of
farming). Karen Schwalbe of the Falmouth Agricultural Commission made
it clear that the bylaw creates no new local regulations.
Passage
of the bylaw gets Falmouth that much closer to qualifying for
Agricultural Preservation Restriction funds which would allow us to
protect existing farms from future development and set aside
undeveloped land for farm-related activities.
Coonamessett Farm Newsletter
March 2, 2007
Hi Everyone,
I
thought I would write a rambling missive to avoid too many things
piling up on my desk. When someone sends me an email, a newspaper
story, a good idea, or a letter made up of cut-out and pasted-on text
from a newspaper I save them in a pile until I write the next
newsletter. This is the source of my newsletter material when my mind
is on vacation. After writing the newsletter, I dump the pile into the
trash; just like you hitting the delete button after reading this first
paragraph. This means most of our history, to be used by our posterity,
will have to be dug-up in landfills or found in the ether of
cyberspace. Actually, we have no more landfills; we incinerate.
Read the full newsletter at http://www.coonamessettfarm.com/id2.html
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| Cape Cod & Islands Farm News |
Farmers' market reopens Wednesday in Hyannis
Cape Cod Times
June 10, 2007
The Mid-Cape Farmers' Market is returning this summer. It opens Wednesday for its third season of selling locally grown vegetables, fruits, herbs, cut flowers, baked goods and more.
Read the full article at http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070610/NEWS/706100310
Old MacDonald had a farm; it closed
Cape Cod Times
April 20, 2007
By BRENT PUTNAM
Farming civilized mankind. Agriculture spawned the rise of cities, the
creation of civilizations and the invention of, well, nearly everything.
Read the full editorial at http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/commentary/columns/myview/
Mid-Cape Farmers Market Seeks Vendors
Cape Cod Today
April 19, 2007
HYANNIS, MA -- The Mid-Cape Farmers’ Market is looking for vendors for the 2007 season. The MCFM will be held—rain or shine—on Wednesdays from 8:00 AM-12:00 PM, June 13 through September 5 in the parking lot at 540 Main Street in downtown Hyannis. Farmers and vendors of local Cape Cod farm products are invited to participate. If you are interested, please contact Gretel Norgeot by May 1st.
Read the full article at http://www.capecodtoday.com/news623.htm
Air Force bog fee: $7,704
Cape Cod Times
April 10, 2007
MASHPEE - The Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence wants to
give the town's conservation commission what it believes would have
been the profit on the harvest from two cranberry bogs last year:
$7,704.22.
Read the full article at http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/airforce10.htm
These are a few of my favorite things
March 7, 2007
Cape Cod Times
Over the years, of all my columns, the one that people said they
enjoyed the most had nothing to do with issues or personalities.
Instead, it was one that simply mentioned things that I like.
The Falmouth Cranberry Festival is also the best of the lot. It's
not overcommercialized and is small enough to still be a genuine
community event. [emphasis ours]...
Read the full article at http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070307/OPINION/70405027/-1/OPINION0304
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Small dairy farmers struggle to go on
Boston Globe
June 11, 2007
By Adam Gorlick, Associated Press Writer
HATFIELD,
Mass. --Darryl Williams was told he might ease his migraines by cutting
down on milk, so the dairy farmer has a glass of water with his lunch.
Read the full article at http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2007/06/11/small_dairy_farmers_struggle_to_go_on/
Teen grasps an old farm's future
Westport trust makes deal
Boston Globe
June 7, 2007
By Jenna Russell, Globe Staff
WESTPORT -- On Sunday , Andrew Orr will graduate from Westport High School. But he isn't thinking of exams, parties, or college.
Read the full article at http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/06/07/teen_grasps_an_old_farms_future/
Ways to save the earth
By Karen L Weber
GateHouse News Service
Wed Jun 06, 2007
And finally, enjoy our farmers’ markets around the city. Farming,
processing and transporting food uses about 10 percent of all the
energy used in America. Buying locally grown produce will not only
taste fresh, it will make a positive impact on our local economy and on
our planet.
Read the full article at http://www.townonline.com/roslindale/opinion/x144007349
Overhaul of cranberry bogs to up production
Brockton Enterprise
May 21, 2007
By Alice C. Elwell, Enterprise correspondent
Several hundred acres of cranberry bogs in Massachusetts will get a
major overhaul thanks to a $1.5 million state grant that aims to double
production in the bogs and cut water usage in half.
Read the full article at http://enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2007/05/21/news/news/news09.txt
Selling Cows to Save The Farm
By Fred Thys
SHEFFIELD, Mass. - April 24, 2007 - Massachusetts dairy farmers are in
the midst of a make-or-break season. As they struggle to survive, next
month will be crucial. Most will face a wrenching choice: whether to
plant the corn they use to feed their cows or whether to leave the
industry altogether.
Read the full report at http://www.wbur.org/news/2007/66568_20070424.asp
Think globally, eat locally
SUN CHRONICLE
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Boxes and bags stuffed with vegetable assortments such as mixed greens
and turnips, kale and cauliflower, radishes and snap peas might arrive
in June, while by August the booty becomes summer squash and cucumbers,
tomatoes and eggplant, carrots and peppers, herbs and flowers.
Read the full article at http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2007/04/22/news/news1.txt
Table Talk: Everybody wins: Community Supported Agriculture keeps farms alive
Amherst Bulletin
April 20, 2007
When Brookfield Farm started operating as a CSA, on Hulst Road in Amherst in 1986, it was the first such farm in our area, and only the third in the nation. The acronym CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and it characterizes farms that sell shares to members, who then receive the farm produce throughout the growing season.
Read the full article at http://www.amherstbulletin.com/story/id/38446/
Greener acres
Push for fairer tax on farms, forests successful
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Friday, April 20, 2007
Retaining farm, forest and recreation land just got easier.
After 11 years of determination for some people and a quarter of a century for others, a simpler, fairer law on taxing forestry, farm and recreation land has passed.
Read the full article at http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070420/NEWS/704200705/1008/NEWS02
Planting an idea
TELEGRAM & GAZETTE
Monday, April 2, 2007
Groups boost farm image
New England farms, with their weatherworn barns, fluffy sheep and
rolling hayfields, have long been misunderstood symbols of simplicity,
and more recently of times gone by.
Read the full article at http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070402/NEWS/704020353/1003/SUBURBS
Massachusetts schools join national trend in stocking cafeterias with local produce
The Current-Argus
03/31/2007
By Adam Gorlick, Associated Press Writer
WORCESTER, Mass. - For years, school cafeterias have been the butt of jokes or worse - the battleground of food fights.
Read the full article at http://www.currentargus.com/ci_5568039
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Starting a farm has its risks, rewards
Asbury Park Press
June 4, 2007
WINCHESTER, N.H. — Jenny Wooster is tending to a tray of cabbage seedlings, careful to make sure they have enough room to spread. Crowding means competition for light and moisture, and the risk of premature death.
Read the full article http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070604/BUSINESS/706040381/1003
Missing N.H. honey bees tied to new threat to the industry
Cape Cod Times
April 23, 2007
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DOVER, N.H. - It's the mystery of the disappearing honey bees.
Florence Chamberlain's bees are missing. So are Theresa Laney's.
Read the full article at http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/missingn23.htm
From farm to table: A fresh approach to the dinner party
Boston Globe
April 8, 2007
AMHERST,
N.H. -- While planning a dinner party last month, I decided to try a
new twist on an old idea: Instead of going to the supermarket to buy my
ingredients, I would pick up everything at a farmers' market.
Read the full article at http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/04/08/from_farm_to_table_a_fresh_approach_to_the_dinner_party/
Sanborn Mills Farm helps keep traditional skills alive
New Hampshire Union Leader
LOUDON
- Restoring historically significant buildings requires a commitment to
not only preserving the physical structures, but also keeping alive the
skills that went into building them centuries ago.
Read the full article at http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Sanborn+Mills+Farm
New cash crop at Shelton farm: ice cream
04/08/2007
SHELTON
- Daniel Wells' great, great grandfather probably never imagined an ice
cream parlor would stand on the 250-acre Shelton farm he purchased in
the mid-1800s with a bag of gold he collected at Sutter's Mill during
the California gold rush of 1849.
Read the full article at http://origin.connpost.com/localnews/ci_5621650
Fish farming, ocean monitoring seen as key to regional economy
The Associated Press
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
BRISTOL, R.I. (AP) _ The New England region should increase fish
farming and develop a system to monitor ocean conditions to ensure a
healthy and growing marine economy, scientists, government officials
and business people said Monday.
Read the full article at http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070403/NEWS0103/70403020/-1/CITIZEN
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For farming only: Local farmers preserve land against development
The Standard-Speaker
Sunday, 10 June 2007
Local farmers have often expressed concern about the loss of Luzerne
County’s farmland; however, the increase in the number of new housing
developments that are being built alarms them.
Read the full article at http://www.standardspeaker.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5356&Itemid=2
Fish Farming
Mother Earth News
April/May 2006
Using inexpensive and readily available materials such as an aboveground swimming pool you can get fresh fish from your back yard. By raising your own fish, you can achieve a higher level of self-sufficiency and provide a healthier diet for your family, says Steven Van Gorder, author of Small-Scale Aquaculture. It is as practical as gardening for producing food for the family.
Read the full article at http://www.motherearthnews.com/Livestock-and-Farming/2006-04-01/Fish-Farming.aspx
Local Pig Farm Linked to Pet Food Recall?
News 10 Sacramento
April 20, 2007
CERES, Calif. (AP) -- State agriculture officials have placed a Stanislaus County hog farm under quarantine after an industrial chemical that's tainted more than 100 brands of dog and cat food
was found in pig urine there.
Read the full report at http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=26836
The Bad News Bees -- Baffling disorder is decimating bee population
Sun Apr 15, 2007
Journal Times
and the Associated Press
RAYMOND - It was a rough winter for Randy Chase's bees.
The Town of Raymond beekeeper lost 70 percent of his colonies to the
undulating weather of the past three months, forcing him to order 45
new packages of bees from California to continue his hobby.
Read the full article at http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2007/04/09/local/21937580.txt
Anyone with the write stuff can win farm
Tribune Chronicle
COLEBROOK TOWNSHIP - She got the idea from a Lifetime movie years ago and decided to implement it in real life.
Rose
and Dennis Wallace, both originally from Cleveland, are giving away
their 43.5-acre farm at 815 Storey Road to the winner of an essay
contest...
Read the full article at http://www.tribune-chronicle.com/News/articles.asp?articleID=16703
Is manure a hazardous waste? Farm Belt lawmakers say no
McClatchy Newspapers
Sun, Apr. 08, 2007
WASHINGTON
- It makes baseball in the pasture hazardous, to be sure. But should
manure be federally classified as a hazardous waste?
Read the full article at http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/politics/17048295.htm
Homegrown
Executive says lessons learned on farm helped her succeed
Times-News writer
TWIN FALLS - The little girl who helped care
for her grandmother's gladioluses in Kimberly is now listed as one of
the most powerful women in the world. But she says it was the values
she learned on the family farm that helped her become the first woman
to serve on the board of directors for a multibillion-dollar company.
Read the full article at http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2007/04/06/news/top_story/109636.txt
Local farmer proves the 'little man' can still make it
April 04, 2007
FOR
THE LOVE OF THE COWS - Much of what keeps Polyock going in a difficult
industry is simply the love for the outdoors, and of course, the ladies
she cares for.
Read the full article at http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18167859&BRD=1134&PAG=461&dept_id=150853&rfi=6
Eating Better Than Organic
Friday, Mar. 02, 2007
A selection of fresh vegetables from the Windflower Farm in upstate New York, near the Vermont border.
Ben Stechschulte / Redux for TIME
Not long ago I had an apple problem. Wavering in the produce section of
a Manhattan grocery store, I was unable to decide between an organic
apple and a nonorganic apple (which was labeled conventional, since
that sounds better than "sprayed with pesticides that might kill you").
It shouldn't have been a tough choice--who wants to eat pesticide
residue?--but the organic apples had been grown in California. The
conventional ones were from right here in New York State. I know I've
been listening to too much npr because I started wondering: How much
Middle Eastern oil did it take to get that California apple to me?
Which farmer should I support--the one who rejected pesticides in
California or the one who was, in some romantic sense, a neighbor? Most
important, didn't the apple's taste suffer after the fruit was crated
and refrigerated and jostled for thousands of miles?
Read the full article at http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1595245,00.html
College Kids Eating Local Farm Fare
How Old McDonald Keeps His FarmFebruary 17, 2007, Saturday
By MATT VILLANO (NYT); Business/Financial Desk
Late Edition - Final, Section C, Page 1, Column 3, 1251 words
It was no
ordinary business outing for Erik Franks. Under a steely sky one recent
Saturday morning, Mr. Franks and some colleagues from a nearby law firm
visited Harley Farms, a nine-acre dairy farm here, for a tour and a
crash course in the art of making goat cheese...
Read the full article at www.nytimes.com
College
Kids Eating Local Farm Fare
Friday,
September 29, 2006
The
Associated Press
HYDE
PARK, N.Y. (AP) - An earthy abundance from local farms comes
through the loading docks of the Culinary Institute of America:
sprigs of asparagus in the spring, peas and beets in the summer,
apples and squash in the fall. The food - much of it taken from the
soil the day before - provides fresh fodder from the Hudson Valley
for the riverside school's five restaurants and classroom kitchens.
Read the full article at http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20060929/farm-culinary-college-kids.htm
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Scots display degree of pig ignorance over farming
The Scotsman
June 9, 2007
RAYMOND HAINEY
SCOTS are less likely than anyone else in Britain to have visited a working farm, according to a new survey which lays bare our lack of understanding about one of the country's most important industries.
Read the full article at http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=901912007
This little piggy is on a necklace
Jewelry line helps hog farm in Hants County stay viable
Valley Bureau
GREENHILL - Lori Canavan-Reid will do what it takes to stay on the family farm.
Already she has culled her herd, created an Adopt-a-Pig program and is now making pig jewelry to help make ends meet at her Hants County hog farm.
Read the full article at http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/613899.html
Finding, Feasting and Cheating
The 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating (Canadian Edition)
By Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon
Random House (2007)
Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon.
TheTyee.ca
April 3, 2007 - Before they were
famous, before people around the world were on 100-Mile Diets, before
Anthony Bourdain dissed them, before the people behind the 'No Impact'
experiment cited them as inspiration…James MacKinnon and Alisa Smith
had people coming over for dinner and nothing to feed them. They were
in their cabin up in northern B.C. and the cupboards were empty. So
they dug up some potatoes they'd planted and found some mushrooms, and
an idea was sprouted.
Read the full article at http://thetyee.ca/Books/2007/04/03/LocalFeeding/
10 Reasons to Eat Local Food
Eating local means more for the local economy.
According to a study by the New Economics Foundation in London, a
dollar spent locally generates twice as much income for the local
economy. When businesses are not owned locally, money leaves the
community at every transaction. (reference)
Locally grown produce is fresher. While produce
that is purchased in the supermarket or a big-box store has been in
transit or cold-stored for days or weeks, produce that you purchase at
your local farmer's market has often been picked within 24 hours of
your purchase. This freshness not only affects the taste of your food,
but the nutritional value which declines with time...
Read the full article at http://fogcity.blogs.com/jen/2005/08/10_reasons_to_e.html
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