- The document discusses preserving the 8-acre Busa Farm property in Lexington, Massachusetts for agricultural use.
- It provides arguments for keeping the land as a working farm, including preserving Lexington's cultural and agricultural heritage, providing local food and employment, and offering community and education opportunities through a community farm or CSA model used in surrounding towns.
- The document asks the town to consider all potential uses for the property and take time to educate themselves to develop a community vision that values the land.
1. Lexington’s Farming Heritage
My name is Janet Kern and I live at 72 Lowell St, in the 1789 farmhouse of what used to be the Reed
Dairy Farm, 3 houses away from Busa Farm. Our house and our location has given us the unique
opportunity to consider both the cultural AND longstanding agricultural heritage of Lexington, formerly of
course, Cambridge Farms.
2. A large group of abutters and neighbors of the property has asked me to voice our collective
enthusiastic support for the purchase of this property.
3. We hope that tonight
begins a process in
Town that we can all
feel proud of - that
considers all possible
and appropriate uses of
the property, that truly
includes the whole
Lexington community ,
that considers the
particular concerns of
neighbors, but most
importantly that does
not ultimately move
forward with any
particular idea before
all uses are considered.
This 8-acre site is large
enough to contain both
a good-sized farm and
other uses. There may
well be enough room to
put in a ballfield,
parking, an affordable
house and a few acres
of farmland -*if* the
planners keep all those
uses in mind.
4. I’d like to begin that process right now. Because you’ve only been presented with one
vision for the use of the property, I’d like to provide you with another that includes input
from over 30 Lexington taxpayers in the past week who have contacted me, including
Gus Schumacher, former Under Secretary of Agriculture for the USDA whose family
farm that was on Wood Street you see in front of you.
5. There are many compelling
reasons to keep as much of the
land as possible as a working
farm:
6. - Preserving the longstanding
cultural and agricultural
heritage of Lexington
10. • Local food source
• Food security
• Health
• Employment
• Community
Service
Opportunities
• Recreation
• Education
• Access to fresh
food by elderly and
underprivileged
• More…
Any one of these reasons listed is
compelling - a local farm gives back to
the community ALL of them…
11. There are also many different
models for a town to have a
working farm:
- The town could ease the land
back to farmers
12. What is a Community Farm?
Non-profits can run a community farm or a CSA- done in many of our
surrounding towns - Natick
18. And many of you may
have read in the Globe
last Sunday about the
huge interest by youth
and the demand for
programs at farms for
both recreation AND
education.
20. …If we take the time to educate
ourselves , keep an open mind, and…
21. …join together with a true community vision that values this
wonderful piece of land for the future of ALL our citizens.
Notas del editor
My name is Janet Kern and I live at 72 Lowell St, in the 1789 farmhouse of what used to be the Reed Dairy Farm, 3 houses away from Busa Farm.
Our house and our location has given us the unique opportunity to consider both the cultural AND longstanding agricultural heritage of Lexington, formerly of course, Cambridge Farms.
A large group of abutters and neighbors of the property has asked me to voice our collective enthusiastic support for the purchase of this property.
We hope that tonight begins a process in Town that we can all feel proud of - that considers all possible and appropriate uses of the property, that truly includes the whole Lexington community , that considers the particular concerns of neighbors, but most importantly that does not ultimately move forward with any particular idea before all uses are considered. This 8-acre site is large enough to contain both a good-sized farm
and other uses. There may well be enough room to put in a ballfield, parking, an affordable house and a few acres of farmland -*if*
the planners keep all those uses in mind.
I’d like to begin that process right now. Because you’ve only been presented with one vision for the use of the property, I’d like to provide you with another that includes input from over 30 Lexington taxpayers in the past week who have contacted me, including Gus Schumacher, former Under Secretary of Agriculture for the USDA whose family farm that was on Wood Street you see in front of you.
There are many compelling reasons to keep as much of the land as possible as a working farm:
1.Preserving the longstanding cultural and agricultural heritage of Lexington
…which is quickly being lost…
A Working farm kept in productive use will cost the town little or no additional money.
1. A working farm keeps money in the local economy
Any one of these reasons listed is compelling - a local farm gives back to the community ALL of them…
There are also many different models for a town to have a working farm
- The town could ease the land back to farmers
Non-profits can run a community farm or a CSA- done in many of our surrounding towns - Natick
Weston:
Waltham
Concord
Newton
Lincoln
And many of you may have read in the Globe last Sunday about the huge interest by youth and the demand for programs at farms for both recreation AND education.
Nationally recognized programs are right next door: There is a huge demand and there are limitless possibilities -
…If we take the time to educate ourselves , keep an open mind, and
…join together with a true community vision that values this wonderful piece of land for the future of ALL our citizens.