To the editor:

Thank you to everyone who participated in Thursday night’s Community Information Session regarding Article 38 on the Westport Town Warrant. Over 60 people assembled at the Westport Grange representing a broad spectrum of neighbors, members of town and state government, farmers and other professionals in the agricultural community.

The evening included open discussion and information from experts including Doug Gillespie, former Commissioner of Agriculture for the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and current President of the Massachusetts Farm Bureau. Questions regarding the origin of the language and definitions used in Article 38 and how thoroughly both had been researched were addressed. The definitions for Agriculture and subordinate/incidental agricultural activities such as Agri-tourism and Agr-entertainment were derived from the MA General Laws (Chapter 61A sections 1 & 2 and Chapter 40a Section 3 and the Code of Mass. Regulations [CMR] 330.22.02) which have been established and thoroughly vetted at the state level.

Concern was raised that Agri-Tourism, while a valuable and necessary tool for farmers to expand their consumer base and ensure economic viability of their farm, should not become equivalent to the principle act of farming. Article 38 addresses that concern by following the language of CMR 330.22.02 which defines Agri-tourism and Agri-entertainment as subordinate activities “designed to enhance the agricultural viability of the farm operations.”

Perhaps the most prominent theme of the evening was the need to provide our Farms and Town Government with relevant, contemporary framework to address the realities of agriculture and its subordinate activities in todays social and business climate.

As a Select Board Member stated, Westport urgently needs to ‘pick up where we left off’ with our initial ‘Right To Farm By-Law’ which was enacted in 2005 and has not been updated in more than a decade. Article 38 would bring the definition of Agriculture into the 21st century and move the existing Right to Farm By-Law into the Zoning By-Laws where it offers town boards more traction, oversight and a clearer process for addressing the issues facing todays farms while preserving the checks and balances needed to ensure that; 1. the community has a voice in determining the appropriateness of subordinate farm activities and 2. farmers face a lower risk of facing litigation when there are disputes.

At the end of two hours attendees left the meeting with a clearer understanding of the issues that Article 38 addresses, the origins of the language there in and particularly the need to modernize how we as a community can best support and facilitate the tradition and future of Agriculture and our citizens’ Right To Farm along with the peaceful character of our beautiful town.

Please show your support by voting YES to Amendment 38 at Westport Town Meeting, Tuesday May 3rd at 7pm Westport High School Auditorium, 19 Main Rd, Westport

Video of the meeting can be viewed on Westport Cable Access channel 192 at the following days/times:

Friday 4/29 at   8:00 PM

Saturday 4/30 at 1:30 PM

Sunday  5/1 at 5:30 PM

Monday  5/2 at 2:30 PM

Tuesday  5/3 at 8:30 AM

Sincerely,

The Russell Family