Nantucket agricultural commission in the works
BY PETER B. BRACE INDEPENDENT WRITER
Sustainable Nantucket is trying to help the island's farming community by forming an agricultural commission through its Think Local - Buy Local - Hire Local campaign.

ROB BENCHLEY/The Independent Helping to drive the "Think Local. Buy Local. Hire Local" campaign are, from left, Tim Soverino, Abby Slosek Wullschleger, Heather Leisher Coffin, John Bartlett, David Bartlett, Mal Condon, and Stephen Slosek. Sam Slosek is sitting on the tractor.

At a public forum it sponsored on May 12, farmers, backyard gardeners and flower and plant growers were enthusiastic in their backing, and told Sustainable Nantucket that they would serve on a steering committee to form an agricultural commission.

If created, the agricultural commission would take an advisory and supportive role in the island's farming community, much like the Shellfish & Harbor Advisory Board does for scallopers, conch fishermen and other harbor-related interests.

"I think it will help because it will arouse awareness of the extent of the agricultural community on Nantucket," said Sustainable Nantucket Executive Director Christine Silverstein. "I think it's important to have anything, whether it's an ag commission or a farmer's market."

Sue Guiducci, a member of the Dartmouth Agricultural Commission, who spoke at the farmer's forum on May 12, espouses buying produce and other farm products locally. An agricultural commission, she said, fosters cohesiveness among growers in an area and gives them a voice.

"It creates a sense of community," she said. "In our case, we're not on an island, but the community, because of development, has been sort of chopped up and somewhat disconnected. So, it's brought a lot of the farmers together. We have worked very closely with a variety of town boards in order to minimize any sort of farm conflict between farmers and neighbors. What we do is we mediate and that's been very successful; it's reduced the amount of potential litigation."

Guiducci added that the Dartmouth Agricultural Commission also keeps an inventory of 61A land (land classified by the state as parcels of five acres or more that are used for agricultural purposes); cre- ated a map of farms under its care; worked closely with its board of health and zoning board; did a farmland protection bond and for the last four years has held an annual farmer's dinner much like the annual scalloping dinner held in the fall on Nantucket.

One island farmer, Moors End Farm owner Steve Slosek, has mixed feelings about an agricultural commission on Nantucket.

"Yes and no," he said. "It needs to be tied to the Health Department and it should be a paid commissioner who is in charge of regulating landscaper use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. It's a major problem that is not being addressed by anybody."

That could happen quickly if there were an agricultural commission on Nantucket, believes Dick Ward, chairman of the Carver Agricultural Commission, and one of the forum's speakers.

"For one thing, you don't get into the town government unless you have somebody that speaks on your behalf," said Ward, who added that when there is an issue that affects farmland or abutting farmland, his commission can pack enough muscle to find a solution that works for all parties. "We're also an educating board, and we're doing work with some pamphlets and brochures on what is in our community and what it [the commission] can do."

Aside from the island's three largest farms - Bartlett's Ocean View Farm, Moors End Farm, and the cranberry bogs operated by the Nantucket Conservation Foundation - there are several wildflower and perennial farms; landscapers who grow plants for their customers; egg producers; bee keepers and a few horse farms. Also included under an island agricultural commission's umbrella would be hundreds of backyard gardeners who could benefit from this resource.

"I think there still are people doing things on the island and this is kind of a venue to encourage that as an industry; anything we can do here to support local business and jobs is a good thing," said John Bartlett, co-owner of Bartlett's Ocean View Farm.

When scores of island farms dotted the landscape, Nantucket Grange #378 was their voice. Because the Grange considers Bartlett's Ocean View Farm to be the island's sole working farm, Grange Overseer David Nickerson said the organization's efforts in recent years have spread more into helping the community. Founded on island in 1931 and housed at 31 North Liberty St., the Grange helped launch Nantucket's county fair. Today, its 19 members, led by Master Dora Lee Nolan, raise money for island charities and its Nantucket High School graduates scholarship program.

Nickerson said he would love to see the Nantucket Grange get back to its roots as an active agricultural group representing the needs of all Nantucket farmers.

Silverstein said she felt that farming spirit at the farmers' meeting.

"From what I could glean from the forum, it's all positive and supportive. It's not regulatory or restrictive, which would be a breath of fresh air for Nantucket," she said.

Silverstein has sent emails to all forum attendees, and is working on scheduling a meeting to form a steering committee that would have the ultimate goal of authoring an article for next April's Town Meeting in support of a bylaw that would create an

agricultural commission for Nantucket. I