Lee Agricultural Commission hears pitch for state farm bill
Other Committee · Meeting of April 15, 2026
Lee Agricultural Commission forum spotlights farmland loss and the state's new Farm Act. Chairperson Mary Burton hosted Casey Pease, from state Sen. Paul Mark's office, and Dr.
Sarah Gardner, president of Berkshire Grown and chairwoman of the Williamstown Agricultural Commission, for a discussion on the Fostering Agriculture Resilience in Massachusetts Act, which passed the state Senate unanimously in early April and now awaits House action. Gardner said Berkshire County's dairy herd has shrunk from 32 farms in 1999 to just 12 today, and warned the state could lose 50,000 to 89,000 more acres of farmland by 2040 without intervention. One resident, called Dave, described losing a 10-acre Lenox field to a "dual use" solar project, saying developers installed "$10 million worth of solar panels and $1,000 worth of sheep." Gardner urged Lee to inventory its farmland and create a dedicated preservation fund, noting the town already has three Agricultural Preservation Restriction properties and adopted the Community Preservation Act in 2020.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 773 words
Source: the Other Committee meeting of April 15, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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