News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.
Codman Community Farm is about to go “net zero” in terms of energy use, thanks partly to the rooftop solar panels now being installed. It’s the first town building to host a solar project, though certainly not the last — the renovated Lincoln School will also be net-zero. Click here for more photos, and see the Lincoln Squirrel articles on April 7 and May 13, 2019 for more background.
The Historic District Commission will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, June 11 at 7:30 p.m. to consider the following applications:
The Conservation Commission will hold two public hearings on Wednesday, June 12:
The Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Thursday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m. to hear and act on the following petitions:
(Editor’s note: Click here to read an earlier story about Codman Community Farm by Sarah Cannon Holden.)
Abe Lowy, son of farmer Pete Lowy, makes friends with one of Codman Community Farm’s new sheep.
By Sarah Cannon Holden
Once there’s even a hint of spring, a farmer’s life is full of chores and challenges that keep him or her busy all day everyday for eight months until the snows fly in late November. Earlier this spring, the chickens were put out to pasture at Lincoln’s Codman Community Farm. Next up: Farmer Pete Lowy and his crew make plans for the large animals.
The farm workers have to transport the 30 head of cattle that wintered at the farm to Lincoln’s lush summer pastures, and it’s a mighty task. In the Wild West, cattle can be herded along a highway, but here in Lincoln, they have to be transported in trailers. This year the farm has 10 mature cows and one bull along with 20 one- and two-year-old calves calves. They’ve all spent the winter together, but come May when all the cattle are moved to pasture, the older calves are separated from the younger ones, which stay with their mother. The calves that are weaned from their mothers will head out to pasture and will eventually be harvested or kept as new breeding stock.
This cycle continues for the cows, which can get pregnant every year during the summer and have about 17 years of fertility and production. They give birth to their calves on pasture in the warm spring and summer months. Red Devon cattle are an old heritage breed from England and thrive in this climate with no help needed during calving. The gestation period for a cow is 283 days.
Soon, Pete will move the cattle to Farm Meadow behind Donelan’s. When Codman first approached Lincoln’s Conservation Commission about using that meadow, there was some concern about disturbing the bobolinks and other grassland birds that have nested there for years. We in Lincoln have a particular fondness for bobolinks, as some say that their name comes from the sound of their call – Bob O’Lincoln. They migrate each year from South America to breed and nest in North America in the summer. Their preference is for hay fields with ample tall grasses, where they make their cup-shaped nests on the ground. One can sit quietly in their nesting areas to watch them fly in and land on a blade of grass before returning to their nests.
Pete believed that there could be a solution that would allow the bobolinks and the cattle to thrive in peaceful coexistence. Though it appeared at first that the bobolink’s habitat covered most of Farm Meadow, it turned out that the birds’ primary habitat was closer to the center than the edge. With great care, Codman developed a plan for the meadow so that the bobolinks could happily settle in a circular fenced-off area at the center of the meadow (the “hubcap”), leaving the perimeter for the cattle to graze in the “wheel.” Movable solar-powered electric fencing can be installed, creating paddocks within the larger field. The Conservation Commission agreed to this plan, as did many in the community who attended a meeting on the subject a few years ago. It seemed a win-win for all.
Every two or three days, the paddock where the cows are grazing is shifted forward along the circumference of the circle, and the cows happily run to the fresh patch of grass. Once the cattle make it around the circle in the 12-15 separate movable paddocks, the rotation can begin again on fresh, fertilized and regenerated grasses. To give the cattle some shade, as there are no trees on Farm Meadow, Codman purchased a “shade haven” — essentially a giant umbrella, which moves around the meadow with the cattle and the water wagon.
The cattle are not the only four-legged animals overseen by Codman — the farm also raises scores of heritage pigs on pastures throughout town. There was a time when Codman’s ten pigs were kept at the farm, where they wallowed in mud and dug up anything they could find. Many will remember those pigs and know exactly why it is said that something “smells like a pigsty!” No longer. The farm now grows upwards of 100 pigs each year for harvest and sale at the farm store, which sells produce and other items including over a dozen sausage varieties, three different smoked bacons, roasts, pate and other items.
Nowadays, the pigs have a great life while living on the farm. They’re sent out to pasture each spring, where they root up and till selected areas of fields that have become overgrown and need renovation. The pigs do a fine job at this — it’s truly their passion! Anything to be found one foot above or below ground is their devouring and exploring specialty. They go after invasives, dandelions, and poison ivy, all of which can completely take over stone walls.
Pigs like roots best of all, so they go after stolon (plants with horizontal runners with a root system that’s full of carbohydrates). Once the animals have done their work in one spot, the farmers come in and work the soil and move the pigs along. There is constant rotation in an effort to get rid of invasives, which can be accomplished once the root system becomes weakened and finally gives up. Because the pigs are kept on the move and the soil is tilled, the smell is minimal.
Of course, all of this takes time. One could put pigs in a dusty and dark barn, but such a system would not be optimal for the pig, the land or, ultimately, the consumer.
This year there are plans for pasturing a small flock of lambs on some fields close to the farm. The 10 two-month-old lambs arrived on the farm about 10 days ago. They will graze pastures on hillsides and areas where it’s difficult to harvest hay or have the chickens graze. Other fields around town are being considered for other livestock rotations including Police Pasture behind the Public Safety Building, which will also host vegetables in the front portion along Codman Road. The back half of the pasture along the stone wall was recently cleared and will continue to be a grazing pasture.
The activities of Codman Community Farm are spread far and wide all over Lincoln. Why not take a walk or a bike ride to see if you can find the sheep, the cattle, the pigs, the chickens, and the vegetable gardens, and then stop by the Farm Store for fresh eggs or a pack of bacon.
To read more about Codman farming methods, see “Codman Community Farms grows by adopting modern practices” (Lincoln Squirrel, November 2, 2017).
Last week’s meeting on environmental legislation included (left to right) Lincoln residents Paul Shorb, Lucy Chatfield, and Stacy Montori; Rep. Tom Stanley; and Lincolnites Joan Kimball, Barbara Slayter, Emily Haslett, and Alex Chatfield.
By Alex Chatfield
Lincoln residents concerned about climate change and its impacts on Massachusetts met with State Rep. Tom Stanley on Thursday. The group included members of Mothers Out Front, 350 Mass, and the Lincoln Democratic Town Committee. This was the second such meeting with Stanley to discuss several environmental justice and climate bills that have been introduced in this legislative session.
Among the Lincolnites present was Lucy Chatfield, a college sophomore and member of the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate advocacy group best known for introducing the Green New Deal in Washington last fall. She pointed out that meaningful progress on climate legislation has been stalled repeatedly due to the enormous influence of the fossil fuel industry on politicians at the federal and state levels. That industry has spent hundreds of millions lobbying Congress and promoting disinformation to cast doubt on the science of human-caused climate change.
Chatfield asked Stanley if he would agree to sign the “No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge” being used around the country to get politicians to go on record that they will forego donations from the fossil fuel industry and “prioritize the health of our families, climate, and democracy over fossil fuel industry profits.” Stanley readily agreed and signed the pledge form with Lucy at his side.
On June 4, the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture will hold a hearing on several environmental justice bills including SD.1885/HD.3878 and SD.1824/HD.3523. Environment justice is the equal protection and meaningful involvement of all people with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws. Stanley pledged to be at the hearing and to offer testimony in support of these bills.
Other key bills that have been endorsed by multiple climate and environmental groups include SD.1625/HD.3092 (An Act Repowering Massachusetts with 100 Percent Renewable Energy); HD.2370 (An Act to Promote Green Infrastructure and Reduce Carbon Emissions), SD1541/HD 3009 (An Act to Advance Modern and Sustainable Solutions for Transportation), and H.2849 (An Act for Utility Transition to Using Renewable Energy).
We want to thank Rep. Stanley for his strong commitment to protecting the environment and a livable future climate. We look forward to working with him as these important bills make their way through the legislative process in the coming year.
Yellow tape marks the future site of the transfer station’s new swap shed.
A square of yellow caution tape in the wooded area behind the recycling dumpsters at the transfer station marks out where a new swap shed will be built in the coming months.
The current swap shed facing the parking lot does double duty, serving as home to bins for recycling light bulbs, batteries, and deposit cans and bottles, as well as a shelf for residents to drop off items they no longer need but that a fellow Lincolnite might be able to reuse. Reclaimed treasures in the past have included everything from fishing lures to a Prada handbag.
The new 675-square-foot building will be a dedicated swap shed so the current site can be used exclusively for recycling, said Susan Donaldson, office manager at the Department of Public Works. the project is being funded by a grant and the DPW’s regular budget, she added. Though it’s still unclear when the project will be complete, the transition will be smooth — the old swap shed will stay in use until the enw one comes on line, meaning no temporary modular sheds will have to be brought in.
The winning L-S Tenacity Challenge Team, “America’s Future.”
The L-S Tenacity Challenge Team “America’s Future,” whose members are all Lincoln School alumni, won first place in the 2019 Latino and African American Tenacity Challenge Competition on April 27 at Bedford High School. Their victory marks the first time a Lincoln-Sudbury team has placed in this competition. Each year, teams of LatinX and African-American students from urban and suburban high schools across Massachusetts compete for scholarship prize money. This year’s theme was “The Social and Political Significance of Hip Hop, Rap and Spoken Word.”
Led by advisor and history teacher Caroline Han, students Jada Edwards, Keith Hylton, Kares Mack, Jaelynn Rodney, and Jesus Tejeda prepared for four events: the Science and Math Quiz Bowl, Latino and African-American Literature Response, History Oral Argument, and Mural Challenge. By earning the highest overall score out of 34 schools, members of the L-S team will each receive a $1,000 scholarship.
The L-S Music Department presents its annual Community Sing on Thursday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the L-S auditorium. Come hear L-S’ five student-led vocal groups and Chamber Singers perform. The featured piece is Eric Whitacre’s “Five Hebrew Love Songs” with string quartet, piano, and the L-S Concert Choir, choir alumni, parents and community members. If you would like to join us in singing the Whitacre, contact L-S Choral Director Mike Bunting at michael_bunting@lsrhs.net for details. The event is free and open to the public.
Sales of snacks and refreshments will support the L-S Friends of Music, which invites everyone to their annual meeting on Thursday, May 23 at 7:30 p.m. in Conference Room A at L-S. All parents of music students and community members are welcome. Talk to board members, meet fellow music program supporters, and learn about opportunities to get involved.
Saturday, May 18 is the annual 8th-grade car wash and bake sale. The event is a key source of funds for all activities around graduation, including the student dance party, the family party, T-shirts, etc. Each wash is only $10. Swing by Town Hall any time between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. If you’re away or would just like to make a donation, please click here.
Dance to the music of the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and beyond (and wear costumes to match your favorite era) at Club Codman, an adults-only fundraiser in the Codman barn on Saturday, May 18 from 8:30–11:30 p.m. Cash bar. Tickets are $45 for CCF members and $60 for nonmembers; click here to purchase.
Tired of going to gas stations and paying for oil changes and also want to do something significant about climate change? Please come and test-drive an electric vehicle (EV) at the First Parish in Lincoln (FPL) on Sunday, May 19 from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. There will be two Teslas available, and possible a Chevy Bolt and Hyundai Kona as well. EV owners will also be on hand to share their experiences.
As an example, a 2018 Chevy Bolt last year gets over 300 miles per charge in the summer and (over 200 miles in the winter) and costs as little as half the current list price when you factor in available federal and state subsidies and the volume discount that has been negotiated by Lincoln’s partner, the Green Energy Consumers Alliance. Replacing an internal combustion engine car with an EV will remove 3–5 tons of CO2 emissions annually from your total carbon footprint, which works out to an overall carbon footprint reduction of around 20% for typical car owners. Please click here to RSVP. Call Green Energy Committee Chair Peter Watkinson at 339-224-0000 with questions.
In Good Company Theater presents “None But the Best” by Patrick Gabridge (original music by Dan Ryan) on Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Bemis Hall. It tells the remarkable story of Boston publisher Daniel Sharp Ford, who quietly used his wealth to help thousands of disadvantaged people during the turbulent post-Civil War/Gilded Age years. Two Lincoln residents are in the cast — Cindy Bencal plays Ford’s wife Sarah, and Nancy Knight sings “The Fire” in a trio. Tickets are available at ingc.co/lincoln (use discount code “Lincoln” to get $5 off).
The Board of Selectmen is seeking a volunteer to fill a vacant seat on the Cable Advisory Committee. The CAC represents the board in all aspects of cable television licensing, including advising and negotiating on renewal licenses or original licenses, monitoring compliance, and serving as custodian of all reports and records made under the terms of any cable television license. The complete charge can be found here. Letters of interest should be sent to Peggy Elder, Administrative Assistant in the Selectmen’s Office, elderp@lincolntown.org by May 31. For information call the Selectmen’s Office at 781-259-2601.
The indoor unit of Codman Community Farm’s new heat pump.
CCF Board President David Alperovitz, New England Ductless owner Joseph Wood, and CCF Farm Manager Pete Lowy with the heat pump’s outdoor unit.
Codman Community Farms has been selected as a recipient of a free cold-climate heat pump from New England Ductless, one of the installers for HeatSmart Carlisle, Concord & Lincoln (HeatSmart CCL), based on the success of that program.
HeatSmart CCL is community-led initiative to learn about and purchase clean energy technologies. New England Ductless of Milton was selected through a competitive solicitation as the air-source heat pump installer for the organization. In 2018, with support from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, HeatSmart CCL secured contracts to install 49 cold-climate air-source heat pumps and 23 ground-source heat pumps.
Also In 2018, Codman Community Farms (CCF) began to work towards a goal of having the farm’s operational buildings becoming net-zero energy while simultaneously reducing the farm’s overall reliance on fossil fuels. With the completion of a 54 kW solar electric array expected in June 2019, this goal will be realized. CCF has taken other steps to meet the goals of its Green Energy Plan, including installing a solar hot-water system for egg washing and farm house staff, evaluating bids for the solar electric array, and applying for a state grant to support additional measures.
The farm had considered installing a cold-climate heat pump but did not proceed due to budgetary constraints. However, New England Ductless made this possible in April by installing a Mitsubishi Hyper-Heat cold-climate heat pump in Codman Farms’ 700-square-foot kitchen/dining area, which is used for cooking classes, nutrition education, farm luncheons and dinners, and other events.
The new heating and cooling system replaces an inefficient propane furnace and non-functioning central air conditioner, and makes the farm’s operational buildings fossil-fuel-free. When the solar array is operational, the heat pump will heat and cool the kitchen/dining area while producing no greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the installation allows CCF to remove two unsightly propane tanks and eliminates the need for propane deliveries.
The Lincoln Historical Committee was especially pleased that the company was able to conceal the heat-pump line set in the attic space to help preserve the historical character of the space.
HeatSmart CCL will host heat-pump educational events on Saturday, June 8 from 1:30–3:30 p.m. in the Concord-Carlisle High School learning commons and Tuesday, June 11 from 7–8:30 pm. in the Wayland Public Library. Click here for more information.
Gathering data on Lincoln’s greenhouse gas emissions and encouraging specific ways for residents to use more green energy are among this year’s goals for the Green Energy Committee (GEC).
The GEC serves as the primary resource for the town to identify technologies, initiatives, and means to reduce Lincoln’s CO2 emissions. One of its long-term goals is for the town’s public buildings to achieve “net zero” status for energy use by 2030 (with production of renewable energy equivalent to fossil fuel consumption) as required by a 2011 Town Meeting vote.
Among the efforts underway: finalizing a proposal for community choice aggregation, which uses the power of group electricity purchasing to offer a greater percentage of electricity from renewable sources than the 15% now required from Eversource. The voluntary Lincoln Green Energy Choice program will also offer a fixed price for electricity supply over a longer period of time. The prices for power will be slightly higher than they would be otherwise, though the figures for different sources of electricity under the program won’t be known until the town signs a contract with an electricity supplier.
The GEC also hopes to gather data and report each year on CO2e emissions. “CO2e” means carbon dioxide equivalent, which gauges carbon footprint by expressing the impact of each different greenhouse gas in terms of the amount of CO2 that would create the same amount of warming.
“Our focus is on tracking CO2e emissions and reductions data so that we can figure out how to have the biggest impact on reducing them as we develop a plan to become carbon neutral by 2030,” said GEC chair Peter Watkinson. The group is in discussions with a third party to provide this data for the town of Lincoln and “expects progress this quarter,” he added.
Other GEC goals for 2019:
The Codman barn is now having solar panels installed, and the First Parish in Lincoln (FPL) Parish Committee has approved installation of solar panels on the roof of the parish house across from Bemis Hall (they now need approval from the Historic District Commission, according to Larry Buell, chair of the FPL Outreach Committee).
FPL Green was formed in fall 2017 under the leadership of Tom Walker in response to a membership poll that named energy and climate change as the most urgent public priority among a dozen possible. Twenty families are now driving electric vehicles and 35 are using 100% wind-generated electricity, Watkinson said.
Come see “Astérix et les Vikings,” a family-friendly movie organized by L-S students in a fifth-year French Cinema class, on Friday, May 17 at 7 p. m. in the L-S auditorium. The 79-minute movie based on a French comic strip follows Asterix and Obelix as they set off in hot pursuit to rescue Chief Vitalstatistix’s lazy nephew, Justforkix, from the Viking Olaf after the chief asks them to toughen up his nephew.
Sarah Junkin Woodard from the Center for Development in Central America (CDCA), a nonprofit, faith-based organization, will speak at St. Anne’s Church on Sunday, May 19 at 11:15 a.m. Woodard, who has worked in Nicaragua for 25 years, will explain how the CDCA responds to human needs created by natural disasters and poverty in the second-poorest nation in the western hemisphere. Joining her is Grace Sweetser, a former Lincoln resident and St. Anne’s parishioner who served for six months as a volunteer at the rural medical clinic run by the CDCA Jubilee House after college.
Carole Kasper of the Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee will host listening sessions on the following dates:
Naturalist John Root will present a program on “Attracting Birds, Butterflies and Other Beneficials to Your Garden” on Thursday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Library. This is one of the activities listed in the “Hidden Treasures” booklet published by Freedom’s Way, a nonprofit that works in partnership with the National Park Service to help people explore (natural, cultural or historical treasures hidden in plain sight through family-friendly community organized programs in greater Boston. Pick up a copy of the brochure at the library.
This free program is supported by in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Additional funding was also provided by the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library.
Do you know someone in the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School Class of 2019? If so, congratulate him or her with a graduation balloon in a fundraiser for the Class of 2021. Large
blue foil balloons imprinted with “Congratulations L-S Grad” are being sold for $6 each and will be delivered to graduates’ homes a few days before graduation, accompanied by a good luck card. All proceeds go to the Class of 2021 Steering Committee. Order from this LSPO web page by May 20.
Learn about cold-climate air-source heat pumps, geothermal systems, and heat pump water heaters at events hosted by HeatSmart Carlisle/Concord/Lincoln and EnergizeWayland. Perfect for those who:
Meet installers to learn what systems might work for your home. Find out about the financial incentives available to you. Hear from neighbors who have installed systems and local installers. Meet your community coach who can help you sort it all out.
The events are on Saturday, June 8 from 1:30–3:30 p.m. in the Concord-Carlisle High School Learning Commons (500 Walden St., Concord, 2nd floor) and Tuesday, June 11 from 7–8:30 pm. in the Wayland Public Library (5 Concord Rd., Wayland).
Andrew Gordon speaks to the Bemis Hall audience about climate change action.
By Barbara Slayter and Peter Pease
Co-chairs, Lincoln Democratic Town Committee
Dozens of Lincoln residents turned out to learn how to become effective advocates around the issues of environmental justice and climate change at a session led by Andrew Gordon, legislative coordinator from 350 Mass, a grassroots environmental organization.
Gordon, who spoke on April 6 at the invitation of Lincoln’s Democratic Town Committee, began by outlining his organization’s agenda:
Gordon also introduced some new names, policies, and concepts, including:
Attendees had detailed questions and comments about costs, trade-offs, timelines, and the magnitude of the challenges ahead as Massachusetts and the nation try to address the problems of climate change. Buzz Constable went to the heart of the issue, asking, “Can we really solve social problems and climate change at the same time?” Is there an inherent conflict between “going slow together to get it right” and the urgent timeframe for diminishing carbon emissions?
Larry Buell asked about approaches for galvanizing disadvantaged communities and ways to provide incentives for poorer communities to participate in climate change policies. Joan Kimball raised a concern about the high levels of compartmentalization of professionals such as those working in the health and environmental fields.
Gordon made a compelling argument for the need to “push and expand the narrative of what is possible” if we wish to transform our economy and address the escalating problems of climate change. He reminded us of the years required to enact comprehensive, effective policies. The text cannot be filed and then voted into law in the same year. Everyone needs to be able to take ownership and help refine the policies, he said.
Some suggestions for effective advocacy, particularly with regard to the Massachusetts legislature, emerged from event for activists of all stripes:
Click here to watch a recording of the event, including charts (the sound is missing only for the first minute or so).
