agriculture and flora

Roundup of further Town Meeting results

March 28, 2017

Editor’s note: see these previous Lincoln Squirrel articles for previous Town Meeting coverage:

Voters at Town Meeting approved measures aimed at increasing affordable accessory apartments, allowing the Board of Selectmen to change speed limits under certain conditions, temporarily banning marijuana establishments, and allowing commercial farming on smaller properties—but proposed regulations banning some sales of plastic water bottles and plastic grocery bags were tabled.

Affordable accessory apartments

Approved revisions to the accessory apartment bylaw will now allow affordable accessory apartments to be counted in the town’s Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI). A second vote (pending legislative approval) authorized a property tax exemption for the portion of a home being rented out as an affordable accessory apartment.

The changes bring the town’s bylaw into line with the state Department of Housing and Community Development’s requirements on pricing, tenant income eligibility, affirmative fair housing marketing and tenant selection plan, and maintenance. Other requirements for qualifying as an affordable accessory apartment include a temporary deed restriction and a prohibition on renting to family members.

Currently, 10.9 percent of Lincoln’s housing units qualify as affordable. If that proportion drops below 10 percent in the 2020 census, developers could be allowed to bypass zoning regulations to build a major housing development that contains affordable units.

A related warrant article to property owners to borrow from Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds to pay for creating or renovate affordable accessory apartments was passed over. Housing Commission Chair Allen Vander Meulen said Monday that the loan program will still be offered, but at least initially, it turned out to be procedurally easier to use money from the Housing Trust rather than the CPA.

At the State of the Town meeting in November, Lincoln Housing Coalition member Pamela Gallup explained that the program was intended as an incentive to property owners. The program would offer a loan of up to $25,000 that would secured by a lien on the property but would not contingent on the homeowner’s income, and it would have to be repaid in full when the house is sold.

There are about 70 permitted accessory apartments with permits in town already, plus an unknown number without permits. Officials hope the tax exemption and loan program will tempt more people to register their existing affordable units and thus boost the town’s inventory.

Speed limits

Residents voted to accept the provisions of a new state statute that would allow the Board of Selectmen to set a 25-mph speed limit on local roads in areas of town designated as“thickly settled or as a business district.

“There are very few if any areas in Lincoln that are currently eligible, but that could change in the future,” said Selectman Peter Braun. “We recommend adding this capacity to the selectmen’s toolbag for future use.”

The original motion asked that the town “accept the provisions of Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 90, Section 17C, in the interests of public safety and without further authority,” to establish the 25-mph speed limit as allowed by that statute. But after some debate about what specific powers the selectmen would have if the motion passed, officials amended the motion to delete everything after the statute citation, and it passed with a handful of nay votes.

Right to Farm bylaw

Owners of property measuring two to five acres may now keep farm animals (except pigs) for commercial agricultural purposes if annual sales are less than $5,000 per acre. Previously, commercial animal farming was permitted only on lots of five acres or more.

There was considerable debate about whether to remove language saying that the $5,000 monetary limit would not apply to off-site sales. Two voice votes on whether to approve the amendment itself were inconclusive, and a count of hands resulted in defeat of the amendment by a margin of 84 to 61. The original motion to change the bylaw passed by the required two-thirds majority with a scattering of nay votes.

Marijuana moratorium

Voters approved a moratorium on using land or structures for recreational marijuana establishments until November 30, 2018 pending new regulations from the Cannabis Control Commission and possible zoning amendments in Lincoln. Recreational marijuana establishments include marijuana cultivators, testing facilities, product manufacturers, or any other type of licensed marijuana-related business.

“This will give us time to work on it and figure out what we want to do,” Selectman Peter Braun said.

“This article is not well advised. Nobody can do it in Lincoln anyway” because of state licensing barriers and the high cost of land, said resident Jean Welsh, who said she takes medicinal marijuana pills to control pain from spinal stenosis. “It’s just not fact-based government. I’m very sensitive to governance based on emotion and not on fact.”

Plastic bottle and bag ban

In the wake of controversy over proposed bans on sales of individual-size plastic water bottles and retail use of disposable plastic grocery bags, officials before the meeting backed off from voting on the two measures. Instead, voters approved substitute motions that expressed support for the concerns raised by the Lincoln-Sudbury Environmental Club (which organized citizens’ petitions for the two measures) and urged the club to “continue to explore options, including the contemplated bylaws, in consultation with key Lincoln stakeholder groups.” Students will report at the State of the Town meeting in fall 2017 with possibility of presenting revised bylaws at the Annual Town Meeting in 2018.

“The route they’ve chosen to take today is exactly what the town clerk and town administrator suggested they consider,” said Selectman Peter Braun, citing ambiguities over how the bans would be enforced, as well as a lack of input from other groups including the Planning Board and the South Lincoln Planning Implementation Committee. “There’s a lot to talk about and think about… there’s room for a lot more of the Lincoln Way to occur.”

Owners of Donelan’s and Lincoln’s two new restaurants had voiced earlier opposition to the measures. “It’s a mistake to demonize bottled water,” which is clean and healthy, said Carol White, so-owner of Lincoln Kitchen and Trail’s End, adding that visitors would have difficulty finding places to refill reusable water bottles.

Residents debated the impact of a water bottle ban on business at Donelan’s. “If it’s make or break based on single-use plastic bottles, that store is in serious trouble,” said Sara Mattes. Others worried that a ban on water bottles will simply push customers to buy sugary drinks instead, with one person suggesting a ban on all plastic drink bottles.

Regarding plastic grocery bags, resident Andrew Young cited studies showing that the life cycle of paper bags actually results in more energy and well as its own form of environmental damage. “If you forget your reusable bags, plastic is actually the better choice,” he said.

Officials and several residents praised the students for their hard work and commitment, and their willingness to change course shortly before Town Meeting.

Drumlin Farm prepares to build new Environmental Learning Center

March 22, 2017

A map of Drumlin Farm showing the education building (circled in red) and the Farm Life Center (circled in green). Click to enlarge.

As part of an ongoing series of upgrades, Drumlin Farm recently got permission to demolish its education building in preparation for erecting a new one.

The new Environmental Learning Center will be the hub for all of Drumlin Farm’s environmental education programming, including the summer camp. The current education building—which was built as an open screened shelter in the 1960s and later expanded, enclosed, and heated—“is in desperate need of replacement to reflect the volume and quality of programs we offer,”said Drumlin Farm Sanctuary Director Renata Pomponi.

Drumlin employs about 15 year-round educators and conducts about 40,000 educational programs (some off-site). Upcoming programs at the farm include Woolapalooza on March 25 and April vacation week activities for kids.

At 3,700 square feet, the Environmental Learning Center, which is being funded as part of Drumlin’s capital campaign, will be almost three times the size of the existing structure. It will be in the same location but turned 90 degrees, and solar panels will supply all of its energy.

In approving the old education building’s demolition in February, the Historical Commission reviewed the plans for the replacement and deemed it “sympathetic to the site, low, and not intrusive,” according to meeting minutes.

Several years ago, Drumlin replaced its Farm Life Center, where most programs that involve cooking take place. That building was recently awarded LEED Gold certification for green design and energy efficiency. Heating, cooling and lighting are powered by a solar array on the nearby sheep and goat barn, and some of the lumber used in construction was milled from trees harvested at Drumlin.

The farm’s New England Wildlife Explorations exhibit opened in November, replacing the old Drumlin Underground exhibit. As before, the facility houses rabbits, insects and other small wild animals, including the popular fox (who has more space than before), and the entire facility is handicapped-accessible. Additionally, the “green barn” was recently renovated to add two classrooms and a root cellar for storing produce year-round to enable Drumlin to expand its winter CSA.

Drumlin Farm hopes to renovate its wildlife care facility and will also continue to enhance its physical and programmatic resources to give people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds an opportunity to connect meaningfully to nature.

Town Meeting warrant article list published

February 5, 2017

The list of articles for the 2017 Annual Town Meeting on March 25 includes 42 articles that will ask residents for a “year” or “nay” on numerous issues that have been in the news in Lincoln over the past year or more.

Below are links to previous Lincoln Squirrel stories about some of the items. The Squirrel will also publish new stories about Town Meeting articles in the coming days and weeks as more details become available.

Wang property acquisition (article 11)

Accessory apartments (articles 12-14)

Residents hear about affordable accessory apartment proposal

School project (articles 33 and 34)

Community center feasibility study (article 35)

Landfill solar initiative (article 36)

Agricultural bylaw amendment (article 38)

Small-scale agriculture expansion discussed at SOTT

2016: the year in review (part 1)

December 29, 2016

Kids enjoyed ice cream and other diversions at Lincoln’s “40 Years of Community” fair in April 2016.

June

May

April

March

February

January

Small-scale agriculture expansion discussed at SOTT

November 14, 2016

Opportunities for small-scale commercial raising of animals and sale of animal products will be expanded if residents approve a zoning bylaw change at Town Meeting in March.

Current rules under the 2011 Right to Farm bylaw allow property owners to sell produce and flowers on lots of any size, but animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs, wool, honey, etc., may not be sold on parcels of less than five acres, and animals may be kept only for personal use on those parcels.

Allowing sales from smaller-scale farming would be “consistent with common agricultural practices in Lincoln” and would “help feed the community and offer valuable skills to young people to keep agriculture flourishing,” Agricultural Commission co-chair Ari Kurtz explained at the State of the Town meeting on November 12.

There are currently more than 16 active farms on 500 acres of agricultural land in Lincoln.

The changes would impose a small-agriculture minimum lot size of 80,000 square feet (a bit under two acres) and allow annual sales of no more than $5,000. The maximum number of “animal units” permitted would be one per acre. An animal unit is defined as one 1,000-pound cow, five goats or sheep, two pigs, 30 fowl or 20 rabbits (bees would be limited by gross sales rather than number of insects). The revised bylaw would also add requirements and definitions for best management practices for handling livestock and manure.

Anyone who felt their neighbor was in violation of the rules could complain to the Board of Health, Kurtz and AgComm co-chair Lynne Bower said. Prospective small-scale farmers would not have to request a special permit, but submitting a simple application to the town’s building inspector is “worth exploring,” Kurtz said.

Although agricultural land is taxed a a lower rate than residential property, there will be no tax implications because, by state law, parcels under five acres may not be classified as agricultural, Kurtz said. The change wouldn’t itself open to the door to marijuana cultivation because selling marijuana will also require a state license and permit, he added.

In response to a question about the $5,000 annual earnings limit, Kurtz and Bower said the number was “just a stab in the dark” and could either be revisited periodically, or indexed to another figure that increases over time.

Drought playing havoc with plants and wildlife, speakers say

September 26, 2016

Lincoln resident Ron Rosenbaum photographed these turkeys helping themselves to some much-needed water.

The drought we’re experiencing is causing brown lawns and dry land where water used to be—but it’s no picnic for the area’s plants and animals either, as three local experts explained at a presentation titled “Brown is the New Green.”

Residents at the well-attended September 21 event in Bemis Hall learned that this isn’t the worst drought in recent history—yet. The worst droughts in Lincoln in the last few decades were in 1949-51 and 1964-67, said Greg Woods, Superintendent of the Lincoln Water Department.

“We’ve been at this level before,” said Woods, showing old photos of Flint’s Pond at low levels. However, the coming of winter snows doesn’t necessarily mean things will go back to normal right away. “We have to prepare for the worst and hope we have a very wet winter and spring,” he said.

Precipitation totals compared to the 50-year average since 2002 (click any image to enlarge).

Water levels in Flint’s Pond, with different colored lines for 2010-16 and two earlier droughts, 1949-1951 and 1964-1967.

Quarterly per-capita water usage in Lincoln, with a red line showing the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection standard.

Lincoln residents have used about 10 million more gallons of public water this summer than the average for previous summers, said Woods as he showed a series of charts on water consumption and precipitation. Usage has declined somewhat since the mandatory outdoor watering ban went into effect on August 21, but residents are still using far more than the state target of 65 gallons per person per day. The town meets the goal from October to March, but it goes up to about 130 gallons per person per day during growing season, Woods said.

The biggest culprits in outdoor watering are traditional sprinklers, which spread water in places where it isn’t needed and also result in water loss due to evaporation, Woods said. Soaker hoses minimize evaporation loss but still use about a gallon of water per minute, “so you’re still going to use hundreds or thousands of gallons,” he said. The gold standard today is a drip irrigation system, he added

Effects on flora and fauna

The current drought should be viewed in the context of a warming climate, according to Richard Primack, professor of biology at Boston University. “It’s very clear we’re in a warming trend associated with global warming and the urbanization of Boston,” he said, noting that last month was the warmest August on record here.

Swaths of brown grass may be something of an eyesore to those who prefer a lush green lawn, but it’s a matter of life and death for insects that live in grass, and the birds that eat those insects. Streams that have gone way down or dried up completely are also bad news for many species, said Primack, who was quoted in an August 27 Boston Globe article about the drought’s effects on wildlife.

“They’re going to die—there’s no place for the fish and aquatic insects to live,” he said. “A lot of aquatic animals are in trouble.” Making things worse is that nutrients in the remaining water become more concentrated, leading to algal blooms and lack of oxygen in the water.

Plant life has changed as well, said Primack as he showed photos of the banks of Walden Pond where the water has receded. Alders that used to be on the water’s edge have died, while shrubs, grasses and wildflowers such as purple gerardia and golden hyssop have grown in the soil that was formerly underwater. They, too, will perish when the water level rises again, said Primack, who has studied the effects of warming climate on New England plants, birds and butterflies for the last 14 years and is the author of .”

Farmers are certainly feeling the effects of the drought. Corn, pumpkins and other crops will die if they aren’t irrigated, and the yield from fruit trees will also be down this fall. Plants and trees that didn’t flower mean trouble for bees and butterflies as well. But not all plants are suffering, Primack said; succulents (relatives of desert plants) such as purslane, knotweed, spurges and sedum are “really common and really huge,” he said. By the same token, Southern magnolias and even fig trees may thrive in a climate that was once too harsh for them.

The biggest losers may be birds, who are usually eating juicy wild berries and crabapples but have little to eat this year. “There are very few birds in forests and fields; they’ve left to find food somewhere else, and migratory birds have left early. It will take many years for bird populations to recover,” Primack said.

Also scarcer due to the dry weather are insects such as mosquitoes, ticks and deer flies, and amphibians such as salamanders that live in vernal pools that dried up earlier than usual. People may have noticed fewer of the nuisance insects and more butterflies and bees congregating in their flower gardens, which (assuming they’ve been watered over the summer) are a target for the hungry insects. One insect that has thrived, however, is the antlion, which build sand traps resembling inverse anthills in sandy areas around dried-up lakebeds.

The rain will return, but New England will see these conditions more and more often, primack said. With temperatures predicted to get 4–6 degrees F. warmer over the next century, “this will be a typical year 80 years from now,” while low-lying coastal areas of South Boston, Somerville and Everett will be underwater, he said

Gardening with less water

In conditions like this, what’s a gardener to do? Lincoln Garden Club member Daniela Caride had some suggestions focusing on “sustainable gardening.” To minimize water usage, she recommended investing in rain barrels, avoiding sprinklers, and watering only at night or early in the morning rather than in the heat of the day.

Options for lawns include simply having a smaller lawn, planting other types of ground cover, or turning your lawn into a wildflower meadow. Mulch (especially leaf mulch, which is cheaper and easier to handle than bark mulch) is good for keeping moisture in the soil and providing shade and shelter for small animals and insects, Caride added.

When planning your garden, “think before you plant,” Caride said. Avoid “thirsty” plants like chameleon, roses and astilbe, which can suck up water even from surrounding plants, and go for more native plants, which are adapted to our climate (thus needing less watering) and offer food and shelter for small animals and insects.

Insects, drought talk, Scarecrow Classic on offer from LLCT

September 12, 2016

The Lincoln Land Conservation Trust invites residents on a fall walk, a talk about the drought, and the annual Scarecrow Classic.

“Night-Singing Insects: A Fall Walk”
Sunday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m., Lindentree Farm (10 Old Concord Rd.)
In the fullness of summer, we become aware of a swelling clamor of trills, ticks, and scrapes as the call of singing insects rise to a crescendo. By means of careful listening and song matching, using an audio field guide, participants will learn how to discriminate and identify, by ear, species of crickets and katydids. Lead by local naturalist Norman Levey. Dress for the weather (e.g., wet grass and dropping temperatures), and protect yourself from ticks and mosquitos. Rain date: Sunday, Sept. 25. Free and open to all. Pre-register for materials by emailing llct@lincolnconservation.org.

“The Drought: Brown is the New Green”
Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m., Bemis Hall
Signs of drought are everywhere, from brown lawns to mosquito-free evenings. What is the impact on our flora and fauna? What actions have been taken and are recommended by the state and our town? What can we do as private citizens and a community? Come to a free panel presentation and discussion about the drought with:

Richard Primack, professor of biology at Boston University
Greg Woods, Superintendent of the Lincoln Water Department
Daniela Caride, member of the Lincoln Garden Club

Scarecrow Classic 5K Run/Walk
Sunday, Oct. 16 at 9:30 a.m. (registration opens at 8 a.m.), Mall at Lincoln Station
The Scarecrow Classic is a 5K road and trail race that winds through the scenic roads, fields and trails of our historic New England town. Proceeds from this event support the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust (LLCT), a non-profit organization that helps manage over 2000 acres of land and nearly 80 miles of public trails as a regional recreational resource for the greater Boston area. Participants who register by October 3 get a tech shirt. There will be prizes for the top three runners in each category, as well as post-race food, drink and entertainment. Registration fee: $30 before October 16 (click here to register online) and $35 on race day. Register online now.

Agriculture Day blooms in Lincoln

September 12, 2016

Lincoln residents packed the parking lot in front of the Bank of America on September 10 for Agriculture Day to learn more about Lincoln’s agricultural and craft offerings. Click on any photo to enlarge. (Photos by Alice Waugh)

Ellen Raja demonstrates spinning wool form her farm's sheep, along with items she made from that wool.

Ellen Raja spins wool from her farm’s sheep at her table with items she made from that wool.

Sophie Vandebroek (right) buys some produce from Ellery Kimball of Blue Heron Organic Farm as Kimball’s niece Jackson looks on.

Mary Drouin displays her kitchen towels with hand-crocheted attachments.

Agricultural Commission co-chair Lynne Bower (left) with Conservation Commission member Jim Henderson and AgCom member Heather Korostoff Murray.

Letter to the editor: sale of rabbits not due to welfare concerns

July 31, 2016

Editor’s note: This letter refers to an exchange among many residents on the LincolnTalk email list about rabbits being raised for food at Codman Community Farms.

To the editor:

In response to the passionate dialogue about the sale of the Codman Farm rabbits, we want to set the record straight. The decision to sell our rabbits had nothing to do with the welfare of our rabbits or any concerns over how they were treated. It is unrelated to whether we grow vegetables or not. It was made with the best long-term interests of the farm in mind and was not taken lightly. We are proud of our ongoing effort to humanely raise animals for food in line with the highest-quality animal welfare and land stewardship practices. We raise and offer high-quality food products to meet the desires of the local community and the willingness of the marketplace.

As has been noted, running a small farm today is not easy, but it is an effort worth making. We welcome you to come visit the farm, shop in the store, and speak with the farm staff and the board of directors to learn more about what we do every day.

Sincerely,

Pete Lowy (Farm Manager, Codman Community Farms)
The Codman Community Farms Board of Directors

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Hay labyrinth (Lincoln Through the Lens)

June 22, 2016

Just for fun, Sarah Canon Holden and her five-year-old grandson cut her field at the corner of Weston and Silver Hill Roads in concentric circles, leaving uncut rows in between. Sometime in the next few days, she’ll finish the cutting, but in the meanwhile residents are welcome to walk on the path at the side of the field.

Readers may submit photos for consideration for Lincoln Through the Lens by emailing them to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. If your photo is published, you’ll receive credit in the Squirrel. Photos must be taken in Lincoln and include the date, location, and names of any people who are identifiable in the photo. Previously published photos can be viewed on the Lincoln Through the Lens page of the Lincoln Squirrel.