HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Sustainable Agriculture Subcommittee - 03/11/2015SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION
MEETING MINUTES
11 MARCH, 2015
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The Sustainable Agriculture Subcommittee of the Planning Commission held a regular meeting
on the 11th of March, 2015 at 7:00pm at Healthy Living Upstairs Conference Room, 222 Dorset
Street
Members Present: Rosanne Greco, Sarah Dopp, Rebecca Adams, Allan Strong, Sophie Quest,
Bronwyn Dunne
1. Agenda: Additions, deletions or changes in order of agenda items. None
2. Open to the public for items not related to the agenda. None
3. SusAg committee member announcements: Sophie recommends attending these events: March
12-”Edible Landscaping” at SoBurlington Library, 5:30pm; March 16-Presentation of the Underwood
consultants' report to City Council-City Hall, 6:30pm; March 24-Energy Committee event;
SoBurlington Library, 6pm; March 29-Land Trust Annual Meeting and Potluck, Ridgewood Estates,
5:30pm-7:15pm; March 31-Master School Visioning Committee Public Hearing-Tuttle School,
6:30pm.
4. Discussion of status of the UVM students/interns.
Allan reported on the students doing a Natural Resource Inventory of the Underwood Property. They
will be looking at invasive species, wildlife, and soil (if they can get the funds for a soil analysis).
They have already set camera traps on the property. They may be interviewing the Underwood sisters
and adding their history to the report. (It was noted that Judy Kearns could put this in the Other Paper
as SoBurlington history.) The students will make presentations of their findings, probably around April
20, both to the Recreation and Leisure Arts Committee and to the public. (Before Betsy left her job as
head of Recreation, she cleared the work of the students with the city staff.)
In regard to getting a student intern to develop either a webpage or a Facebook account, Allan isn't sure
that he can do this in the middle of the semester. Bronwyn is working with a student on her webpage
and she will ask about the possibilities from this student.
5. Update on meetings with landowners.
Because of everyone's vacations, this has not taken place yet. Sophie will call them to make an
appointment after Rosanne has given her her schedule.
6. Discussion of the ideas presented at the February meeting regarding the next tasks to
accomplish.
a. “Growing Connections” (matching up garden space owners with garden space stewards; and garden
space owners with young farmers.)
We will have a presentation at the South Burlington Library on April 16, Thursday. In preparation we
will make a flyer for this new program: write an article for the Other Paper. (Needs to be in by
Thursday, April 2); write a blurb to send out to all Front Porch Forums; create a poster. The week of
March 16-21, Rosanne, Bronwyn and Sophie will be writing and sharing ideas for these. Becky will
ask Carol McQuillan if her children might want to do drawings for the flyer and create poster ideas for
this.
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION
MEETING MINUTES
11 MARCH, 2015
2
The poster also needs to go out at least 2 weeks ahead of time.
Sophie will contact the people leading two gardening courses in SoBurlington Recreation Department
so that people taking the course will be notified of this exchange possibility. We'll ask about giving a 3
minute talk to the classes.
[It was suggested that we put April 16 on the Recreation Dept. website, but Sophie spoke to them and
they say it is not possible.]
b. Update on the Marceau Orchard. This orchard is now being pruned and managed by the “Gnarly
Food Collective”, including property owners and managers. The goal will be to sell apples to the local
hard cider makers who especially appreciate the heritage apple brands. (There is a possibility that the
sheep of “Sheepandpicklefarm” might graze there in the spring.)
Another project might be to plant currents and gooseberries under the solar panels. John Hayden of
The Farm Between in Jeffersonville and part of the Gnarly Food Collective is looking for the right
person to take on this project.
The corn field next to the orchard is in flux now as the owners deal with more pressing matters. They
are talking with Stacey at the Intervale Center in case some day there might be a good match with
Intervale farmers to work there.
c. Codifying the saving of topsoil from construction.
We looked at the language from the Sus/Ag's consultant's report (pps. 65 or 71) and also Cornell
University website language. (prevent compaction, redistribute, uniform thickness.) We'll be doing
further work on this, understanding that the Planning Commission is not ready to discuss LDRs outside
of City Center at this time.
7. Create and add items to a “bushelbasket”. Rosanne will write this up for the next agenda. Already
mentioning are “raising money” and “creating a website.”
8. Other Business None
9. Approval of minutes from February 3, 2015. Approved with corrections
10. Adjourn
Respectfully submitted:
Sophie Quest, Clerk