It is official, a rooster by-law will be a warrant article (assuming selectmen approve warrant) for the special town meeting on November 2, 2022. Wednesday at 6:00 P.M. in NRSD middle school.
Town meeting warrant article # 5.
The warrant states this article is submitted by the select board for the board of health.
Templeton right to farm by-law states: Dispute resolution will be the responsibility of the Select Board (Board), or its designee(s), until such time as an Agricultural Commission is formed by the Town and empowered to resolve disputes arising from this bylaw. State law shows farming or agriculture as
Section 1A. “Farming” or “agriculture” shall include farming in all of its branches and the cultivation and tillage of the soil, dairying, the production, cultivation, growing and harvesting of any agricultural, aquacultural, floricultural or horticultural commodities, the growing and harvesting of forest products upon forest land, the raising of livestock including horses, the keeping of horses as a commercial enterprise, the keeping and raising of poultry, swine, cattle and other domesticated animals used for food purposes, bees, fur-bearing animals, and any forestry or lumbering operations, performed by a farmer, who is hereby defined as one engaged in agriculture or farming as herein defined, or on a farm as an incident to or in conjunction with such farming operations, including preparations for market, delivery to storage or to market or to carriers for transportation to market.
So, seems clear the Templeton agricultural commission was/is only interested in having some signs and that the town, as in residents, provide them free advertising space. I hope town meeting votes this down and tells the ag comm. to do their job! I hope residents realize that when you choose to live in a right to farm community, you understand there might be things going on protected by rules and rights under town by-laws.
Jeff, Can you answer this for me. Your post states:
ReplyDeleteTempleton right to farm by-law states: Dispute resolution will be the responsibility of the Select Board (Board), or its designee(s), until such time as an Agricultural Commission is formed by the Town and empowered to resolve disputes arising from this bylaw.
Do we presently have an Agricultural Commission Empowered to resolve disputes?
From what I see its the job of the AG commission to support, promote and defend agricultural practices within the town of Templeton. Maybe they were to busy being retailers to remember that Farming, not selling is what was to be promoted.
The town does have an agricultural
ReplyDeletecommission, but again, the by-law states what is posted, perhaps time for a correction to that by-law.
That was kinda my point. Hard to hold them accountable when they are only given the duty and not the authority specifically in the bylaw.
ReplyDeleteThe way it reads now it seems to leave who handles disputes unresolved.
Seems to me reading this item that the AG COMM roll would be to play a support role for the farming community and not the other way around.............
Maybe the issue is that a acreage limit may have been an advisable amendment to the Farming Bylaw.........5 acres + for animals, etc.........or whatever is decided, but banning roosters.
Can we ban yippy dogs, lowflying unmuffled planes, drones, litterbugs and for petes sake can we please ban Mosquitos?
I spent the time tracking this down, reading the details and I'm firmly with Mr Bennett on this one.
ReplyDeleteI do not think the "Right to Farm Law" was established to promote Commercial Agriculture Right above Subsistence Farmers Rights which is all this bylaw appears to accomplish.
Voting NO on Article 5 : Roster By-law
Thank you Mr. Bennett for some good info.