Some seek agricultural alternative to slaughterhouse
By DIANE BRONCACCIO Recorder Staff
[ Originally published on: Thursday, December 04, 2008 ]
SHELBURNE FALLS — A meeting has been organized to discuss ‘more appealing’ agricultural alternatives to a proposed slaughterhouse for the old Mohawk Orchards.
The meeting has been organized by Boswell’s Books owner Sarah Fournier-Scanlon and Amanda Crutcher, both of Shelburne.
Crutcher lives on the same road as the old orchard and says many people would like to see a ‘more appealing alternative’ to a slaughterhouse. A bed and breakfast across the street and others have objected to the slaughterhouse idea.
The meeting is open to the public, and Crutcher and Fournier-Scanlon want to see if there’s interest in putting together a purchase plan for the land. The meeting will be Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Boswell’s on Bridge Street.
‘It’s kind of a visioning session,’ said Fournier-Scanlon, who has studied permaculture through the University of Massachusetts’ Living Roots program.
Permaculture is a term that comes from ‘permanent agriculture’ and emphasizes minimal use of chemicals in farming. The idea is to know the soil and crop characteristics well enough to maximize productivity within small portions of the field, to keep the overall environment as natural as possible.
On her land, Crutcher has let friends create a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm that feeds and is supported by 15 families.
‘What that’s shown me is, in this climate, you can grow food 12 months a year. Having the experience of having this permaculture farm on this land has made me aware of how viable this land is.’
Crutcher said the old apple orchard, which is limited to agricultural uses through the Agricultural Preservation Restriction program, has old, barren apple trees that would have to be torn down. ‘We’re trying to see if the land could be revitalized as a valuable, diversified farm,’ she said, ‘but this is not prime agricultural land.’
She said the land could be used as pasture for goats or sheep, or for growing nut trees. She said it might become a community resource, like the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts’ farm in Hadley.
She said funding to buy the land would have to be found. ‘It might be, from this, a committee gets formed, for the purchase capital, and for coming up with an agricultural plan.
At an Aug. 13 meeting, farmers raising grass-fed cattle in Shelburne told abutters to the former orchard they were interested in buying the land as a site for a small meat-processing facility for local farmers. The proposed facility would slaughter between 15 to 30 animals a week, with the rest of the APR land to be used as grazing pastures.
Several neighbors were opposed to the idea and posted ‘no slaughterhouse here’ signs on their lawns.
In September, farmer Carolyn Wheeler said the cattle farmers were waiting to find out if they would get an agricultural innovation grant to build the facility, which they estimated would cost about $750,000.
When asked recently, Wheeler said, in an e-mail that ‘Everything’s on hold.’ She said ‘no decisions have been made, including about the grant.’
As an alternative to traditional holiday buying, the Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School will host their annual family book and “green” craft fair on Saturday December 6, 2008 from 10 am to 4 pm at the “Brassworks” building on Rte. 9 (132 Main St.) in Williamsburg. Parents and children alike will have the opportunity to make a variety of eco-friendly craft items using mainly recycled and natural materials including full-sized wreaths, fabric gift bags, piggy banks, jewelry, vases, candle-holders, and cookbooks.