Weston Agricultural Commission sets May 27 farming event, seeks open meeting clarification

WESTON — March 14, 2023 — Weston Agricultural Commission sets May 27 target for public farming event pending open meeting ruling. The three-member board, welcoming new member Joseph Dwyer at its March 14 meeting, spent the bulk of its session debating whether informal educational sessions on farming topics must comply with open meeting quorum and public notice requirements — a question that already forced cancellation of an earlier beekeeping session. Chair Kent Lundberg said a member would draft a letter to Michelle LeBlanc, the town's assistant to the town manager and public information officer, asking for written confirmation that general farming information sessions "would not be considered meetings of the Agricultural Commission." The commission also flagged a potential food-bank farming partnership modeled on a program run with the Lincoln Agricultural Commission, involving unused fields and financial incentives for small farmers growing food for local pantries.