Busa Land Use Proposal Committee Report 03-14-2011

Browse Search

5. EVALUATION of the PROPOSALS Below follows the BLUPC's evaluation of each of the three proposals, according to the criteria established by the Committee. 5. 1 Evaluation of the Lexington Community Farm Coalition's Proposal Introduction: History of the Busa Farm The Busa land has been used for farming for almost 400 years. Numerous families have farmed the land in that location; the last in a line of farmers has been the Busa family, beginning in 1916 when the family rented the land and then purchased in 1919. The seal of the Town of Lexington includes "Cambridge Farms," the name of the land in the 18th century. In the 1920s, Lexington was a leader in farm production in Middlesex County, supplying the expanding Boston wholesale produce markets. The Busa family grew vegetables for the wholesale market at Faneuil Hall. As the Busa family grew, the land was divided into four parcels. Even though competition from large -scale agribusiness changed the way produce was grown and marketed in our country, with a great deal of farm land sold for real estate development, the Busas persisted and kept their family farm, managing to hold on to the almost eight acres of the original property that the town purchased in 2009. Today, in Lexington and communities in the area, there is a strong interest in local food and in sustainable agriculture. The Farmers Market that a group of local residents organized is testament to that interest and to the renewed connection between farmers and consumers. A community farm would allow Lexington residents to have a personal connection to a farm and direct involvement in food production. The Lexington Community Farm Coalition (LCFC) proposes to continue the tradition of farming the Busa land, to serve as the most recent "custodian" of this site, but with a 21St century "twist ": through a community farm, community- supported agriculture, the only such Town -owned farm land in Lexington. The LCFC proposes adding a chapter to the farming history of the Busa land. Evaluation Criteria: 1. The value /benefit to the people of Lexington The goal of the Lexington Community Farm Coalition (LCFC) is to provide the community with an ecologically and economically sustainable farm that offers fresh produce to its subscribers, for sale as well as for donation to food banks, and to provide educational programs for the community. The LCFC proposes to transform the Busa Farm into the Lexington Community Farm (LCF), a professionally managed, working, community- supported agriculture (CSA) farm with educational programs for all age groups. The LCF would provide opportunities for regular public access and participation on a farm and serve the interests of a large cross - section of the Lexington community. Busa Land Use Proposal Committee Report Page 21 / 52