DirtyJobsGuy
User
Senior Board Member
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Re:Town Farm Dairy Halts Production - 2008/09/18 15:58
I looked back at the selectman's meeting minutes from last year on this topic.
Evidently the Friends of the TFD had to become a charity (501C(3)) to fulfull the deed restrictions. It was stated that they would attempt to raise money and if production were sufficient would give away some free or discount products to low income people.
So essentially a charity was created to run operations on the farm, but as the organizers stated salaries would be at market levels so the only benefit to poor people would be the promised charity cheese.
In prior years the land was leased to local farmers and the lease payments used for some worthy purpose, evidently without needing to be charities themselves.
I think the town has to face up to the fact that no sucessfull agricultural operation can be run on the property either to employ poor residents or generate income to benefit the poor.
This does not reflect on the people trying to give it a go as farmers have been leaving Connecticut for greener pastures for over 150 years. To put the current operation on life support with a few cows and a license to only generate pasturized milk is just postponing the inevitable.
It probably would be best to petition the appropriate court (or other entity as required) to amend the deed to recognize the changed face of agriculture in the town and to allow such uses as would generate funds for the benefit of the poor. Given the town's general inability to manage such operations such as the other housing developments and Simsbury meadows, it might even be best to gain permission to sell the property and invest the funds in a welfare trust.
The reason I think this is important is that Simsbury is liable for following the restrictions of the deed. Several Universities have been sucessfully sued to give back money of donors who's wishes were no longer followed. Future donors will be reassured that their deeds of gift were complied with long after they are gone.
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Specter (1116)
