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Agricultural Commission
Click here to visit Williamstown Farms.
Click here for Lowry Position Statement.
Williamstown is a Right To Farm community. Click here for the Right To Farm by-law.
Meetings are held on the first Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. in the Municipal Building.
The purpose of the Agricultural Commission will be to support commercial agriculture and other farming activities in the Town of Williamstown. The Commission’s duties shall include but will not be limited to the following:
- Serve as facilitators for encouraging the pursuit of agriculture in Williamstown
- Promote agricultural-based economic opportunities in Town
- Act as mediators, advocates, educators, and negotiators on farming issues
- Work for the preservation of agricultural lands
- Advise the Town Meeting, Board of Selectmen, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Conservation Commission, Board of Health, Historical Commission, Board of Assessors, or any other appropriate Town Boards on issues involving agriculture
- And shall pursue all initiatives appropriate to creating a sustainable agricultural community.
The Commission shall consist of five members appointed by the Board of Selectmen, of which the majority of the membership shall be substantially engaged in the pursuit of agriculture. There may be up to three alternates appointed to the Commission by the Selectmen and will fill any vacancies at a meeting of the Commission. In making its appointments, the Board of Selectmen is asked specifically to consider the intent of the Commission to represent the agricultural interests of the town.
The terms will be as follows: Two members for a term of three years; two members for a term of two years and three thereafter; and one member for a term of one year and three years thereafter. The Board of Selectmen shall fill a vacancy based on the unexpired term of the vacancy in order to maintain the cycle of appointments, considering the recommendations of the Commission.
Andrew Bernardy, III (2014)
Lisa DeMayo (2014)
Richard Haley, Jr. (2015)
Beth Phelps (2015)
Kim Wells (2015)
Sarah Gardner, alternate (2015)
Leslie Reed-Evans, alternate (2015)
Members may be contacted by e-mail at AgCommission@williamstown.net.
Address correspondence to: Agricultural Commission, Municipal Building, 31 North Street, Williamstown MA 01267
In order to allow prospective purchasers to make informed decisions prior to a real estate transaction and to promote harmony between farmers and their new neighbors after a transaction, the Town of Williamstown requests selling landholders and/or their agents (and assigns) provide written notice to prospective purchasers substantially as follows:
“It is the policy of the Town of Williamstown to conserve, protect and encourage the maintenance and improvement of agricultural land for the production of food, and other agricultural products, and for the keeping of horses as a commercial enterprise and keeping of other animals for food and other agricultural purposes, including bees and fur bearing animals, and also for its natural and ecological value. This disclosure notification is to inform buyers that the property they are about to acquire lies within a town where farming activities occur. Such farming activities may include, but are not limited to, activities that cause noise, dust and odors. Purchasing, and henceforth occupying land within Williamstown means that one should expect and accept such conditions as a norm and necessary aspect of living in Williamstown.”
Written notification may occur in one of several ways including but not limited to a disclosure form, addendum to a Purchase and Sale Agreement, and should include an acknowledgement by the buyer that they have received notification.