The Cape Elizabeth Farm Committee will hold its kick-off meeting Wednesday to start working on identifying the needs of farmers in town.
The steering committee, led by Penny Jordan of Jordan Farm, has invited all farmers from town as well as concerned citizens to the event, which will be held from 5-7 p.m. at the Sprague Hall Grange. A PowerPoint presentation will showcase the different farms in Cape Elizabeth and participants will then break into groups that will explore the specific needs of farmers.
According to the committee’s spokesman, Frank Strout, topics covered will include taxation, easements and other tools for conservation and new farming methods.
The group was formed as a result of work done on the comprehensive plan, which indicated that maintaining working farms in Cape Elizabeth is a priority in town. Strout, who served on the comprehensive plan committee, said the group decided to turn to the farmers for advice on what changes need to be made in order to keep farming viable in Cape Elizabeth. He said citizens interested in making that happen will also be helpful to the committee by offering a different perspective and bringing new ideas to the table, like how to get the schools involved.
Strout said the committee will look at zoning ordinances to see how they can be changed to help farmers continue operating. He said the committee hopes to make a presentation on its findings to the town council by March.
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