Article 35

Resolution on Farming

WHEREAS, when Lexington was first settled in 1642, our town was known as “Cambridge Farms”; and

WHEREAS, working farms were a center of Lexington’s landscape for more than three centuries; and

WHEREAS, increased demand for housing sites after World War II accelerated the decline of agriculture and loss of open land in Lexington and the rising cost of land made farming and holding of large tracts of land increasingly costly and drove many farmers out of business; and

WHEREAS, housing developments, streets and private estates name the farms that were lost while only a handful of actual working farms remain in Lexington; and

WHEREAS, many residents have become aware of the environmental damage caused by purchasing produce from farms thousands of miles away, including potential contamination and  high energy usage; and

WHEREAS, the demand for local produce from farmers markets and community supported agriculture (CSA) programs has increased dramatically in the past five years along with the strong nation-wide movement to support small local farms; and

WHEREAS, there is no official body in the Town of Lexington whose purpose is to help protect farmland or to consider the community benefits of having working farms in Lexington; and

WHEREAS, we recognize that if we wish to continue to have farms in our town providing all the benefits of locally grown, fresh food, and to carry this farming heritage forward, we must find ways to encourage farms, farming-related businesses, and farming-related community organizations.

THEREFORE, BE IT resolved that The Town of Lexington RECOGNIZES its long history of farming; and

AFFIRMS the value of farms and farming in our community; and

ENCOURAGES the continued presence of farming and farming-related activities in Lexington, including farm businesses and community organizations related to farming.