Amherst Town Meeting votes to buy the land!
May 5, 2014 – THANKS to the Amherst Town Meeting for voting to support this land purchase. If anyone is interested in helping develop the Community Sharing Garden, please contact; growfoodamherst@gmail.com.
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The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs has awarded Amherst a grant for $105,665 to acquire land for conversation purchases which would also be used to develop a Sharing Garden and Beginning Farmer Incubator at the Fort River Farm Conservation Area in East Amherst. To complete the land acquisition, the Town was required to provide additional funding.
Grow Food Amherst is solidly in support of the purchase of the property has offered to manage the proposed Sharing Garden if the property is purchased by the Town. The Community Preservation Act Committee voted unanimously to support a request for $41,785 of CPA funds to complete the purchase. The Finance Committee, the Conservation Commission, and the Agricultural Commission and several other town groups all support the proposal, which was approved by Town Meeting!

About 25 residents attended a Public Forum on April 10 to learn more about the project. Presentations by David Ziomek, local farmer Jake Stocker, and Aaron Drysdale, described plans for the property. ————————————————————————