Make Busa a Lexington community farm

November 4, 11:17 AMBoston Sustainable Food ExaminerLeah Bloom

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Boston Sustainable Food Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Busa Farm, in Lexington, MA, describes itself as "a family farm that has been growing vegetables for the local markets and community since 1920."  Their farm stand opened in 1959, and they've been providing us with organic-style, pesticide free produce all these years.  

This summer, the town of Lexington bought the farm.

For members of Busa's popular CSA farm share and those who have enjoyed the farm's harvest at farmers markets around Boston, as well as residents of the town, this was sad news.  Under the terms of the sale, the town paid $4.1 million for the farm's 7.85 acres, and no one is quite sure what will happen to the land.

The money for the purchase came through the Community Preservation Act, but the land uses allowed by this act are fairly broad, including "acquisition and preservation of open space, creation and support of affordable housing, and acquisition and preservation of historic buildings and landscapes."

The best chance for maintaining the Busa land as a working farm is to declare it a community farm, but that may not be Lexington's top priority.  The Boston Globe reports that the town is considering using the land for youth sports, but the Lexington Community Farm Coalition is lobbying against such uses.  

Why keep Busa a farm?  There is high demand for local produce, and it can't be met by neighboring farms alone.  A local supply of produce isn't susceptible to widespread contamination with E-coli or other bacteria in the way large-scale growers and distributers are.  And a local farm can serve as a hands-on teaching site for the community.  The list goes on and on. The Lexington Community Farm Coalition's website offers a host of additional reasons the land should continue to be farmed, rather than being used for housing or recreation.

Are you interested in supporting the creation of a community farm in Lexington on the Busa land?  You can help make it happen.  Sign this petition to make your voice heard.