 editorial, Thu, August 6th, 2009 The Town of Bethlehem wants your input tonight on farmland preservation, and you should give it to them. At 6:30 p.m. at Bethlehem Town Hall, Senior Planner Rob Leslie will present a plan for farmland preservation. A public hearing will follow. We at The Spotlight make this entreaty because the last time the town asked for your input on this matter only a handful of people showed up — and not only are we big proponents of community participation, but we’re also big proponents of the notion that your participation buys you the right to complain about town matters. You should care because farmland is a finite natural resource. Not only does it enhance and define a community, but it attracts tourists and homebuyers because of its scenic character. You should also care because if you don’t plan to preserve it now, someone will certainly plan to develop it later. Farmland is the cheapest and easiest to convert into other uses —uses like housing, commercial or industrial applications — uses, obviously, that would define the community in ways farmland would not. This is a conundrum the Town of New Scotland has been dealing with for the past couple of years when the Bender melon farm was put up for sale. So, let’s consider this an exercise in barn raising. Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, entire communities would come out to neighbors’ properties and help with the construction of what was usually the largest and most expensive structures on the land: the barn. In the rural, agriculturally driven municipalities that our nation was founded on, the barn was an important part of farming — possibly the most important part, save the land. It housed livestock and other animals, their feed, and other tools and supplies essential to survival in fledgling North America. The barn raising was important not only for the structure on the farm, but also for the structure of the town. There was a social interaction that took place when entire families got together for the purpose of barn raising that helped define what a community was going to be, what direction it would take and who would play what role as it developed. So, come out, participate, listen and be heard, come away with a better sense of what your community is all about. Let tonight’s meeting be your barn raising. CATEGORY: General Society
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