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V O L . X X V N O. X I M AY 2 7 , 2 0 1 9 18 K aren Bolduc envisions an Auburn where farmers can thrive, adding to a strong city and regional economy. e farms would do business with each other, as many of the region's farms already do, as well as with sup- porting businesses. "is is how local economies work," she says, as she tends to a veg- etable patch at her farm. Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque says he has a similar vision. "We need more farming industry in Auburn," he says. "Some of these small farms can go bigger, there can be spi- noffs, industrial multipliers." How to get there, though, is a dif- ferent story. As Auburn struggles to revise its 55-year-old Agricultural and Resource Protection Zoning District, Bolduc and Levesque are two voices among many battling over how that new economy will be formed. Too restrictive for growth e zone, set up in 1964, comprises more than 20,000 acres — 40% of the city's land mass. It requires that a property owner must derive 50% of income from farming, and the lot be at least 10 acres, to build a home on the property. A committee formed by Levesque last fall has recommended the income requirement be reduced to $1,000 a year, or $1,000 investment in agricul- ture. e 10-acre minimum would be lowered to three. at committee is the second to study the topic. e first one, formed in 2017 under then-mayor Jonathan LaBonte, reviewed conclusions from a $50,000 study of the zone and its impact on the regional economy by Crossroads Resource Center, of Minneapolis. e study, published in early 2018, determined that the zone has been effective at keeping land prices low and limiting development, but, by itself, does not foster a strong agricul- ture sector. It said a key influence will be city policy decisions, investments in infrastructure and marketing. "If Auburn does not invest in agriculture, there is a significant threat that farms will go away," it said. After the report was completed in early 2018, the first committee recommended: A permanent committee be set up to advise the city council on policy development and implementation of agricultural, forestry and resource protection initiatives; e 50% income rule be replaced with "a fully analyzed, researched and targeted alternative that will serve long-term goals and priorities" for the zone and economic sector. Almost everyone involved agrees the 50% agricultural income requirement is archaic — on many farms, someone works outside the home at a job that's more lucrative than the farm. In fact the zone is so restrictive, it's shut out new farmers, Julia Harper, coordinator of the Good Food Council of Lewiston-Auburn, told a March conference on energizing the local food economy. But the $1,000 minimum alternative and Levesque's resistance to a perma- nent advisory panel are flashpoints in a divisive debate over how the city should approach agriculture. Valuable turf at center of battle e turf battle revolves around some of the richest farming soil in Maine, a result of the Androscoggin River dredging a winding path through the valley over cen- turies, leaving behind fertile alluvial soil. e city's southern third, almost entirely zoned for agriculture, is 30 minutes from Portland, which positions it as a supplier to the restaurant and local food focus in Maine's biggest city. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY F O C U S Auburn farmer Karen Bolduc feeds some of her 100 laying hens on her farm. She envisions the city as a place where farmers can thrive, adding to the regional economy. If Auburn does not invest in agriculture, there is a significant threat that farms will go away. — Auburn-commissioned study Turf battle Auburn agriculture zone changes divide city B y M au r e e n M i l l i k e n

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