Worcester Business Journal

4 Worcester Business Journal | April 17, 2017 | wbjournal.com Proposal advocates include the Worcester County Beekeepers Association. Mary Duane, the association's presi- dent, said urban farms provide impor- tant of greenery in the city. "Without honeybees and pollinators, we won't have our lovely gardens here in Worcester," she said. Figuring out the details Councilors wondered whether farms would become retail operations and attract more traffic than residential neighborhoods are meant for, or wheth- er there would have to be regulations on water use or loud equipment. "I don't think people are taking up farming for profit, unless they think they can make a living off it," Councilor Morris Bergman said. City officials will figure out those details, Augustus said. The city manager took a lighthearted response to the con- cerns, joking, what could go wrong if your neighbor has a swimming pool? Capturing a cultural moment A lack of proper zoning hasn't dis- suaded farming from taking root in the city anyway. The Regional Environmental Council, a Worcester organization with a farmers market and the Regional Food Hub incubator, has six urban farms, 30 community gardens and 27 school gardens in the city, said Executive Director Steve Fisher. It start- ed with just three gardens in 1995. "It's a real cultural moment," he said. C E N T R A L M AS S I N B R I E F A manda Barker has seen a trans- formation in Worcester, and it has nothing to do with the city's colleges or restaurant scene. A Leicester resident who works in Worcester, Barker has been working in urban agriculture in the city since 2009, when, as a Clark University grad stu- dent, she co-founded Nuestro Huerto, a quarter-acre farm that sells to members of its community-supported agriculture, or CSA, program. Baker said she's seen a subculture grow into a sustainable industry. "I've shown it's possible to generate revenue on a small plot of land in the city of Worcester without performing miracles," she said at a City Council meeting in April. But the budding industry needs insti- tutional support, Barker said. City officials, after years of consider- ation, may finally soon fill that role. Providing greenery City Manager Ed Augustus has pro- posed new zoning regulations that would allow urban farming in residen- tial neighborhoods automatically or by special permit. Today, agriculture is allowed only in non-residential zones. If the proposal is approved, farmers would be allowed to sell their produce onsite if they obtain a farm-stand per- mit. Residential-use farms would be limited to 2,500 square feet – or about 1/20th of an acre – to ensure they keep a more neighborhood-friendly scale. Larger community gardens could be double that size. Livestock would still be prohibited. V E R B A T I M Housing uncertainty "It's unclear what the tax climate is going to be, and as a result, the low-income housing tax credits that support affordable housing development in our communities is uncertain." Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash, referring to potential federal tax code changes Get the toolbox "We're not cutting any corners here. We're just adding tools to the toolbox." Fitchburg State President Richard Lapidus on a new agreement with the state Municipal Police Training Committee formalizing a degree and training program Taking a stand "This is a group of the world's leading colleges and universities who are taking a strong stand against the enforcement of the executive order, restricting immigration from six primarily Muslim nations." Worcester Polytechnic Institute General Counsel David Bunis on the school's decision to join other colleges in opposing a proposed federal travel ban against some foreigners BY GRANT WELKER Worcester Business Journal Digital Editor Worcester could create zoning for urban farms W The Regional Envionmental Council of Central Massachusetts uses urban farms through its YouthGROW program. Pictured are program members (from left) Jennifer Nguyen, Mulki Abdi, Robert Jackson, Carol Himenez and Kelvyn Pacheco. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y

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