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Farm Plan Could
Grow on Selectmen

By Scott MacKeen
Staff Writer
A proposal that marries centuries-ago history with modern ideas of agriculture, education and fund-raising on a historic town property is being received warmly by Selectmen.

At its June 3 meeting, the board was presented a plan to construct an agriculture-based learning center on the 34-acre Town Farm on Gov. Stoughton Lane. The buildings, which sit in disrepair off Canton Avenue, have been the source of recent strife among residents, some who feel they should be developed for the revenue potential and others who see historic preservation as the proper course.

Selectmen control the land, which William Stoughton, a Colonial-era Massachusetts governor, gifted to the town in 1701 with the understanding that it be used to benefit the poor.

The newest plan is initiated by resident Paul Krasinski, chief operating officer of Quincy-based Ando Media. As the Times reported two weeks ago, Krasinski – who bases his model for “environmental” and “nontraditional” learning on his experience working with troubled youth at Hope High School in Rhode Island – has recruited numerous corporate sponsors to help his cause. He said he is starting to bring his plan to the neighborhood.
“This is the dream of one man,” said Krasinski, adding that it would take a community to make it work.

Under the plan, the current buildings on the site would be restored. More than five acres of agriculture would be developed to a Civil War-era design, Krasinski said. A newer, 17,000-square-foot building with modern amenities would house the actual school, with computer labs and a library, he said. Children from Milton and neighboring communities could attend, learning history and agriculture by physically being placed into that setting.

A new road leading to the farm from Unquity Road would have to be built, he said. Gov. Stoughton Lane would be the secondary entrance.

Selectman John Shields, who first heard about the idea from Krasinski in January, said he has “bought into quite a bit of it.”

“All of it, in fact,” said Shields, adding that he could see the Town Farm ultimately growing into an environmental-learning center for all of New England.

Aside from helping children through education, the proposal has the ability to raise revenue for the Gov. Stoughton Trust, a resource to aid the town’s low-income residents in need.

Selectmen Chair Marion McEttrick, said the town only collects $20,000 annually for the trust through limited rent on the property, not enough to meet the needs of residents, particularly during a bad economy.

Krasinski’s plan would rely on a model of community-supported agriculture, or CSA, to raise revenue. According to the National Agricultural Library, such an agreement “consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support, and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.”

In addition, “Although CSAs take many forms, all have at their center a shared commitment to building a more local and equitable agricultural system, one that allows growers to focus on land stewardship, and still maintain productive and profitable small farms.”

About 400 such farms exist in the country, according to the national organization.

Krasinski said it is unclear how the finances would work but added that the process will be “transparent.”

Among the details to be developed is a long-term ground lease between the town and a trust to operate the school. Any use of the Town Farm must also be approved by the attorney general and a probate court.

Shields estimated the project would cost between $10 million and $15 million. “It’s something to work toward. We don’t have all the answers,” he said.

McEttrick called the idea “fascinating,” although she said various legal issues would need to be addressed.

The issue of the Town Farm is a familiar one to Selectman Bob Sweeney, who prior to being elected served on the Gov. Stoughton Trust Land Committee. Sweeney co-chaired the land-study committee for two years prior to its disbanding in February.

The committee’s final recommendation to Selectmen called for the establishment of a $5 million endowment, to be funded through various potential sources, to renovate the property and maintain it as a historic site.

Sweeney said there are grants available if the property is listed as a national historic site, a move that has been supported by the town and state historic commissions.

“I am absolutely convinced that those buildings are of growing historical significance. There’s an urgency to restore the buildings,” said Sweeney, who did not indicate whether he would support the plan.

The board will discuss the issue again in July.