741 Colonel Ledyard Highway

Ledyard, Connecticut 06339

TOWN OF LEDYARD

Agricultural Commission

Meeting Minutes

Chairman

Bruce Garstka

Regular Meeting

6:00 PM

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Town Hall Annex-Hybrid

CALL TO ORDER

Chairman Garstka called the regular meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.

II.

ROLL CALL

Community-at-Large Representative Michael E. Marelli

Chairman-Farming Community Bruce Garstka

Community-at-Large Representative Katie Yuhas

Alternate Member Steve Martic

Present

Farming Community Russell Holmberg

Alternate Member- Community-at-Large William Thorne

Farming Community Allyson Angelini

Excused

Steve Martic was appointed as a voting member.

Also in attendance was Town Councilor Naomi Rodriguez.

III.

IV.

CITIZENS COMMENTS

None.

COMMENTS OF COMMISSION MEMBERS

None.

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS

None.

VI.

REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Motion to APPROVE the Regular Meeting minutes from June 20, 2023, as written.

APPROVED AND SO DECLARED

Russell Holmberg

RESULT:

MOVER:

Michael E. Marelli

SECONDER:

Marelli Garstka Yuhas Martic Holmberg

AYE

Thorne Angelini

EXCUSED

VII. CORRESPONDENCE

None.

VIII. OLD BUSINESS

Assess what the Commission has already done and where to go in the future continued.

Chairman Garstka didn't think there needed to be any further discussion on what the

Commission has already accomplished. He asked if there were any comments. Mr. Marelli

commented that the Commission should still move forward even not knowing exactly what

Farmers want in order to implement procedures and/or programs to have in place in case the

need comes up in the future. Chairman Garstka agreed and said this will be discussed in the joint

meeting in October.

DISCUSSED

RESULT:

Any other Old Business to come before the Commission.

None.

IX.

NEW BUSINESS

Any other New Business to come before the Commission.

Chairman Garstka said that he was recently speaking with a Preston farmer who's farm just

celebrated a centennial. This farmer reiterated what has been said by the Commission that the

State is looking for large parcels of prime farmland ideally next to other farmland and Ledyard

doesn't have that kind of land like Preston does. Chairman Garstka said for the Commission to

save Ledyard farmland it would need to be done on the Town level. He added that education

would be key for Farmers to understand how selling development rights works. He said this

topic will be discussed during the October joint meeting. Mr. Marelli pointed out that open

space/water shed acquisition doesn't require prime land or have size restrictions. He suggested

the Commission visits smartpreservation.net.

Mr. Marelli asked if State Farm is agricultural. Chairman Garstka said it does have a deed

restriction. The Commission discussed the possibility of promoting State Farm, maybe on the

Town website. Councilor Rodriguez suggested that the Commission speaks with the Mayor and

the Town Council about State Farm and added that the land is administered through the Town

Council.

DISCUSSED

RESULT:

ADJOURNMENT

Motion to ADJOURN the Regular Meeting at 6:17 p.m.

A motion was made by Farming Community Holmberg, seconded by Community-at-Large

Representative Marelli, that this be Approved and so declared. The motion carried by the

following vote: