WLT Meeting, September 29, 2010

Present: Chip Caton, Dale Bertoldi, Vikki Reski, Jay Stoccatore, Tamara Hochmann, Vic Herson, Gail and Vic Herson Paula Jones and Kevin Gough, Mary Rickel Pelletier
1. Call to Order
2. Mary Rickel Pelletier spoke about the Park River Revitalization and North Central Conservation District 319 Watershed Grant submitted on September 15. The Grant would involve two land trust properties, Capewell Greene and Van Otterloo and the Town of Bloomfield Filley Park. The grant focuses on water quality; habitat protection and restoration education. The Wintonbury Land Trust has agreed to support the grant through volunteer hours.
Most of Bloomfield sits in the North Park River Watershed. A small section of Bloomfield known as the Great Drain is in the Farmington River Watershed and south eastern Bloomfield is in the Connecticut River Watershed.
The Park River Revitalization has just completed a study on the North Park River Watershed which can viewed at www.northparkplan.net.
Other partners in the grant are U of H Park Water Art Project and Connecticut Historical Society.
3. John Stout has asked the Wintonbury Land Trust for a Proposal on the 13.1 acre property, lots 1&2 in the estate of Frances S. Stout. Chip Caton and Dale Bertoldi discussed the site plans which John Stout provided for the Land Trust review. The property has been submitted for wetlands review. The re-subdivision site plan shows three lots. The Stouts have allowed neighborhood access to Penwood Park through Lots 1 and 2 which are meadows providing wonderful views of the Roy farmland and the Connecticut River Valley beyond. This is a major property in the proposed LaSallette Trail which links the New England Scenic Trail in Penwood to Filley Park in the Center of Bloomfield.
John Stout has discussed with Chip Caton a $25,000 per acre price. Research on site comparables will be done by Chip and Vikki. If the price is comparable to local properties, a proposal will be submitted to John. The proposal will ask for at least two years to raise $100,000 to $125,000 to match grants from NRCS grasslands and Ct. Forest and Park Association.
4. Review of Properties
-Vikki and Dale will meet with Kevin Connelly to discuss removal of invasive vines and shrubs on the west side of the Thrall Pond as part of the Hamilton Sundstrand Sustainability Grant at Thrall. They will also check dimensions on the site to determine the location of the existing path along the north side of the property. Trail work started on the 2010 Trails Day along the eastern farm road. A wetland path will be continued on either the west or the east side of the site. Volunteers will be welcome; call Dale Bertoldi at 860-243-1749.
-Michael and Naomi Cohen have donated a 0.5 acre building lot at 26 Terry Plains Rd. Paperwork has been signed by Dale Bertoldi. Michael and Naomi Cohen graciously donated the legal fees. Tami received a check from the Cohens. Tami will drop the assessor’s form on the property at the town office.
5. Membership
-The land trust is setting the files up for membership renewals. It is anticaped that this will be done mostly as e-mail reminders. The renewals could also happen online.
6. Vikki Reski completed a program for a Converts Coordinator which presented over four days at Great Mountain Forest's Yale Forestry Camp. The Coverts project has been running for about 20 years and is a forest wildlife education program sponsored by UCONN Cooperative Extension System, CT Forest and Parks Association, Highstead, DEP Wildlife and Forestry Departments. Vikki will be working on stewardship in the Schaffer Preserve and on forest stewardship outreach.
7. Presentations
-Robin Sherwood provided professional guidance on the graphic design for the new brochure that was printed for the Library and Holcomb Farms Events. Thank you for your help.
-The “Photographic Art of Local Agriculture” show opened Sunday September 19 at Holcomb Farm with eight Wintonbury Land Trust photos in the recently renovated Workshop building. Call Holcomb Farms at 860-844-8616 for more information. 6
- September 21 at the Prosser Library the film “Parrish” was shown to an audience of over 50 people. Chip Canton spoke about the filming in Windsor on the Thrall Land Trust property. The new Wintonbury Land Trust brochure was handed out.
-On Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at 7:00 P.M., the Wintonbury Land Trust will present a program about its history and current projects. Chip Caton will coordinate. Vikki and Chip have been working on a power point presentation. A short meeting may follow.
8. Treasurers’ Report: All property taxes for recent acquisitions, $1,427.19, are paid. The $2000 check for the Hamilton Sundstrand Grant was deposited. The $250 membership to Land Trust Alliance will be paid. Insurance was renewed for October 1. The insurance covers cleanup not replacement buildings. It is a basic policy with an umbrella. Printing cost of the brochure were $126.14
9. Bike Tour of properties, geo-caching and GIS coordinates of properties will be moved to the next meeting agenda.
10. Adjourn

Connecting People with Nature

Thrall Parcel at 490 Old Day Hill Road is a twelve-acre site, which has six acres of prime farmland, two barns, a pond and wetlands. The six acres of farmland has not been tilled for at least twenty years.

A study done by two students, John Whiting and Hanna Bertoldi, in early 2010 provided the historical and site background necessary for good stewardship of the property. The study found that property having a history in farming since the revolutionary war.
Early in 2010 the Wintonbury Land Trust signed a five-year contract with Stefan Farms, a local farmer, who as cleared about 2 acres in front of the old-field tobacco barn. The farm has good access from 91 and the potato barn and pond are apparent from Day Hill Road.

Through a grant from Hamilton-Sundstrand existing walking trails been reestablished and removal of invasive plants in key locations have made the site more accessible to people. The invasive plant removal allows native plants space to create a healthy sustaining plant community. Planting of native shrubs will be part of the next phase of site renovation. The work also allowed efficient field layout for food production. The path will reconnect with the existing path that leads into the wetland area of the site
GPS systems were used to map and determine connections between existing trails.

Agenda for meeting 9/29/10

7:00 at 52 Duncaster Road
1. Call to Order
2. John Stout has asked the Wintonbury Land Trust for a Proposal on the 13.1 acre property in the estate of Frances S. Stout. The property has walking path access to Penwood Park’s New England Scenic trail. This is a major link in the proposed LaSallette Trail which links the Scenic Trail with Filley Park in the Center of Bloomfield.
3. Park River Revitalization and North Central Conservation District submitted a 319 watershed grant for education project involving two land trust properties, Capewell Greene and Van Otterloo on September 15. Mary Rickel Pelletier who coordinated the grant will be a guest at the meeting.
4. Review of Properties
a) Sustainability Grant Thrall Barn Project and WLT has received the Hamilton Sundstrand $2000 Sustainability Grant for the Thrall project. The work started on 2010 Trails Day to connect the farm road with the wetland path will be continued. Volunteers welcome; call Dale Bertoldi at 860-243-1749.
b) Michael and Naomi Cohen -26 Terry Plains Rd. 0.5 acre building lot
5. Membership
Welcome new members: Cheryl Fox and Jane Nadel Klein and Bradley S. Klein.
6. Vikki Reski completed a program for a Converts Coordinator which presented over four days at Great Mountain Forest's Yale Forestry Camp. The Coverts project has been running for about 20 years and is a forest wildlife education program sponsored by UCONN Cooperative Extension System, CT Forest and Parks Association, Highstead, DEP Wildlife and Forestry Departments. Vikki will be working on stewardship in the Schaffer Preserve and on forest stewardship outreach.
7. Presentations
a) At the Library Prosser Library Tuesday, September 21, 7:00 P.M. film showing of “Parrish”, Chip Canton spoke about the Land Trust and handed out the new Wintonbury Land Trust brochure. Please appreciate our new member Robin Sherwood for the coordination of the final art work for the brochure.
b) Scheduled on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at 7:00 P.M., the Wintonbury Land Trust will present a program about its history and current projects. Chip Caton will coordinate. A short meeting will follow.
c) Presentations to ING, Town of Windsor and BIZhub. Shelly DuRocher is planning photos with Mark Hall the farmer at Thrall.
8. The “Photographic Art of Local Agriculture” show opened Sunday September 19 at Holcomb Farm. The photos will be displayed in the recently renovated Workshop building. Call Holcomb Farms at 860-844-8616 for more information. The Wintonbury and Trust has eight photos for sale in the show.6
9. New Business: Bike Tour of properties, geocaching and GIS coordinates of properties.
10. Adjourn

Holcomb Farms Photo Show

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Holcomb Farms Photo Show begins 3rd week in September

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July 17th Lisa Lane Tour

The Lisa Lane Farm Tour on July 17 at 10:00 had a great turnout thanks to Hannah Roditi who is coordinated the effort for a Master Gardener Project. Hannah Roditi and Shelley Durocher had canvassed neighborhood surrounding the farm the week of the tour. This yielded over 50 people who toured and brought produce from the farmer Desmond Samuda.
Speakers at the tour were owner and Windsor neighbor Kathryn (Kate) Lange, the farmer Desmond Samuda, CEEC Open Space Diane Mack, WLT President Dale Bertoldi and WLT tour guide Vikki Reski.
Crops on the farm include Calaloo, a type of leaf amaranth used for greens, squash, tomatoes, peppers and cabbage. Special thanks to Kristen Grahams, Desmond Samuda’s niece who helped with tour arrangements.
A joint effort by Bloomfield’s Open Space Subcommittee and the WLT has resulted in an Open Space DEP grant application submitted in May 2010 (75% possible to purchase Development Rights for the 10 acre Lisa Lane Farm in the midst of an east side neighborhood which is a dense residential diverse (84% non-white) community. The Town has a commitment to buy the property from the owner for $300,000 if the grant is given and the team has found additional funding to make up the difference of grant funding in the purchase price. Two appraisals were done by the Town of Bloomfield. The team, the Conservation Energy Environment Open Space Subcommittee and the Wintonbury Land Trust have been working to secure additional funding. Money is tight in this economic climate. Neighborhood support of the farm is essential. The farm tour was a wonderful show of the neighborhood support.
Highlights of the grant application are:
The soil is significant state farm soil and has been amended with organic matter to obtain a fine textured growing medium.
The farmer who leases the land is Jamaican who grows calaloo, an amaranth used for greens and other ethnic crops.
The site has two vernal pools which offer abundant educational opportunities for the public schools. The Farm has in the past cooperated with the Agricultural Program at Bloomfield High.
The Urban Farm has walkable neighborhood access during hours of operation.
The Town of Windsor has defined a wildlife corridor which passes within a one block of the site along Meadow Brook which connects two North Natural Diversity Areas to several south of the site. Mount St. Benedict Cemetery is directly across Cottage Grove Road and Matianuck State Park and Keney Park are south within ½ mile.

WLT meeting 07 15, 2010

7:00-8:00 pm 52 Duncaster Road
Present: Dale Bertoldi, Vikki Reski, Chip Caton, Jay Stoccatore, Tamara and Oliver Hochmann, Vic Herson, Gail Herson and Kevin Gough
1. Call to Order/ approval of minutes.
2. Farm Tour on July 17 at 10:00 will promote conservation for the Town of Bloomfield Plan of Conservation and Development Public Meeting July 28. Hannah Roditi is coordinating this effort for a Master Gardener Project.
-Flyers for the Farm Tour have been posted at Public Spaces and are at the Farm for handouts.
-Hannah Roditi and Shelley Durocher will canvass neighborhood with flyers. Hannah will then do call back as
reminders of the tour.
-Speakers will include the owner Ron Pitts, the farmer Desmond Samuda, CEEC Open Space Diane Mack, WLT
President Dale Bertoldi, WLT tour guide Vikki Reski
- Hannah Roditi will work from her call list to increase participation of the Lisa Lane neighborhood at the Public
Meeting on the 29th.
3. Lisa Lane grant search
-After speaking with Elizabeth Moore from Ct. Farmland Trust, Vikki Reski believes that grants could be applied
for jointly or individually for Lisa Lane by the Town of Bloomfield and/or WLT. Some grants only nonprofits are
allowed funds. Elizabeth Moore stated that some of the farmland in Simsbury was obtained with funds obtained
by the Simsbury Land Trust and the Town working different grants for joint ownership. Elizabeth Moore strongly
recommends speaking with Hartford Foundation.
-Vikki has put in a couple calls to Sharon O’Meara at Hartford Foundation for Giving and sent her background on
the Lisa Lane Project. Vikki has not spoken with her.
4. Review of Properties
a) Thrall Barn Project and Sustainability Grant: Himali Shah is checking on when the check will be cut.
b) Land offered for donation:
-The board approved accepting the Michael and Naomi Cohen 0.5 acre building lot at 26 Terry Plains Rd. Michael Cohen will donate all the transfer costs as well as any residual taxes. WLT will accept Michael and Naomi Cohen as Life members.
-Dale will speak to Leonard Bull about donating the Pine Meadow Lane lots 1221, 1222 to the Town of
Bloomfield to allow an additional neighbor connection to Joyce Street Park.
c) Vikki Reski spoke to Richard Simmons who owns 9.58 acres at 452 Tunxis Ave. Richard is currently farming in Suffield but would like a property sale that would keep this prime farmland in farming. The land abuts the Farmington River Park and Culbro Prime Farmland. Board members will bike to the property early Sunday morning to evaluate. Vikki has printed a map.
5. Membership
Welcome new members: Nathaniel Strick & Jennifer Carvallho, Diane Mack and Robin, Lois Hager, Hannah Roditi, Cary Henderson and Robin Sherwood, Cheryl Fox and Diane Libbey.
6. Map on web site was updated by Tamara Hochmann. Check it out.
7. Presentations
a) Library: On Tuesday, September 21, 7:00 P.M. `Parrish’ a film with the Windsor WLT Thrall Property as it was in the 1960’s will be shown. It will be followed by a Q&A facilitated by WLT Chip Caton. This will be described in a paragraph and published in the library’s Footnotes, which is mailed to all Bloomfield residents around August 31. We will also post it on our web site. A presentation about the Wintonbury Land Trust is scheduled on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at 7:00 P.M. Chip Caton will also present with support from Dale Bertoldi and Vikki Reski. Vikki Reski will send some support data to Carol Lenning at the library.
b) Shelley Durocher and Chip Caton are currently working up a list of neighboring corporations for presentations on partnerships for repairing the storage barn at Thrall Property.
8. See web site for short cut to blog for Trails Day and Earth Day Walk activity summaries.
9. June bank balance is $23,000.
10. New Business for next meeting: Geocatching, Bike tour of properties, presentations & report on properties. Adjourn