Can Farming Save Open Space? A Very Old Debate
WHAT:
Newton Conservators’ Annual Dinner Meeting
WHEN:
Thursday May 8, 2025
6 pm Social gathering with hors d’oeuvres and cash bar
7 pm Dinner, business meeting, awards ceremony and keynote speaker
WHERE:
American Legion Post 440, 295 California St, Newton MA 02458
AWARDS:
Environmentalist of the Year
Newton Community Farm Board of Directors, represented by Paul Holt and Michael Spalding, Co-Presidents
Charles Johnson Maynard Award
Leaders of Newton Birding: Pete Gilmore, Liane Hartnett, Alison Leary, Haynes Miller
SPEAKERS
Introduction: Conservators board member Jon Regosin will introduce Greg and share the exciting story of how Newton transformed its last working private farm into a public space for community-supported agriculture and education.
Keynote: Can Farming Save Open Space? A Very Old Debate
Greg Maslowe, Farm Manager, Newton Community Farm
As land prices increase throughout the United States and agricultural lands continue to be consolidated into massive corporate holdings, the options available to young farmers to acquire land are getting squeezed. One innovative approach, found here in Newton and being explored in places like northern Colorado, is to utilize open space for community farms. This approach has some significant benefits to the land holder as someone else takes financial and physical responsibility for maintaining and managing the land. There are also potential environmental benefits as some farming techniques can reverse soil carbon loss and actually provide a net sequestering of carbon, which helps slow climate change. But it also raises the question of whether intensively managed landscapes are what we mean by “open space.” Greg will explore the pros and cons of farming on public lands, harkening back to a very old debate between two of the founders of the modern environmental movement.
Greg has been the farm manager at Newton Community Farm since 2006. He came to farming through his graduate work in environmental and agricultural ethics. Greg loves talking with people, young and old, about where their food comes from and how their answers and choices impact other life/lives. He feels fortunate to have found a way of life that allows him to be outside most of the time: a vocation that means he’s in the dirt, come rain or shine, throughout the growing season, participating in creating a better world; and time during the off-season to explore the mountains on skis, leading backcountry trips in the Green and White mountains for the Boston Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club. He is on the Board of Directors of the Urban Farming Institute and on the planning committee for Eastern Massachusetts Collaborative Alliance for Farmer Training (EMass CRAFT).
REGISTER
DONATE (in lieu of attending)
https://newtonconservators.org/ways-to-give/
SPONSORS
Thank you to our generous sponsors! (* List as of March 20, 2025)
Dolan Pond Nester / Gold Sponsor:
Lalor and Patricia Burdick
Chestnut Hill Garden Club
Paddle Boston
The Village Bank
Crystal Lake Swimmer / Silver Sponsor:
Auburndale Builders
Crystal Lake Conservancy
NCF Harvester / Friend:
Fulfilled Goods LLC
Newtonville Books
Health protocols:
Masks are not required, but we encourage all attendees to take a home Covid test before attending this event.
