1. The Chester Agricultural Commission
This presentation introduces the concept of Agricultural Commissions, how they can be beneficial in the community and how to organize a commission in your town. The first part of the presentation provides some background on the agricultural industry in New Hampshire. Following that, agricultural commission organization and structure are discussed.
[Please note: comments in brackets are notes to the presenter and not necessarily intended to be read as part of the script]
For Agriculture and the Community

2. What is an Agricultural commission?
Municipal committee
Volunteers who care about agriculture in their town
Forum for balancing rural character and growth
Ag Commissions are a way to insure the agricultural perspective is considered when community decisions are being made. The Commission is a municipal committee, made up of volunteers who care about agriculture, and provides a forum for balancing rural character and growth.
Photo by NHDTTD/Cecilia Howard

3. What is the Role of an Agricultural Commission?
Advises town boards
Focuses public attention on multiple values of agriculture
Non-regulatory
Does what the town needs to support agriculture
The Ag Commission advises town boards such as the Planning Board, Select Board, Conservation Commission and Heritage Commission on issues relating to agriculture.
They focus on multiple aspects of agriculture in the community: social, cultural, natural resource as well as economic.
They are non-regulatory.
They are optional. An Ag Commission may not be needed in every community.
Their activities are town specific.

4. Typical activities of an Agricultural Commission
Conduct inventories
Cost of community services studies
Public education
Farmland protection
Encouraging farm enterprises
Starting farmers’ markets
Hosting farm festivals and tours
Examples of typical Ag Commission activities: [read list on screen]
Also:
Study issues related to agriculture
Propose municipal policies that support agricultural interests
Increase public awareness of the value of agriculture
Mediate between agricultural issues and other public interests

5. The Chester Agricultural Committee
Before an Agricultural Commission could be established, a committee was formed to present a warrant article to the voters of Chester.
Steering Committee duties include submitting a warrant article or council motion for vote and conducting a campaign to inform the public about the value of establishing an Ag Commission for the town.
Photo by NHDTTD/George Kelly

6. What has the Agricultural Committee done so far?
Reached out to all the farmers in Chester
Inventory of all the farms in Chester
Held an exploratory and informational meeting
Formed an Agricultural Steering Committee with officers
Met townspeople at Chester Town Fair
Created a mission statement
To start an agricultural commission, conversation is initiated by an interested person or group: farmers, townspeople, selectmen, etc.
Seek advice and assistance from resource organizations to help with data collection and to help build the case for starting an Ag Commission.
[Resources are listed the “Agricultural Commissions for New Hampshire Communities” publication]
Photo by NHDTTD/Jeff Newcomer

7. Mission Statement
The Mission of the Chester Agricultural Committee is:
To represent Chester farms and to advise the Chester Town regulatory bodies on agricultural matters.
To facilitate communication among farmers, to educate the community in agriculture, and to promote the business of farming and farm activities in Chester.
To promote and to help preserve the farms, agricultural lands, and rural character of Chester.

8. Warrant Article 
To see if the Town will vote to establish an Agricultural Commission (by definition non-regulatory) pursuant to RSA 674:44-e.
The Mission is as follows:
To represent Chester farms and to advise the Chester Town regulatory bodies on agricultural matters.
To facilitate communication among farmers, to educate the community in agriculture, and to promote the business of farming and farm activities in Chester.
To promote and to help preserve the farms, agricultural lands, and rural character of Chester.

9. Thank you
This information was modified from a presentation published in February 2007 by the UNH Cooperative Extension in cooperation with the NH Coalition for Sustaining Agriculture, with funding from the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program of the US Department of Agriculture.
For additional information, please visit the UNH Cooperative
Extension website: