Lakeville agricultural commission weighs immediate haying of 40-acre Betty’s Neck field, discusses markets and membership

The Town of Lakeville Agricultural Commission discussed immediate options to harvest and manage a 40-acre parcel known as Betty’s Neck and reviewed several other routine items at its meeting on June 11.

John Powdaly, who sat at the table as a representative of the Board of Selectmen, told the commission the town-owned land had been farmed for years under an informal arrangement that produced an annual payment of $2,500. He said the prior contractor “chose not to do it this year at the last moment,” and asked the commission for help finding someone who could hay the property before the crop was lost. “I’m just interested in someone getting in there before it all turns to junk,” Powdaly said.

Powdaly described the parcel as roughly 40 acres, divided on paper into about 11 acres and 29 acres, and said it “visually looks good” though it has some bare spots from past ATV use. He estimated, using commonly cited local practice, roughly 80 bales per acre as an average yield and suggested a short-term first cutting while the town considers longer-term arrangements. He asked the commission to help identify farmers who would take a single cutting or to draft specifications for a longer-term…