GILL — A new ad hoc committee made up of local farmers and town officials is being formed to join the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources’ new Farmland Partnership Program, which aims to help document and preserve farmland.

According to Selectboard meeting materials, Gill was selected by the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) to be one of the pilot towns in the program for its percentage of unprotected farmland and active Agricultural Commission. The goal of the pilot program is to create “Farmland Protection Plans” that will feature narratives, maps and “prioritization exercises,” with the hope of taking these plans back to MDAR so the state can provide templates for making protection plans statewide.

Earlier this year, MDAR awarded the $268,400 grant to FRCOG, as well as the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) and Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC), through its Farmland Partnership Program, designed to help towns and regions join the effort of implementing the state’s Farmland Action Plan. The state plan outlines strategies and steps to “ensure that farmland and farming are available and viable for current and future generations in Massachusetts,” according to its website.

The full article is available on the Greenfield Recorder.