Massachusetts hosted the meeting in June at the Wenham Museum. As with Rhode Island, the focus of the Massachusetts meeting was on open spaces and the impact on consumers, although there was also substantial discussion about the Compact’s impact on the viability of the state’s dairy operations. The meeting opened with a written statement from Governor Jane Swift (attachment 25). Expressing a common theme of the political leadership throughout New England, Governor Swift explained her belief in the importance and strength of the Compact
“One of the primary reasons I support the Compact is because it does not require taxpayer dollars. The Compact relies solely on the retail market. Several marketing research projects have shown Massachusetts’s consumers are willing to pay slightly more for their milk to keep local dairy farmers in business,” read a letter written by Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift addressing the Commission. “The Compact is a vehicle that funnels those increased prices directly to the farmer.” (Attachment 25-4l)
The
Commission heard from two state legislators, Representative Dan Bosley (Attachment
31) and State Senator Steve Kulik (Attachment
30), who described the recent legislative process by which Massachusetts formally considered whether to
withdraw from the Compact. They related the
strong reaction that built and ultimately resulted in a resounding vote to remain in the Compact.
The
Commission heard at this meeting from the environmental community. Economist Priscilla Brooks attended on behalf of the Conservation Law Foundation
(Attachment
28) and Carol Groom attended to present a Sierra Club resolution in
support of the Compact (Attachment
32). Dr. Brooks provided analysis of the linkage between farm viability and open space. Citing a study issued by the American Farmland
Trust, she
indicated that
“For every dollar in local revenues that farmland produces, on average only 40 cents in local expenditures for town services is required. On the other hand, for residential property, for every dollar in local revenue produced, an average of $1.09 in local expenditures is required. Farms are net revenue producers and subdivisions are revenue losers.” (Attachment 28-4s)
She also stated that the Conservation Law Foundation believes “The reauthorization of the Dairy Compact is the single most important New England land-use legislation Congress will take up this year.” (Attachment 28-4q)
James Putnam II from First Pioneer Farm Credit gave a lengthy assessment of the Compact from the perspective of a farm lender (Attachment 33). He described in detail the price regulation’s beneficial impact on farm profitability and viability. Mr. Putnam concluded that “In the absence of the Compact, the average New England producer would have had a significant cash flow deficit last year.”
Dr. Robert Yonkers appeared on behalf of the International Dairy Foods Association as part of the Commission’s ongoing review of the price regulation’s consumer impact. Dr. Yonkers criticized and critiqued Dr. Cotterill’s analysis, although he did not provide any alternative analysis (Attachment 35).