Boston Flora

Tag: Newcomers

  • Massachusetts Agriculture Specialty License Plate

    Whether you drive a hybrid, pick-up, Hummer, or Smart Car, we all have to renew our license plates every two years. By reserving a Massachusetts specialty agricultural license plate, you will also help ensure a sustainable and vibrant agricultural community for generations to come. Proceeds from the renewal fee go to the Agricultural Trust Fund to fund programs and services to help the agricultural community of Massachusetts remain sustainable and vibrant for future generations. Order the “best-looking-specialty-license-plate-around” Ag Tag today! Contact Anna Waclawiczek at 617.626.1703 or Anna.Waclawiczek@state.ma.us for more information. The clock is ticking as the Agricultural Trust Fund tries to reach its goal of 1500 reservations. Once that goal is reached, the Registry of Motor Vehicles will begin production of the plates.
    As of September 2009 they are over halfway there. . As they work towards reaching our number, they thank their “early adopters” for their patience and perseverance. To newcomers they hope you will consider making an investment that says you support “Go locally grown!”

    Benefits:
    • Help preserve 520,000 acres of open space and the beauty
    • Protect 13,545 jobs and the value that local agriculture has on our economy
    • Help shrink our carbon footprint by reducing the distance our food travels to market
    • Enjoy fresher and better tasting food and the security of knowing where your food comes from

    Proceeds from the sale of these plates will go to the Massachusetts Agricultural Trust Fund to support programs and services that help farmers remain on the cutting edge in today’s market i.e. innovative practices, research, improvements in managing resources, marketing, training and education. Proceeds will not be used to subsidize individual farmers or the state’s Department of Agriculture.

    It’s easy to sign up. Simply download and fill out the Ag Tag reservation form here [PDF]. Make out a check in the amount of $40 to the Registry of Motor Vehicles; mail both the completed form and check back to the Department of Agricultural Resources, Attn: Anna Waclawiczek, 251 Causeway St., Suite 500, Boston, MA 02114.

  • Thursday, July 23, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. – Landscape and Garden Tour of Hamilton House

    Take part in a special oportunity to learn about the landscape and gardens at Hamilton House, 40 Vaughan’s Lane, South Berwick,  Maine, one of the properties administered by Historic New England, with Regional Landscape Manager Gary Wentzel.

    After railroads made the region accessible in the late 19th century, coastal Maine became a fashionable destination for wealthy summer people. Many of the newcomers bought and restored the fine old houses built during the prosperous years following the American Revolution.

    In 1898, Mrs. Emily Tyson and her stepdaughter, Elise, purchased the c. 1785 Hamilton House, built on a magnificent site overlooking the Salmon Falls River. The Tysons flung themselves into a lifelong project to restore the house to its former glory. Influenced by literary imagery, including the writings of their neighbor and friend, Sarah Orne Jewett, they decorated with a mixture of elegant antiques, painted murals, and simple country furnishings to create their own romantic interpretation of America’s colonial past.

    $6 for Members of Historic New England, $12 for non-Members.  For more information and directions, log on to www.historicnewengland.org.