Five Rivers Annual Meeting 2011
May 21, 2011 – Five Rivers held its 2011 Annual Meeting on May 21 at Carter Hill Orchard in Concord. After time to catch up with friends, the gathering began with remarks from Rob Larocque. Rob talked about how the property was protected, and the business of running the orchard. He reminded the audience of the importance of the work done by Five Rivers. Following Rob’s remarks, Jay Haines, Executive Director, provided the audience with a brief summary of Five Rivers’ activities this past year, and anticipated events going forward.
During the business meeting, we elected four new Trustees, Nick Coates of Belmont, Robyn Cotton of Concord, Danielle Kronk Barrick of Concord, and Ken Stern of Canterbury. Elected for a second term were Ted Diers of Concord and Melinda Gehris of Hillsborough. The Trustees also honored three Trustees who are stepping down, William Chapin, Jr., Steve Lee, and Mark Zankel. The program included a presentation by Commissioner of Agriculture Lorraine Merrill. Ms. Merrill is also the co-owner of Stuart Farm, a 270-acre dairy enterprise with 240 milking cows and nearly 200 head of young cattle. Commissioner Merrill spoke about agriculture in the state, the need to preserve agricultural lands, and her family’s experience with protecting their own farm. Her comments left us both encouraged and challenged to continue to focus on the need for sustainable agriculture in the state.
After the program, members toured the cider press and took the opportunity to walk on the trails at the property.
