Non Profit plans purchase of Saloom Mill
Eryn DionNews Staff Writer
Patricia Stewart (left), President and Executive Director of North Country Sustainability Center, and Board Member Ann Bryant (right) pose in front of the Saloom Mill building on Colburn Ave in Garnder. The group hopes to purchase the building with the help of an investor and turn it into a food hub for local farmers.
GARDNER — The North Country Sustainability Center is looking to lay down roots in Gardner with the purchase of the old Saloom building on Coburn Avenue.
With the help of an investor, the group plans to open a multi-purpose facility, serving as a food hub for local farmers, as well as a studio for artists and exhibit space for local 4H volunteers.
“Everyone is feeling really cynical and down, “ said President and Executive Director Patricia Stewart. “So let’s do something good.”
The NCSC teased followers on Facebook, posting photos of various parts of the building and inviting people to guess the location of their new potential home. The mill, which was built in 1900, was previously owned by Saloom Furniture Company and has just under 24,500 sq. feet of space spread over two floors to accommodate Ms. Stewart’s expansive vision.
The food hub, which would take up most of the first floor, would give small, local farmers a place to come and sell their food without taking too much time away from their work.
“There’s no infrastructure in place for small farmers in Worcester county. There’s nothing. Never has been,” Ms. Stewart explained. “We have a lot of small farmers in this county, but they either have to go west or go east to go to markets, so it’s hard to stay in business”
Being able to provide that location, Ms. Stewart said, would be instrumental to the success of the area’s farms.
Artist studios and a wood shop are planned for the second floor, and classes on sewing and home repair would be offered. According to Ms. Stewart, the building itself offers ample opportunities for people to get hands on experience replacing windows and installing and maintaining insulation.
Also housed in the building, Ms. Stewart envisions an area for disabled veterans and autistic children to work with animals as a form of therapy something not offered anywhere else in the area.
Currently, NCSC is looking for an investor to help get the group on their feet in a new city.
“We’re hoping to find an investor who will buy the building and help us get started,” Ms. Stewart said. “And then we would buy it from them.”
The building is currently on the market for $225,000, and while NCSC has tried grants and fundraising, but most applications require a building and a way to match funds, two resources the group simply doesn’t have.
“We have been trying to do this as a grassroots, community thing,” Ms. Stewart said. “It’s very much an optimistic view of moving forward.”
“We can talk till we’re blue in the face, but we need a place to hang our hat,” she added.
NCSC was established in 2010 and is dedicated to providing fresh food and sustainability to the area. In 2012, they left their base in the Veterans Memorial School Building in Ashburnham after a dispute with the Board of Selectmen over unpaid rent. In addition to the food hub they’re looking to establish, they also operate a commerical kitchen in Fitchburg.
Down hear on the lower forty this article brings pure joy to my heart. Almost every problem we have from the brakedown of the family to drug overdoses to the destruction of our nation seems to me to be because we have gotten away from our roots and the land that has always nurtured us. Many thanks to all the people who have kept the farming spirit alive and well here in Templeton. Hope this project has everyone's support or projects like it.
ReplyDeleteWith the bad drought in the western states, especially California, food prices will only go up in the supermarkets. If people are able to grow a few things for themselves this summer and can or freeze them this will give them a step in saving some money for the next winter. Buying local produce goes a long way in helping the people who grow, and it helps the buyer as well. I wish these ladies well. Bev.
ReplyDeleteBev - notice the words "non profit". That means they could apply for and receive a property tax exemption. How do you balance the perceived "good" done by this organization against the unfairness of taking the property off the tax roles? Not everyone will choose to buy inefficiently produced goat milk and cheese. But everyone will need to pick up this business' share of the tax burden.
DeleteIf there are laws that let these people do this, more power to them. Myself I think it will be a very hard goal to reach, especially if they think they will stay open in the winter. During the summer most farmers go to markets where they will have a good number of people interested in buying. Produce spoils fast, refrigeration and lights cost money, so to stay afloat, it is not going to be a easy task. If these people have the gumption to give them a shot, let them do it. Until then I suppose someone will pay the taxes, or they will be paid eventually. If they can pull this off, it would be better than another empty building. Bev.
DeleteHi Mark,
ReplyDeleteWhy get all over Bev for supporting a local tax exempt organization? If the NFL is tax exempt and the taxpayers pick up the tab for that "charity", the tax payers picking up the tab for local, sustainable food isn't that bad of an idea.
As long as these people can keep the prices affordable it would work, but if they think they will get Boston prices, then they will have a hard time getting anyone to sell there, or the people will not buy. Bart and I did a farmers market in Melrose Mass every Thursday for years, and a market in Waltham on Saturdays. We were very successful but it was a lot of work. We treated the people fairly and they had a lot of respect for us. It takes time to build a market, new people would come and set up once or twice, then give up. You can't do that, if you are going to be there, then you do have to be there, rain or shine. Bev.
DeleteDon't know how my comment could be misconstrued that I got 'all over' Bev. I was merely stating my opinion, which used to be encouraged here. Producing goat milk is fine as long as you don't get tax exempt status to support that hobby.
ReplyDeleteI think that whole NFL issue is a red herring. The teams are for-profit and subject to tax. It has become one of the latest fashionable 'outrages'.
Mark, I'm good. Bev.
DeleteDon't know how my comment could be misconstrued that I got 'all over' Bev. I was merely stating my opinion, which used to be encouraged here. Producing goat milk is fine as long as you don't get tax exempt status to support that hobby.
ReplyDeleteI think that whole NFL issue is a red herring. The teams are for-profit and subject to tax. It has become one of the latest fashionable 'outrages'.
It would be nice to help out local farmers with a location to sell their food that will result in more sales. Knowing where and how your food is grown allows the buyer a better understanding of what he is eating. Having a market like this might inspire more people to take a chance of growing something they believe might sell. We have a right to farm bylaw, this seems like the type of endeavor that would go hand in hand with that by-law.
ReplyDeleteMost but not all that have " farmer" status are doing it strictly for the tax advantage and are not producing anymore than they need to to stay in compliance.
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm the Pat Stewart from the article. I am very glad to find this site, and welcome the comments. If we are successful in getting this building, we will pay utilities, and some payments in lieu of taxes. We'll also be providing places for others to build their businesses, which will increase their contributions to the tax rolls and to the community. As for those who are farming, such as myself, I know I don't farm because of any tax advantages. I don't get much of a tax break. But I do get fresh food, fresh air, a sense of accomplishment and the joy of making my own rules to work by. The farmers will set their own prices, and if they are too high, they won't be successful. But this is not a project for "us" to make happen. If we are going to have the community and choices that we all want, we all need to pitch in to make this happen. Thank you for this opportunity.
ReplyDelete