BERNARDSTON — The public is invited to Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust’s annual meeting at Will and Shalee Pratt’s protected farm, West Gate Farm at 80 Eden Trail, on Oct. 5.
The 33rd annual meeting will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and there will be live entertainment, a locally-sourced lunch and drinks, speakers, children’s activities, tractor hay rides, a tour of the farm and more.
“We’re grateful to the Pratts for hosting our annual meeting this year,” Mount Grace Deputy Director Emma Ellsworth said. “West Gate Farm is a breathtaking place to come together and celebrate Mount Grace’s accomplishments.”
Ellsworth said she hopes the community joins the celebration and gets involved in protecting more of the county’s land.
Last winter, Mount Grace protected the Pratt’s 50-acre family farm, which includes 10 acres in Greenfield. The Pratts said they are grateful for the land they were raised on, and while moving forward to protect their property felt a little intimidating at times, doing so with Mount Grace made the process work.
According to a Mount Grace press release, the organization has protected more than 33,000 acres in its 23-town region across northern central and western Massachusetts. However, a recently completed farm land inventory indicates that 90 percent of farm land in Bernardston and 60 percent in Greenfield are still unprotected.
Registration for the annual meeting is required and can be done at: mountgrace.org. You can also call Carol Mayer at 978-248-2055, ext. 15, or email her at mayer@mountgrace.org.
Tickets are $30 and that includes lunch and one drink ticket. Tickets are $10 without lunch.
For more information about the event, contact Cami Duquet at 978-248-2055, ext. 13, or email her at duquet@mountgrace.org.
Reach Anita Fritz at 413-772-0261, ext. 269 or afritz@gmail.com.