Ag panel advances livestock emergency plan

Agricultural Commission · Meeting of October 28, 2026

HUBBARDSTON — The Hubbardston Agricultural Commission approved its June 24 minutes and spent most of its October 28 meeting refining a draft animal emergency preparedness plan. Secretary Catherine Hansgate said large-animal veterinary practice Equidoc agreed to respond to town emergencies, noting "we have 24 vets on call," and proposed a two-year written agreement formalizing that help. The commission built a supply list for a pending grant tied to a current $300 town allocation, including 20 lead ropes, five tarps and roughly 16 animal blankets, while avoiding perishable items.

Members discussed outreach to Country Hen, a local egg farm, and reviving a defunct town livestock registry through emergency coordinator Judy O'Donnell. Member Mary Varteresian agreed to look into reviving a farm-to-school day program. The commission set its next meeting for December 9 and adjourned after a unanimous vote.

In the full story:

• Minutes and Old Business
• Animal Emergency Preparedness Plan
• New Business: State Agriculture Data and Agritourism Reporting
• Mass Farm Bureau Update
• Farm-to-School and Labor Discussion
• Scheduling and Adjournment
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 1,742 words

Source: the Agricultural Commission meeting of October 28, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.