APPLES IS HERE! 

 

To our Little Compton Community and Supporters,

To Our Little Compton Community and Supporters,

Young Family Farm extends a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has backed our two-year pilot proposal. We are deeply grateful for the encouraging messages and the 900+ petition signatures submitted to the Town Council supporting limited farm-hosted events.

Since early spring, our family has participated in numerous Town Council and Planning Board meetings to establish a clear, regulated framework for farm-promotion accessory uses. In response, the Town Solicitor drafted a proposed zoning ordinance amendment. Following an initial negative recommendation from the Planning Board on July 7th, we formally appealed and submitted a comprehensive pilot program packet designed to address local concerns.

Because the July meeting had procedural notice issues, the proposal was referred back to the Planning Board for a September 1st hearing. Over a hundred community members attended in support. At that hearing, the Head of the RI Division of Agriculture testified that our plans received state approval, fully align with property easements, and do not conflict with the development rights deed overseen by the ALPC. The RI Farm Bureau also confirmed that our proposal aligns with state agritourism and Right to Farm principles.

Rather than taking a new vote, the Planning Board referred the matter back to the Town Council without an updated recommendation. On September 19th, the Council took formal procedural steps to receive the report and refer the broader zoning amendment for legal review, leaving existing zoning rules unchanged.

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Questioning the Process and Our Decision to Withdraw "Without Prejudice"

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Despite our formal appeal and updated pilot packet, town leadership determined that the upcoming November hearing would revert strictly to our initial application.

This forces us to ask: Where is the leadership in supporting a family farm that has served this community for 30 years? Why did leadership align with a small handful of naysayers while setting aside state-level approvals, our updated packet, and the overwhelming majority of constituents—including over 900 signers—who voiced support?

Faced with a process that disregards community input—and amidst threats from opposing neighbors to tie our farm up in costly court litigation—our family has made the decision to formally withdraw our Special Use Permit application "without prejudice."

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Why We Chose to Withdraw

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We believe the Town Council and Planning Board leadership engaged in political maneuvering designed to stall our progress and pacify both our family and the hundreds of community members who backed us. In the end, leadership prioritized the objections of a small minority over the broader community’s will. Governance that undermines the future of local family farming must not be ignored. Knowing how our family was treated this year, we ask our community to think carefully about who you vote into office this November.

By withdrawing "without prejudice," we retain the legal right to reapply should circumstances or ordinances evolve. While this chapter is closing for now, our commitment to Little Compton remains unchanged.

"Farming is a profession of hope. The farmer has to believe in a future he can't see." — With heartfelt gratitude to all our supporters,

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The Young Family

Young Family Farm