Chris Wilson's Fight to Save Fresh From the Vine: A Cape Cod Farmer’s Battle Against a Wastewater Project

where Stephanie never read the right book and Stephanie was terrible at this book I really suo at book club I did not fabulous I'm what I just had a visual I just had a visual I had a proud of it hello and good morning I'm I am really excited to talk to you Chris I know you're less than uh just given the situation that's going on it has been tough that's for sure uh so you were recently on television yes yeah right so we've got Chris Wilson here he is the owner uh from fresh on the vine from the vine rather and um maybe talk about your family your farm the the business in which you run yeah absolutely so it's been uh my whole life uh my father bought the property that we were farming from in '89 um I've I've lived on it farmed on it literally my entire life uh it's my home um it was 2018 that I really took a loving to it uh there was a bit of financial issues with it where the farm was in pre-foreclosure um that's when I opened the Farm Stand you see there today so smart yeah it was a a huge help we we did some roadside for a while uh we started that in 2012 um and it was pretty much just sunny days the weekends if whenever we could and uh it really took off and showed that we could do something there and so um in 2018 I built the Farm Stand that's there today and um it helped out massively uh it took a bit more I had to to sell my my home uh move down to the farm to really invest everything in it to get it out of the Foreclosure state um and it worked I mean it it took some time it took some effort but it yeah well that's that's farming to a tea you're not alone and it's like the struggles that everyone is going through right now to try and stay in this 2024 here absolutely to farm and and there are so many good morning Miss Emily there are so many people that are really just trying to to exist feed people do their job you got a lot going on yeah already it's it's a passion really it's of course it doesn't make too much money U but it it's a love for it yeah I can't think of anything else at you did a good job of grabbing our attention for sure at the the mashby farmers market I saw your post and I was like I want their cranberries I want to resell them at the market let's go let's go check them out so it was the first day and you were out there dry harvesting uh with another gentleman and I'm walking around and it was just such a beautiful day really we were so lucky to have this day and my husband and I are walking around the bog and we ran into your dad and your your dad's dog and oh my gosh so cute and so he just started talking and he's like enjoy you know this is my land but enjo like enjoy it of course yeah we like to open it up to the public during The Fall season uh every day uh free of charge and come down see what we do honestly it's so beautiful they're in West Yarmouth they're um just in just such a quintessential Cape Cod spot absolutely uh actually that Farm's been in operation for over 140 years uh it it's still original vine to to that too so so we were so excited uh we we grabbed the Cranberries they flew like hot cakes everybody was really pumped I was telling everybody have you been there I don't know why I've never been there it was just one of those things where you live in your little Cape Town and you stay in your little Cape space you know and you don't really venture out a little bit so I was excited to go and then um and and then town meeting happened I recently took the job of executive director of The Bash chamber of Commerce so I was thrust into town meeting for my first time and I was with kind people welcoming me this is what you do this is how you say things this is where you stand Stephanie you do this you did not have that me2o experience recently not a clue what to do I mean there was no guidance to it whatsoever so you're running this Farm you finally figured out a way to make things work we're we're doing it we're making it his whole family by the way is there working at the farm stand with the kids it's just like everybody's pitching in yes which is how it's and literally just family and very close friends and you inspired me to get my little Hoop de camper to now be the farmers market vehicle I was like why did we not do this before this thing's been sitting over there so I was like truly inspired spray painted the thing yellow it's now it's now the farmers market vehicle perfect repurpose uh totally so uh we we were having this conversation and then your dad starts telling me about your legal troubles and this just started in July August yes um it first started with the abutters notice for the pumping station it was very vague didn't really have any um dates on it of what was happening or what it was even and so I started diving in and researching you know what what are they putting so close to us and it happened to be a quite they they keep referring it to as this this small shed but it's it's far more than that it's this massive pumping system to move uh sewage 25 fet away from the bogs Edge waste water 25 fet away from his livelihood his farm yeah uh a lot of moving components with this uh it's on Max buildout it'll be moving up to 2,300 gallons of uh waste water per minute yeah I mean it's it's nothing small that's for sure um and a lot could go wrong in that situation uh it just doesn't make any sense why I put it so close to Wetland I mean it's not only is it our our farm but it's agricultural Wetlands I had heard about it when I was touring the farm and I left my name and my phone number and I was like please reach out to me I really want to talk to Chris and and get this going but it wasn't until I actually watched you at town meeting with the the shed as they're referring to it as sitting there with a PowerPoint presentation that I was like this poor guy like he's a farmer a CL what to do he does not want to do this that was that was probably one of the harder things in my life to have to to get through um I I've never done anything like that before yeah I mean the last time I did a PowerPoint was in high school and right uh I'm not a a computer person at all I actually had to dust off my computer I had to do a full factory reset just to get it to work right but I mean this is this is what a farmer does right this is my situation and we're g to fix this situation exactly right so he dusted off the computer did his factory reset put together this powerpo presentation and then not only do you have to go acoss this massive panel for this special town meeting y but now you're going to stand in front of a million people at town I mean thankfully most of them were supporting you yes there was a a lot of support there which was awesome um again no no real guidance from any Town officials I I did get a lot of help from the moderator kind of hey this is how you're going to do it this is what you have to do yeah good and these are the parameters you have to stick to um so I I was unfortunate to have such little time to talk but fortunate enough to actually be able to give my own presentation there was a a point in time where they weren't going to let me talk at all yeah uh stating that I'm not a Yarmouth resident in the town that I've lived in my entire life honestly I I don't understand so I'm watching this I'm watching it for we I'm sucked into town meeting you make your presentation and then what is it the DPW guy made his presentation yeah the director of the DPW um and there are five pumping stations that they're putting in West for a long overdue thing that needs to be addressed for sure y definitely uh but what stuck out to me was the fact that they made it non-binding which means no matter what you said it wasn't the place for you anyway exactly so like and they didn't tell us about that until that day it was literally minutes before oh so you didn't even know oh not a clue it was it was so you thought okay we're mounting this big conversation we're GNA have to come to my defense right and then you get there and you're told it doesn't matter anyway but go ahead and say what you want yeah exactly it's so condescending yeah it was it was pretty tough I was in the uh the select board meeting uh just minutes before that that town meeting and the things that they were saying were were quite scary actually they were contemplating not letting anybody talk about it and just saying that hey you know it's it's going to be non-binding regardless so we're just gonna you know dump the article uh luckily they were able to uh be convinced of hey you you should probably let the public speak their at least give their thoughts on have there been that many people showing up to a town meeting ever in must armouth I went to the 2019 town meeting and uh not the 20 the the November 19th special town meeting and there was about half the amount of people there um and they were talking about moving millions of dollars and and and nobody really involved it seemed like it was just the same group of people that are always involved um which was kind of sad to see so it was nice to see it uh at our special town meeting that so many more got involved and I hope they continue to get to get involved 100% because we I've been saying it till it blew in the face that you need to start showing up younger people people that are like it doesn't matter I don't matter you do matter especially at the local level is where things we do really matter that's where you can make a difference yeah I mean everybody wants to complain about government uh but government politics but you know if you really want to make a difference get involved in your town hall yeah so here you are showing up to this meeting giving your presentation the rebuttal is nonsensical no on the cape and you mounted a really good not that it should be a defense but it was a conversation of like why is this nowhere else nowhere else is it 25 feet away from a wetland are you putting this everything else every other pumping station is at least 200 feet at least isn't that the rule uh well it's a 100 foot is a setback okay um so that's actually what we were kind of hoping for is to get it moved to at least that 100 foot setback yeah uh just to to keep any any kind of contamination that could possibly happen of course you know there's a lot of safety measures in place for the for the pumping stations um but nothing's guaranteed correct and so one good storm exactly yeah uh and it could be devastating it could shut us down for good um and any contamination like that yeah and so it's a it's quite scary that there was no give or take it was just we're putting it there too bad more to the conversation is the fact that the town said it doesn't matter what you say you go ahead and say what you're going to say but that we've already spent we've already given the money to a contractor they've already been guaranteed this money oh yeah but we don't own the land that's that's one of the they don't have the easement right to the land yet I was like wait what yeah so I I'm I'm I don't know the so we can't change it we've already spent $222 million somebody yells out in the audience what's another million and they're not wrong no I mean in the scope of a project like that and you have to now figure out how much you're going to pay for this property that you've already decided a project is going there how does how does that work I don't have a clue the legality of it we're just going to build here because we want it there we don't own it yet but we will right and and so it's it's kind of going into a bidding war now of of how much they're GNA pay for that that land and they still don't have when they could just move it exactly I'm sure the spots aren't and I know I'm saying it callously that you can just move it I'm sure it's going to be a to-do regardless oh yeah I mean it'd have to be re-engineered um but it's not like they have to buy new components or anything like that I mean everything is going to be the exact same as all the other units right they just have to reconfigure where it could go I mean there's no reason why they couldn't move it to their own townland or even there's even locations on that same property that they're talking about that are away from the 100 foot uh set back line yeah um and and making it much more safe area to put it and you know not 15 feet from the Farm Stand and 25t from the bogs Edge yeah exactly and I loved the fact that you were talking about access it is such a beautiful Vista it is a place that is accessible to all people can walk around it comfortably in this juncture now you're saying that with this shed there that people are going to have to walk 150 like if you're handicapped and you can't walk you've now blocked off all of those spots for them absolutely it makes it a much more it's not accessible a much more difficult thing and then when they put out their their rendering of it uh and then say you know you can only do so much with Photoshop but it's like rendering is not even close to how it's supposed to look they completely left out the three-foot elevation rise which will not only uh make it dangerous to access the farm and Farm Stand but also it will uh block off views from 28 of the bog yeah just because of the rise in elevation um so yesterday you you've got a mount of Defense to this right I mean you basically went to tell you you've done what you could now you've got to defend yourself there are more special Town meetings now lawyer meetings yes um not only are we dealing with the problems with the pumping station we're also dealing with personal problems with Town Hall uh because of my living situation so this is all new because they've opened this can of worms and you fought back instead of just quietly dis just accepting it I believe so yeah um which is is quite scary I mean they're coming after us with criminal charges for building violations for uh stuff that was done when the barn was built yeah but yet they they don't have any permitting uh copies of anything from when the barn was built we did have it permitted in 98 this is 150 year old business it's like it it doesn't make any sense it's just I I feel I feel personally attacked because I questioned them yeah and I I I've come to the point where I don't know what else to do now yeah I I hear you and this is I'm so glad that you're here talking to us because maybe somebody out here can find a a a a lawyer I know you're mounting a defense right now he's got a go fund me right now if you're here and watching this drop you know 10 bucks in there drop 20 bucks in there every little bit helps I know that um we've got a couple of lawyers that might be good at this for you that I can try and connect you with absolutely um just if you know of someone if you can think of some way to address this or assist Chris please do so because this is a family this is a farming family and farming's hard enough uh this should be your off seon actually this should be a Christmas season the the farming aspect of this fight is the easiest part of it right now that you're looking back at it you're like I wish I was back there just you know exactly quietly picking my cranberries by myself instead of going to town meetings but I mean it it does open my eyes to you know a younger generation definitely needs to get more involved in town hall that 100% well um because of a newer select person that decided to begin this a hot mic situation happened to you yes this is why people are you're now actually getting national attention absolutely uh a sad that that's what it took it's unfortunate right but uh what what good and bad timing I guess it would be um and what was the words that were set on a hot mic by a select human being God I'm so sick of these people right how does that make you feel when you're in a space that you feel like this I'm wronged I'm sticking up for myself I'm showing up and now now I'm annoying to you it's and not just me but like everybody that supports the farm it's so you're sick of the people that support a farm and think that this is a wrong location for a pumping station it yeah and then you know an apology was released but it seemed more of a uh an excuse because she has to right of you canot address it you got caught you're busted on a hot mic saying you can't stand the people in which you're supposed to be sticking up for and representing and that you know there's supposed to be non non-bias right right but like decided that hey no we're we're not uh accepting this article right away as soon as it was uh submitted they already had their no we're not we're backing and I do urge you and I will drop it after this live is over for you to watch this town meeting and and take stock of it for yourself I mean really watch how you were treated I know that people tried to explain to you why it's not going to be moved right I was like but none of it makes sense I understand it's more expensive but can't the town just say you know what we made a mistake this is probably not the best place to do this you would think so especially you know with some of the the the things that weren't taken into consideration one of my bigger concerns was the retaining wall between properties uh it's it's that's cracked completely deteriorated I mean it's not holding back what it's what it's supposed to now and they want to put more on top of it and say it doesn't need to be replaced and I just feel like that area already is like a flood situation to begin with right and it's like it with conservation supposed to be in charge of that the Conservation Commission it if you tried to put a shed that close to to Wetlands it would be this massive problem this huge deal they would make you go through so many Loops to do it but yet this this huge component of a sewer system is is perfectly fine I mean they talked about it for under five minutes uh that's what bothers me the most because you know we meet and and people who meet don't do usually um all the time and it t it takes forever but this started in July and here we are December and it's like we've pushed it all through everything's done you have no say I've never seen anything move that fast in my life and it was approved September 24th by the conservation something stinks yeah big time and it's not the sewage like I don't know what it is and and I I brought up concerns well before that yeah there's a problem with this being so close there there's there's uh situations that aren't being addressed I mean that like I said that retaining wall is just it doesn't make any sense that there's you can't put that much more material on top of a already deteriorating wall yeah yeah good morning Tom Dave thanks for joining us hey Mark first to admit uh especially useless but I might ask you to oh there you go we can help way too many elected officials inject their own biases instead of facts Sarah thanks for joining us Ryan you're on the show we appreciate you Cindy thank you for checking in I've got Chris Wilson here he's from fresh from the vine and we're talking about his farm his cranberries and how the town is going to be building a wastewater treatment facility 25 feet away from where he has his livelihood that with one good storm could end his business for life it's so scary and I me one of the comments that was in the uh the special town meeting was um from the select chair stating that you know where do we get a rainstorm like this once every thousand years I mean girl you say that out loud it's happening this year you watch well it's like the look at the south I mean did they expect those rainstorms to come and and completely destroy everything yep Asheville North Carolina same thing they were protected forever we're safe forever you're not yeah exactly Mother Nature does what it wants and and so to say that this wouldn't be affected by by weather just is that's that's an insane statement and own yeah and now the Witch Hunt that has begun uh into your into your business and life and where you are which is really just It's upsetting uh so if you can donate to the GoFundMe it is a Facebook page fresh from the vine you can drive by their right by capabilities thrift shop and the Antiques and bagel store and take a ride take a look see what they're talking about with your own eyeballs uh and figure out a way that we can support Chris in this Venture uh and and watch the town meeting for yourself I it just really bothers me when you feel like your hands are tied and you're in this space and it's really for no no reason right that's it seemed like we wasted everybody's time to just doing that I mean everybody had so many concerns but yet they were just kind of pushed off to the side or uh weren't addressed in in any way they they kind of just said too bad yeah so where are you right now um lost yeah I I am uh it it was the hardest decision to to to start a GoFundMe yesterday um it was gotta do it it was the last thing I wanted to do um I was really hoping that the community could could fight against this without needing lawyers without having to get any legal terms involved but uh I I guess I don't have a choice well the year on population of Yarmouth isn't even that big you know what I mean what is it 25,000 Max I think 22,000 yeah yeah and I mean I'm sure and a lot of them are older absolutely yes so getting them to town meeting and to Rally behind you is really really difficult as it is right and uh they're very strict about who can speak there apparently with your little cards it was the wildest thing I've ever seen in my entire life I felt so disengaged from it was just the amount of people it was like a warboard room yeah and and it it seemed like uh coming from the select board it was more anger than anything else I mean like just just talking down onto the people instead of telling them hey you know this is why it's safe this is what the precautions are even the it wasn't a dialogue it wasn't and you would think that that's the way it would be right Emily wants to know what the town of Yarmouth residents can do to help um that's a it's a tough question I know just like start making phone calls I find it so difficult that there are three four maybe five federal grants to Save Cranberry Bogs right now yes yeah and here we are trying to build a toilet next to one a large one I like I I can't process this disconnect that's what I nobody can and and the only people that I I've talked to that said hey you know this is a good good location are people that work for the town hall and so anybody else and we have visitors from from honestly all around the world now of course we're known for our cranberries you are known for that view that is and it's so wonderful and I can't tell you how nice it was to just walk on your property your dad's like oh yeah this is mine I'm like oh my god do I belong here he's like no stay enjoy it I want you to be here we absolutely love all fall along we open the property up and and let anybody it's beautiful thank you it's um I spend a lot of time I care more about the the wildlife and the environment there than I do actually the crop uh I I grow a CLE clean uh working towards sustainable and Organic Crop um but it's the pollinators in the wildlife that are that I really care about 100% so you'll see as each year progresses um I'm adding more pollinator habitats more Wildflower beds uh even the the grass that surrounds the bogs is a mix of uh beautiful flowers and and just beneficial plants yeah you really do you are a steward of that area very much so and uh it's just go take a look at it and um if something jogs your brain if there's an ability for you to reach out out find somebody if you know people your Yarmouth residents fire them up about this because they need to start coming out and supporting our local farmers it bothers me so much I just the the average age of a cranberry farmer now I think is at 70 um and dropping fast I mean a lot of people through for the cape they they know you knowy I had this bog in my backyard that's now abandoned of course they are doing some restoration projects to they're trying awesome right the Department of Agriculture is really like doing all they can to Foster young Farmers young people getting involved starting this it's a it's a uh a hard life to get into especially if you're just focused on uh the commercial end of it the only thing that really keeps us moving is that Farm Stand if it wasn't for it we would have closed doors years ago we wouldn't had a choice so get out your wallets this holiday season and help them mount a defense for themselves I'm not quite sure what we can do but I mean if we keep being noisy that's that's the only thing that you can do is to keep continually on them because they're going to try and hurry up and push this through and I don't like that exactly they had a executive session last night which is closed doors to the public uh in discussion of the the parking lot in question um luckily the the new neighbors of the parking lot are very kind uh a very kind family that cares a lot about the environment and sees the benefit of the farm being there and understands that uh if we're no longer in operation you know he'll lose that view he'll lose that attraction to his to his rental businesses so uh with capabilities there uh his new printing shop and a few two other locations that are soon to be filled so it does have quite a draw for them yeah for sure especially in the fall yeah round you'll see in the spring tour bus is still stopped there just to get a look at the bog just to look at the vista of it uh and see hey this is where cranberry's grow well we're going to be following your situation Chris we want to help you your family as as much as we possibly can and uh thank you for coming on with us today thank you very much to mash PTV for hosting us Chris Ball we appreciate you uh Channel 1072 in HD if it's not working for you then you need a new box you can call 1800 Comcast and they will hook that up for you Chris Wilson fresh from the vine go and follow them on social media right now so you can keep up to date with what's going on and you're going to keep updating us as to the situation absolutely and any way that we can alleviate some stress figure something out and uh it's a tough holiday season already this is just mindboggling right now building a toilet next to a cranberry bog I'm like it sets me so much I'm sorry just there's no logic behind it I I the only thing I can think of of why this was the location to put it is because it was the cheapest option yeah yeah right um Ryan wants to know as your bog organic not yet but we are well on our way uh I hope for uh fully fully organic by 2028 per perfect Marty thanks for joining us noise is the best weapon you know yes and that's what we're going to do we're going to be noisy hello Miss Sherl thank you very much for joining us and Tammy we appreciate you today Chris Wilson uh his West Yarmouth fresh from the vine their Cranberry Bogs need your support and uh we need to rally for them so we thank you and have a great day everyone bye yes close this stream yes we're done here