State Legislature Approves Waltham Field Station Purchase

If the governor approves the bill, the land will be preserved for agricultural, open space, and recreational purposes.

In April, the City Council approved a $17.4 million purchase and sale agreement proposed by the mayor. After that, the attention turned to Beacon Hill and the passage of legislation authorizing the sale. (Jenna Fisher/Patch)

By Jenna Fisher, Patch Staff
Nov 19, 2020 9:00 am ET

WALTHAM, MA —The Massachusetts Senate and House approved legislation authorizing Waltham to purchase the current UMass Field Station, a working farm that serves as a home to an array of local non-profits in agriculture, farming and sustainability.
"This legislation ensures that the fertile land at the field station will be limited to certain uses in perpetuity," said Waltham Fields Community Farm's Executive Director Stacey Daley. "We will protect the site's rich agricultural history and its vital open space for generations to come."

The bill now moves onto the governor's desk for his consideration and signature, the final step in the process of enacting a new law.

If the governor approves the bill, and legislators say there's no reason to believe he won't, the land will be preserved for agricultural, open space and recreational purposes.

This has been years in the making.