Help Cranberry Farmer Fight Town Hall Injustice

Hi everyone, I’m Chris Wilson, owner of Fresh from the Vine farm stand and operator of the Rt28 Cranberry bog in West Yarmouth. Starting this Go Fund Me was such a hard decision being so difficult for me to ask for anything at all. I’ve run out of options and now need legal help. Since July I have been battling Town Hall against the placement of a large sewage pump station planned to be installed 15 feet from our farm stand and 25 feet from our agricultural wetlands. 

   It started in early July when I received an extremely vague abutters notice regarding the wastewater system. I quickly started making phone calls and researching what was planned. In doing so, I gained knowledge of this massive sewer component being so close to our farm. I started asking questions and throwing up red flags as I became aware of the environmental risks of this sewer component. I noticed in the site plan that corners were cut, such as the large deteriorating retaining wall between the farm property and neighboring property of the proposed site had no plan to be replaced. I learned it’s the responsibility of Yarmouths conservation commission to oversee the environmental safety of this planned site. On August 15, the Conservation Commission met to discuss this sewer component, the conversation lasted less than 5 minutes with no concerns at all. 45 minutes before this meeting, I received an email deterring me from attending. The first of many attempts to keep me uninformed. I discussed my concerns with the conservation administrator, the engineers that designed it and left several voicemails with the DPW about these issues. All were ignored. Not only was I ignored for my concerns, the town hall began to retaliate by ramping back up zoning violations that started the previous year for my living situation. Threats of court action without even giving me a chance for appeal. 

  On September 15th I posted my first video asking the public for help against Town Hall. My emails to officials were ignored, my requests for meetings were dismissed. I needed help. On September 24 conservation approved the Sewer Pump Site without any additional discussion from the previous meeting. On October 11, I started a petition to move the Sewage pumps away from our farm. As the petition became more popular, Town Hall put more pressure on me for my living situation. Placing criminal charges against my family through the building department. 

October 15th I met with Town Administration to finally discuss my concerns. October 24, administration makes a public announcement twisting my words and concerns. Shortly after, they release a public statement. “No Environmental Impacts” it reads. 

November 4th, I submit the petition for special town meeting. November 12th the petition is approved and a select board meeting held to discuss. I attended the meeting and exposed all flaws, deception and dishonesty of the town officials. Audio to the meeting was “lost” 

A date set for special town meeting December 9th. They were angry about it. 

November 19th, I attend my first town meeting unrelated to my issues, a light crowd discussing the movement of millions of dollars. The same day, the select board votes against my petition article. November 22, they release a rendering of the proposed pump station site, focusing on the small electrical shed. A minor part of this massive component. The rendering was a total deception of what it will actually look like. Missing key pieces such as the 3 foot rise in elevation, blocking the farm and making conditions unsafe to access the farm and farm stand. That same week Yarmouths Health department files a complaint for a shower in the barn that they knew about a year prior. Rumors start spreading throughout town hall of me contaminating my farm from an “illegal cesspool”

December 2nd I meet with town officials and wastewater engineers to discuss my concerns. The engineers agree with my points and don’t back the towns “No Environmental Threat” statement.  

Throughout the week leading to town meeting, I had some constructive back in forth with the town moderator be approved to speak. The Town Clerk denied my right to vote and did not accept me as a town resident in order to prevent me from speaking at town meeting. What started at 3 minutes of free speech, end with the moderator granting me rights to present my case. 

December 9th Town meeting was held. 

Just an hour before the meeting, the select board met privately, I attended. They discussed a legal loophole to deem the article to move the pumps “Non-binding” then considered not allowing the public to discuss. Luckily they were convinced otherwise. Town Meeting was held. After article 1, my petition article 2 started. I gave my presentation with great success. The DPW director followed with more detail of the importance of the entire sewer system than facts pertaining to the one large component in question. We all know the importance of the sewer project, it’s this location on the Pumping station that’s massively concerning. Questions and concerns followed by the public, deemed strictly to stay on topic and couldn’t discuss alternative locations. Except one town “volunteer” that was pre staged to give a comment of why the town could not use they’re own land across the street.. concerns by supporter were dismissed, scare tactics put in place by a very aggravated Select Board. Tax money and exaggerated costs pushed onto the public in a gross manner. Then revealed a Massive flaw in the towns planning. The site of the proposed sewer pumps had yet to be obtained by the town! They don’t control the land of which they already contracted work to be preformed! Yikes. The vote gets jumbled a few times by a confused public from the moderators guidance. It goes to count and the infamous Hot Mic Moment happens. A town official states “God, Im so sick of these people.” 

Under a very questionable count, the article passes, Non-binding”. 

This story dives much deeper and far more scary but I’ll leave it with this. If you have any questions, concerns or would like to know more. Feel free to reach out to me through social media or my email

[email redacted]

Thank you so very much for taking the time to read and for your support against this injustice! 

Any thoughts, questions or advice will be extremely helpful and highly appreciated.