Policies

General Property Use Policies for all Visitors

Welcome to Land's Sake Farm, a nonprofit community farm operated on Town of Weston land in Weston, MA. Please respect our buildings and grounds and comply with our policies and staff requests at all times while on our property. We reserve the right to revoke any permissions granted or to request any visitor to leave the property. 

Visitor policies:

• Land’s Sake is open to the public during daylight hours only, and certain areas are closed seasonally. Please obey posted signs and do not enter growing fields.  Do not enter closed buildings, roads, paths, or restricted areas.
• Please supervise children with you at all times.
• Please be attentive to vehicle traffic in the parking lot, farm roads, and driveways.
• Dogs are welcome at Land’s Sake but must be kept on a leash at all times, and under control. Dogs are not allowed on growing fields under any circumstances or during any season. Pick up after your dog and remove waste for proper disposal off-site. Do not leave waste bags on our grounds.
• Do not disturb or remove any plants or flowers outside of pick-your-own areas. Do not disturb trees, nests, or animals without staff permission.No hunting, fishing, or trapping is permitted. 
• Do not litter. Take all trash with you for proper disposal off-site.
• Please respect any staff-approved private events taking place.
• Please do not annoy or disturb other visitors.
• No solicitation is permitted.
• Please respect our neighbors. Do not trespass onto abutting private property.
• Park in designated parking areas only. Parking areas are for visitor use only (others will be towed at owner’s expense).
• Horseback riding, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing are allowed, but please yield to farm staff and pedestrians.
• Our property is for passive recreational use only. Use of motorized vehicles, dirt bikes, ATVs, snowmobiles, motorized scooters/skateboards, or other similar items is strictly prohibited.
• Smoking, vaping, and all drug use (including marijuana products) is strictly prohibited.
• Bringing any alcoholic beverages on Land’s Sake property is prohibited unless approved by the Executive Director or their designee, in writing, as part of a Town-permitted special event.
• No drone use, grilling/BBQs, open fires, camping, or metal detecting without the prior written consent of the Executive Director.
• Due to risks they pose to wildlife, balloons are not permitted at Land’s Sake.

Unaffiliated gatherings:

• All gatherings of 12 or more people must be approved in advance by the Executive Director. Please contact the Land’s Sake business office for more info. For more information, see our Unaffiliated Events Policy document.

Professional use of Land’s Sake:

• All professional photographers and videographers must pay a single-day site use fee or be members of our Photographer Membership Program. Speak to our farmstand staff, or see our website for more information and/or to join.
• In addition, all photographers, videographers, and artists (creating works for personal or professional use) must comply with our Policies for Photography, Videography, and Works of Art

Assumption of Risk:

Enjoyment of our property and nature in general entails certain risks. Although we do our best to maintain our driveways, parking lots, walkways, and other features and structures on our property, there are many risks, some natural (weather, erosion, trees, wildlife, or other natural phenomena) and some human-made, that present themselves in the use of our property. Users assume full responsibility for their own actions and personal safety, as well as for those of any minor children or any pets, while using our property. Visitors to Land's Sake Farm assume all risks and agree to hold the Town of Weston and Land's Sake and its directors, staff, volunteers, and program/event hosts harmless from any and all liability arising out of such use. Land's Sake is further protected  against claims of personal injury or property damage suffered by visitors under M.G.L. c.21, Section 17(c).

Revisions:

Land's Sake reserves the right to update or revise these General Property Use Policies and other applicable policies from time to time in its sole and absolute discretion without notice and with immediate effect, and may close public access to the property at any time due to seasonal constraints, maintenance, or private events, or otherwise at its discretion.

Contact:

To contact our Executive Director or staff, please call the Land’s Sake business office at 781-893-1162, or email info@landssake.org.

Events Policy 

1. (An “organized activity” is any arranged gathering of greater than 12 people, or an activity or event that is planned to take place on Land’s Sake property.) Land’s Sake Farm is operated and maintained by Land’s Sake Farm (“Land’s Sake”) on land leased from the Town of Weston. Land’s Sake property may not be used by others for an organized activity of any kind without prior written agreement of Land’s Sake, as administered and enforced by Land’s Sake’s Executive Director and/or their designee(s).
   
2. Each organizer granted permission for an organized activity shall identify a primary contact person, and provide full contact details, who shall remain responsible for the activity, and shall have direct supervision of the activity through its conclusion.
   
3. Land’s Sake’s Executive Director may establish hours of use, parking limitations, security, specifications for sanitary facilities, and other such rules and regulations, for any organized activity on a case-by-case basis. In addition, all activities must comply with applicable federal, state, and town laws and regulations.  Violation of any of conditions, rules or regulations may result in the demand that the activity be closed and/or terminated immediately.

4. The Executive Director shall require evidence of casualty and liability insurance for each organized activity at the Executive Director’s discretion. In such instances, and prior to the organized activity commencing, proof of insurance shall be evidenced by an appropriate certificate, listing Land’s Sake Farm and the Town of Weston as additional named insured.

5. In general, for any organized event, the organizer must enter into a contract or other agreement  (function contract, event agreement, license agreement, etc.) to formalize any and all of the policies set forth herein as well all details concerning the approved activity (date, time, location, other terms and conditions).

6. At the conclusion of any activity, the organizer will be responsible to remove and/or dispose of all trash, equipment, and other personal property promptly upon conclusion of the activity. In all cases, the property used by the organizer must be restored to its original condition prior to the activity.

7. Any use of the names, logos, and other design materials associated with Land’s Sake are not permitted and may only be used with the express written permission of the Executive Director. In the absence of approved use of names, logos, and other design materials associated with Land’s Sake, all press releases, pamphlets, on-line media, and other literature or materials advertising or publicizing the activity and using the name of Land’s Sake or Land’s Sake Farm shall (a) be reviewed by the Executive Director in advance of the activity and (b) shall be limited to using the name and address of Land’s Sake for purposes of identifying the location of the activity. At no time shall Land’s Sake’s names, logos or other trademarks be used in the promotion of an event or otherwise used in a manner that implies sponsorship, affiliation, or advocacy on behalf of an organizer or its cause, unless such use has been approved in writing by the Executive Director.
8. For publicized events, all advertisements and announcements must include the words “This event is being held at Land’s Sake Farm under agreement with the Town of Weston, but is not a Land’s Sake or Town of Weston affiliated event.”

9. In making decisions about use of Land’s Sake property, the Executive Director must exercise good judgment in considering the proposed activity, keeping in mind the historic nature of the property, the permitted uses of the property, and Land’s Sakes’s clear mission. Every effort should be made to avoid permitting any activity on the property if, in the reasonable judgment of the Executive Directory and/or the Board of Directors, it might be viewed as off-mission, controversial, incompatible, or simply inappropriate and/or impractical for Land’s Sake. Where there is any question or doubt, the Executive Director may choose to consult the Board of Directors before making any formal arrangement for the proposed activity to obtain approval. 

Land’s Sake Property Use Policies:  Photography, Videography, & Works of Art

A. Introduction

We are proud that Land’s Sake Farm serves as a popular location for photographers and provides endless inspiration for artists.  However, being an active working farm operating on leased property managed by a nonprofit organization, we must balance the use of our property by others for commercial activities against our maintenance costs and, among other things, the use and enjoyment of the Farm by others. We also need to protect the valuable tradenames, logos, and good will of our organization. We have therefore instituted these policies for all visitors to our property taking photographs/videos (personal or professional) or creating works of art. 

For personal photography/videography, we do not require payment of a site use fee, but for professional photography/videography, we require either the purchase of a Day Permit or membership in our Photographers Membership Program, all as detailed below.

B. Personal Photography/Videography (No Fee Due) 

We welcome reasonable unlimited personal photography/videography on our property without payment of a site use fee, being respectful of any sanctioned professional photography sessions, formal events, functions, or program activity, or other visitor activity happening on the property at the same time. Personal photography means the taking of the photo/video does not involve the payment of a fee or other compensation to another party, or the resulting photo/video itself will not be sold, licensed, or used for financial gain or profit by any party. A common example of personal photography is the taking of photos (without someone getting paid) to capture memories of your visit or to share with your friends and family, including on social media.

However, if you are paying someone to take a personal photo (e.g., photos for engagements, weddings, graduations, yearbooks, family reunions, holiday cards, etc.), a site use fee is due as per the Professional Photography/Videography terms below. All personal photography must comply with our General Property Use Policies, below.

C. Professional Photography/Videography (Fee Due or Photography Membership)

We require that all professional photographers/videographers pay a single-day site use fee of (payable at the farmstand, or on our website) or be active members of our Photographers Membership Program for use of our property as a location for photo/video shoots. Receipts are available upon request. Professional Photography means (a) a party taking photos/videos requests or is paid a fee or other compensation, even if the resulting photo/video is for a client’s personal use (e.g., photos for engagements, weddings, graduations, yearbooks, family reunions, holiday cards, etc.), or (b) a photo/video taken on our property will itself be reproduced and sold, licensed, or used for financial gain or profit (e.g., sale of reprints or photo/video/image licensing, etc.). All professional photographers/videographers must visibly display either their Day Permit (available at the Farmstand) or their Photographers Membership Permit at all times while working on the property. 

PHOTOGRAPHY MEMBERSHIP & DAY PASSES

All professional photography must comply with our General Property Use Policies below. 

Photographers/videographers providing professional services for a Land’s Sake event are not required to pay a site use fee or be members of our Photographers Membership Program (but we would love you to join!).

D. Use of Property by Artists

The taking of photographs of our buildings or on our property by an artist for reference for an original work of art, or painting en plein air on our property (of less than 3 people in agroup), does not require payment of a site use fee. In addition, the sale of such original works of art, or any reproduction, does not require payment of a site use fee or license fee (the creator of the work will acquire copyrights in their works in accordance with applicable laws). However, any organized group of 3 or more people painting/sketching on our property does require prior arrangements with the Executive Director and a site use fee may be requested in such a case (depending on group size, location, dates, and other circumstances – please check with our office). If you are an artist who regularly finds inspiration on our property, we hope you consider joining our Membership Program to help support the care and maintenance of the Farm. All artists are required to comply with our General Property Use Policies below.

E. General Photography/Videography Property Use Policies

The following general property use policies apply to all personal and professional photographers, videographers and artists using Land’s Sake property:

1. Compliance:
Land’s Sake, which includes all our buildings and grounds, is a private, non-profit organization operating on land leased from the Town of Weston. Land’s Sake is overseen by a Board of Directors and a professional staff charged with closely monitoring and enforcing the way in which the buildings and grounds are used. Please respect our buildings, fields, grounds, rules, and policies at all times while on our property. Please also do not stand on buildings, walls, roofs, or enter restricted, non-public areas of the property. We reserve the right to revoke any permissions granted for violation of our rules or policies or to request any visitor to leave the property.

2. Scheduling:
Our buildings’ appearance and our natural landscape are an attractive backdrop for photos and artwork, and we strive to balance that interest with those of the casual visitor as well as the expectations of parties with scheduled events on our property. Any professional photography/videography or group artists’ session should be arranged or approved in advance with the business office (info@landssake.org; 781-893-1162), to avoid any conflict with pre-arranged functions, events, workshops, field trips, or other sessions. All personal photography or artists on site must defer to any other scheduled events or sanctioned professional photography occurring at the same time at the same location on the property.  

3. Props, Personal Property, and Trash:
Small portable, removable props, tripods, stands, easels and other photography/artists supplies are permitted to be brought and used on our property but under no circumstance should any item be taken into a farm field or attached to or cause damage to any of our buildings or grounds. Land’s Sake assumes no responsibility or liability for any items brought to, used on, or left on our property. All visitors must also remove all items they bring onto the property and remove all their trash when leaving the property.

4. Drones: 
No aerial drone usage is permitted at any time without the prior written/email approval of the Executive Director. Drones present privacy issues and disturb other visitors, farm animals, and events happening on our property. Please contact the business office to schedule drone usage. In all cases drone usage must also comply with applicable federal, state and town laws and regulations.

5. Copyrights:
Persons who take photos or videos on our grounds or who create original works of art that include images of our buildings will acquire copyrights in their works in accordance with applicable laws, and are not required to pay a license fee for use of images of our building, but must comply with image, tradename, and trademark use restrictions below.

6. Use of Images in Photos, Videos and Artwork:
Notwithstanding copyright ownership by the creator (photographer, videographer or artist), Land’s Sake does not authorize the use of any photo, video, or artwork which includes images of any of our buildings in connection with the promotion, marketing, or sale of any product, service, event, organization, or commercial activity or which implies endorsement by or association with Land’s Sake, without the prior written agreement of the Executive Director. In addition, tradename restrictions below apply.

7. Use of Tradenames & Logos:
For any photograph, video or artwork that includes images of our buildings or grounds, the use of the names “Land’s Sake Farm” and/or “Land’s Sake” may only be used with such works to identify a building or location in the title, caption, or description of that work, but not in any way to exploit or monetize the tradenames or good will of Land’s Sake. No license or other rights are granted to any person under these policies to use the names “Land’s Sake” or “Land’s Sake Farm” for any purpose other than to identify a building or location in the title, caption, or description of a work. In addition, in no case may any of our logos be used with any photograph, video, or work of art without the prior written agreement of Land’s Sake’s Executive Director.

8. Products and Merchandise: 
The manufacture, distribution, or sale of any product or merchandise (e.g., calendars, notecards, T-shirts, mugs, plates, keychains, ornaments, souvenirs, etc.) with images of our buildings or grounds in combination with the use of our tradenames or logos is strictly prohibited without the prior written agreement of Land’s Sake. The tradenames and logos of Land’s Sake are proprietary and protected assets. No party may use our tradenames or logos or images of our buildings to promote or endorse a product, service, organization, or activity without the prior written agreement of Land’s Sake’s Executive Director.

9. Assumption of Risk:
All photographers, videographers, their clients, artists, and other visitors to our property assume all risks and agree to hold the Town of Weston, Land’s Sake, its Directors, and staff harmless from any and all liability or claims arising out of any access or use of Land’s Sake buildings, grounds, or property. Land’s Sake is further protected by M.G.L. c.21, Section 17(c).

Professional photographers and videographers are responsible to ensure they are protected by their own insurance policies while working on our property.  Please see our Unaffiliated Events Policy for more details and requirements in this regard.

10. Parking:
Please park in designated parking areas only.

11. Revisions:
Land’s Sake reserves the right to update or revise all policies from time to time in its sole and absolute discretion without notice and with immediate effect.

12. Other Policies:
Other policies applicable to general visitors to our property may apply.

13. Contact:
Please contact the business office for any questions or notices at 781-893-1162, or email info@landssake.org.