The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association is excited to announce our proposed slate of board members for 2026. MOFGA board members are honored to serve the organization alongside the thousands of volunteers who work year-round on committees and events throughout the state.

A list of MOFGA’s current board members is available here.

2026 Proposed Roster of MOFGA Board Members

MOFGA extends our deepest appreciation and respect to following board members for their service, as they conclude their terms: Sikwani Dana, Anna Shapley-Quinn, Ben Tettlebaum, Annie Watson, and Kessi Watters Kimball.

Slate of MOFGA board member candidates for election in 2026 to three-year terms (see bios below): 

• Francis Boero
• Heather Flor Cron
• Ben Duffy
• Sarah Littlefield
• Everett Ottinger
• Mitch Zuklie

Slate of MOFGA board officers for election in 2026 to one-year terms:

•  President: Margaret Hathaway
• Vice President: Ivonne Vazquez
• Treasurer: Seth Kroeck
• Secretary: Abe Noyes

 Full board in 2026 if slate is approved by membership:

• Francis Boero
• Heather Flor Cron
• Ben Duffy
• Lucy Flores
• Emily Friedman
• Margaret Hathaway
• Craig Hickman
• Seth Kroeck
• Laura Lambert
• Martha Leggat
• Sarah Littlefield
• Alessia McCobb
• Abe Noyes
• Everett Ottinger
• Bradley Russell
• Ellen Sabina
• Ivonne Vazquez
• Stephan Wagner
• Mitch Zuklie

Bios of prospective new members:

• Francis Boero is a scientific and business specialist who returned to food science after more than 30 years in healthcare and research. He holds degrees in information science and physics from the University of Southern California, with additional studies in microbiology and process validation at the University of Minnesota and an International Business Certificate from the Theseus Institute in France. After 21 years with Johnson & Johnson, he became a certified food scientist committed to local food systems. He now works regionally with cannabis edibles processors and start-up food operations, and serves on the MOFGA Certification Services committee.
• Heather Flor Cron is an artist, storyteller, community organizer, land steward, farmer, and tía who fights for el buen vivir of all people. Flor’s practice is grounded in the principle of Ayni, as passed down from her Andean ancestors. Ayni is the recognition that all life is interconnected, and to live in right relationship with the beings around us, we must practice reciprocity. Flor was raised by strong Indigenous women. By observing the way they revered food, she learned what love, community, and resilience are. Flor works with Presente! Maine as their food & land sovereignty program lead.
• Ben Duffy serves as assistant vice president of operational learning at Unum and has significant experience in education, human resources, and 501c3 management to offer. In addition to his professional work, he has been president of the Belfast Curling Club and a long-time board member of the Pine Tree Curling Club. Duffy has also served Camden, Belfast, Portland, and Brunswick in their cable franchise negotiations and management efforts. He lives on a homestead in Brunswick, with his wife and two sons, where they grow and preserve much of their food.
• Sarah Littlefield is the executive director of Maine Dairy Promotion Board and Maine Dairy & Nutrition Council, and works on behalf of Maine’s dairy farmers and processors to increase dairy consumption through science-based research and education. She serves on several boards and was recently appointed to the Maine Agriculture, Food System and Forest Products Infrastructure Investment Fund to represent the dairy industry. She holds a degree in dairy science from Vermont Technical College. She farms with her partner, Peter Castonguay, and his family, caring for 160 head of dairy cattle and managing around 500 acres of crops, pasture, and forest — all certified organic by MOFGA. 
• Everett Ottinger was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and traveled and studied in Asia and Europe. In 2009 he took a blind leap into Maine’s agrarian community. He worked his way around several MOFGA-certified farms and is an alum of MOFGA’s apprenticeship and journeyperson programs. Since 2014, he and wife Molly Crouse have grown Nettie Fox Farm in Newburgh, where they provide MOFGA-certified vegetables through summer and call community supported agriculture (CSA) program and at the Bangor Farmers’ Market, of which he is serving chair.
• Mitch Zuklie, chairman and chief executive officer of Orrick, is a seasoned business and legal advisor. He counsels innovative companies at all stages, as well as their founders, boards, advisors, and investors. He and his wife, Holly, have been married for more than 30 years. They have two adult children. Mitch and Holly spend time together on a farm in Brunswick. 

Each year MOFGA members in good standing vote on the proposed slate of new board members and current board members wishing to start a new 3-year term. If you need to renew your MOFGA membership or join as a new member before voting, you can do so here.

Cast your vote for MOFGA’s 2026 Board of Directors!

Voting is open now through MOFGA’s Annual Meeting, which will take place online beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, January 22, 2026.

Please vote now and stay tuned for a detailed meeting agenda and Zoom link.