MOFGA’s staff, board of directors, and community members are working to drive systemic change towards a resilient, equitable, and thriving food system. Learn more about the people who make up MOFGA.
MOFGA staff work across departments to support farmers, empower people to feed their communities, and advocate for an organic future. To reach out to a member of our staff, please reach out to [email protected]. Interested in career opportunities at MOFGA? View job openings here.
For inquiries about the Common Ground Country Fair, reach out to [email protected].
For info on Fair merchandise and the Common Ground Country Store, contact [email protected].
Common Ground Country Fair Director
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Common Ground Country Fair Manager
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Common Ground Country Fair Kitchen Manager and Food Liaison
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For inquiries surrounding communications and outreach, contact [email protected].
For advertising in the Maine Organic Farmer and Gardener, email [email protected].
Communications Coordinator
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Content Creator and Editor (she/her)
Communications and Outreach Director
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Online Store Manager
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For questions about events, contact [email protected].
For all things volunteer related, including the Common Ground Country Fair, events, and year-round volunteers, email [email protected].
For our Low-Impact Forestry program, email [email protected].
For inquiries about the Maine Heritage Orchard, contact [email protected].
Community Engagement Coordinator
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Orchard Specialist
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Low-Impact Forestry Specialist
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Landscape Coordinator
Community Education Director
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Orchard Program Manager
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Educational Programs Coordinator
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Programs Director
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Beginning Farmer Programs Specialist
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Organic Crop and Conservation Specialist
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Organic Marketing and Business Specialist
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Climate Smart and Organic Transition Specialist
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Farmer Programs Manager
Organic Dairy and Livestock Specialist
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For questions about membership, contact [email protected].
For questions about certification, contact [email protected].
Certification Specialist
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Staff Inspector
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Staff Inspector
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MCS Director
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Operations and Information Management Coordinator (she/her)
Operations Administrator and Inspection Program Manager
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Associate Director of Crops/MCS (she/her)
Materials Reviewer and MC3 Program Coordinator
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Contact Sarah Alexander, Executive Director at [email protected].
Executive Director
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Operations Director
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Constituent Experience and Database Manager
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Office Manager
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For questions about policy, contact Bill Pluecker at [email protected].
Public Policy Organizer
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Deputy Director and
Senior Policy Director
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A formal process exists for being nominated for election to the MOFGA board. Those interested in joining the board should discuss their interests with a current board member (see board profiles below) or indicate their interest by filling out this form. You can learn more about the nominations process here.
MOFGA members are welcome to attend board meetings. Please contact Sarah Alexander, MOFGA’s executive director, if you’d like information on attending. Read our governance and bylaws here.
Vice President, Executive Committee
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Executive Committee
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Executive Committee
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Treasurer, Executive Committee
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President, Executive Committee
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Secretary, Executive Committee
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Treasurer, Executive Committee
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Since the beginning of MOFGA, our work has been driven by our broad-based community of members, volunteers, farmers, farmworkers, producers, gardeners, advocates, and more! Read more about the communities that make up MOFGA.
MOFGA’s community is shaped by our members’ commitment to sharing experiences, expertise, and resources. Help us transform the food system by becoming a member today!
MOFGA was founded by a group of dedicated volunteers, and we continue to rely on the support of almost 2,000 volunteers each year. The collective impact of MOFGA’s volunteer community is awe-inspiring. Learn more about MOFGA’s volunteers and how you can get involved.
MOFGA farmers, farmworkers, producers, and program members are essential to our vision of a future where local organic farming nourishes all people, and sustains thriving ecosystems, healthy communities, and fair economies.
To get to know some of our MOFGA-certified producers, click here.
Media Inquiries:
Contact Jennifer Wilhelm [email protected]
Joshua Pavese lends aid to buildings and grounds personnel by completing planned builds and finishing pre-existing projects, including carpentry, painting, or just lending a helping hand to the MOFGA team.
Jason Tessier manages the buildings, grounds, and equipment at MOFGA.
April Boucher coordinates the Common Ground Country Fair, supervising Fair staff and working closely with the Fair planning team. She is responsible for Fair coordination; logistics; policies; guidelines; safety and emergency procedures; budget; and Fair diversity, equity, inclusion and justice work.
Meg Gammon coordinates all administrative tasks for the Common Ground Country Fair. She oversees the application process and works closely with accepted vendors and speakers, ensuring that they have completed all requirements for participation in the Fair.
Meg Monahan’s background encompasses several decades of serving the community through various organizations, focusing on uplifting and supporting resource access for at-risk and vulnerable populations. Meg has had the honor of administering large social work-based programs, sitting on numerous boards, and organizing mutual aid fundraising-based projects for Maine’s communities. Her journey has included participating in various intentional community-based educational, artistic, and sustainable living focused organizations with her family. She lives in Southern Maine with her family, including her sons and their pup Pablo. On any given weekend, Meg can be found with her family: hiking, exploring the beauty of Maine, and cooking up a storm together.
Meg supports MOFGA’s Common Kitchen coordination through acting as point person for Common Ground Country Fair vendors, farmers, volunteers, and donors.
Clare Boland handles MOFGA’s digital presence and does publication design.
Holli Cederholm is the editor of MOFGA’s quarterly publication, The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, and MOFGA’s email newsletters. She also hosts MOFGA’s monthly radio program on organic agriculture, called Common Ground Radio, on WERU Community Radio.
Jennifer Wilhelm manages media inquiries and press releases, as well as the advertising and classifieds for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener.
Ruth Zumstein manages MOFGA’s online store.
Timothy Boston works with volunteers to facilitate events throughout the year, including the Common Ground Country Fair.
In addition to providing orchard care, Lauren Cormier locates and identifies Maine’s oldest pears for historic preservation in the Maine Heritage Orchard.
Maddie Eberly coordinates MOFGA’s low-impact forestry (LIF) program. In this role, they organize educational events and outreach, help manage our woodlots, and compile MOFGA’s LIF newsletter.
Jack Kertesz is responsible for maintaining the living plant collections on MOFGA’s main campus and presents structures and planting styles around the grounds to be of interest to the public. He also prepares educational material for MOFGA events and contributes articles to The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener as well as MOFGA’s Gardener Newsletter.
Anna Libby serves as MOFGA’s community education director. The department focuses on education for gardeners, homesteaders, and eaters through educational events, demonstrations on the MOFGA campus, and more.
C.J. Walke coordinates all of MOFGA’s orchard activities on the grounds in Unity, with a focus on maximizing the educational opportunities for visitors and Common Ground Country Fair attendees. He works with other MOFGA staff and key volunteers to manage the 10-acre educational and preservation-focused Maine Heritage Orchard, which is home to nearly 400 varieties of apples and pears historically grown in Maine.
As the educational programs coordinator, Madi Whaley works with MOFGA staff, partners, and volunteers to organize community education events. Among these are the orcharding workshops series, Seed Swap & Scion Exchange, and gardening webinars. They also manage the CSA (community supported agriculture) portion of the Maine Harvest Bucks Program.
Ryan Dennett directly supervises MOFGA’s farmer programs. She also supports directors of MOFGA’s community education and Common Ground Country Fair teams in an effort to have all MOFGA programs working cohesively towards our mission of a healthy and fair food system.
Bo Dennis manages MOFGA’s programs for beginning farmers. He supports farmworkers and people starting farm businesses up to five years in production. This work includes the Journeyperson Program and connecting beginning farmers to resources.
Caleb Goossen creates educational materials and provides technical assistance relating to organic growing for commercial and non-commercial audiences.
Nicolas Lindholm works with the farmer programs team to address farmers’ needs and questions around farm financial, business, and marketing concerns. He is available to work directly one-on-one with farms, as well as connect farms with other service providers and resources. He administers MOFGA’s Organic Farmer Loan Fund and the Technical Assistance Grant program, in addition to compiling and editing the Farmer Programs Newsletter. He works collaboratively with other state organization staff to compile both the Maine Produce Market Report and the Maine Farmers Market Price Report, and assists with the Bumper Crop program.
Meg Mitchell works to connect farmers with technical support and funding for climate-smart practices and transitioning to organic.
Anna Mueller leads MOFGA’s programming for established farmers including grant programs, events, and conferences. She also manages the farmworker job page on MOFGA’s website.
Jacki Martinez Perkins provides technical assistance and educational content on organic livestock care and production. She also helps to administer MOFGA’s Shared Use Farm Equipment Program.
As MOFGA’s grants manager, Karen Stimpson researches grant opportunities; writes proposals and reports; tracks all grant income, invoices, and deadlines; and maintains all grant files and calendars.
Mary Weitzman is responsible for meeting MOFGA’s yearly fundraising goals and supervises all activities in the membership and development department.
As a certification specialist, Laurah Brown provides friendly and efficient customer service to certified organic clients, applicants, and interested producers. She works collaboratively with other certification specialists and inspectors.
As a staff inspector with MOFGA Certification Services, Benjamin Clark works with local farmers to schedule and conduct organic inspections and sends inspection reports to the MCS team for review.
As a certification specialist with MCS, Brittany (Bee) Cooper works with organically certified farmers and processors in order to maintain their organic certification and compliance with the National Organic Program (NOP) regulations.
As the certification director for MOFGA Certification Services (MCS), Chris Grigsby oversees MOFGA’s certification programs and is the point person for MCS’ accreditation with USDA’s National Organic Program.
Grace Keown oversees the annual update process of the certification cycle, manages the MOFGA Certification Services proprietary database and federal reimbursement cycle, maintains the MCS website, coordinates and designs the bi-annual Organic Sprout newsletter, and provides administrative support for a variety of tasks.
Marta Łaszkiewicz is the point of contact for the public-facing phone and email for MOFGA Certification Services, Monday through Friday. Marta is also in charge of inspection coordination for MCS.
Jacomijn Schravesande-Gardei works with certified organic crop farms on all aspects of the certification process. She reviews plans and inspection reports that are submitted; assesses and determines compliance of each operation with the organic regulations; and answers a lot of questions regarding the National Organic Program rules.
Julie Trudel conducts reviews of material inputs, including commercial compost production, to determine approval status for use in organic production. Additionally, she coordinates the Certified Clean Cannabis by MOFGA (MC3) program. She can also be found inspecting farms and processing facilities.
Kristen works with maple producers throughout the organic certification process and organizes the annual maple inspection trip for MOFGA Certification Services. She also performs annual inspections during the growing season.
John Welton works with certified organic producers throughout the organic certification process. He also helps to train and evaluate organic inspectors working with MOFGA Certification Services.
As the executive director of MOFGA, Sarah Alexander oversees all strategic program implementation.
As operations director, Angela Haiss is responsible for supporting finance, IT, and human resource activities.
Kaitlynn McGuire focused on digital arts and data modeling at College of the Atlantic and then fell into farming and programming. She apprenticed on a few MOFGA-certified organic farms and managed a farm in New Hampshire before returning to data and programming. She is now enjoying having her own little homestead.
Kaitlynn manages MOFGA’s database system and works with MOFGA teams to manage other systems to ensure everything is working effectively and all systems are connected and working together. She works with MOFGA programs to make sure they have the support and data they need to operate effectively and efficiently.
As MOFGA’s office manager, Melissa McLaughlin is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Unity offices. She answers the main phone line and email account, processes daily mail, manages office systems like supply ordering and cleaning, and ensures IT equipment is managed well.
As the finance and operations coordinator, Jennifer Morton processes checks, reconciles various avenues of income, and runs monthly reports.
Bill Pluecker has been farming commercially since 2005. During most of those years his operation was certified organic and operated a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program partnered with the Maine Harvest Bucks. He currently runs Begin Again Farm, a small vegetable operation selling primarily wholesale to local groceries and the Mainers Feeding Mainers program. Bill has served in the Maine Legislature since 2018. He represents House District 44 (the towns of Hope, Union, and Warren) and serves as House Chair of the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee. He has two kids of whom he is very proud.
Bill works to engage and energize the MOFGA community to take action to support clean soil and water, with emphasis on addressing PFAS contamination of farmland and building awareness and advocacy on this topic across the country. Helping to leverage MOFGA’s broad political power, Bill develops our advocacy communication channels and ensures that members understand priorities in MOFGA’s policy platform.
Photo by Molly Haley
Heather Spalding works on public policy initiatives at the local, state, and national level.
Sikwani Dana is a high school science teacher and, with Nathan Dana, is creating the Dana Homestead in rural Maine. In 2018 Sikwani and Nathan purchased a hunting cabin in the woods, and they have been working to turn it into an off-grid homestead. Their house is completely run by solar power and heated by wood in the winter. They are building the soil in their garden and keeping bees. Sikwani is Penobscot, a tribe that is part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. Many of the rural living skills that Sikwani and Nathan use at their homestead they learned from Sikwani’s parents, Barry and Lori. “It is because of them I have made my life as environmentally friendly and sustainable [as possible]”, says Sikwani. Sikwani’s father, Barry Dana, is a former chief of the Penobscot Tribe. “My dad has done an incredible amount of work towards educating the Wabanaki people of Maine about why to have a garden, how to have a garden, food sovereignty and the knowledge that has been passed down from our ancestors.”
Rob Dumas is the food science innovation coordinator and facility manager for the School of Food and Agriculture based at the University of Maine’s Orono campus in Hitchner Hall. Dumas has a split appointment with the School of Food and Agriculture (SFA) and the Office of Innovation and Economic Development (OIED). In his role with SFA, he oversees the research and instruction that occurs in the Dr. Matthew Highlands Pilot Plant and the commercial kitchen. In his role with OIED, he works as a food system expert with connectivity to all aspects of Maine’s food system, from agriculture to food processing and retail foodservice. Dumas also leverages the pilot plant to serve industry in Maine by providing expertise in product development, process efficiency and capturing food waste. He is currently certified as an executive chef with the American Culinary Federation and serves as the chapter president for the Downeast region.
Margaret Hathaway is a farmer, writer, and mother. She is the author of six books on food and farming, including the memoir, The Year of the Goat, which chronicles her journey from young adulthood in New York City to a family farm in Maine. A native of Kansas and a graduate of Wellesley College, since 2005 Margaret has lived with her husband, Karl Schatz, on Ten Apple Farm, their homestead and agritourism business in Gray. There, they raise three daughters, a small herd of dairy goats, pigs, miniature horses, and assorted poultry, tend a large garden and small orchard, lead goat hikes, teach workshops on basic homesteading skills, and operate a guest house. For the past two decades, Margaret has used her work to advocate for small scale, diversified agriculture, and for a return to life rooted in the land.
Ten Apple Farm, 241 Yarmouth Road, Gray, 04039
Hickman is an organic farmer, small business owner, chef, poet and author. He is wrapping up his fourth term in the Maine Legislature where he has served as house chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. In his service as an elected official he has championed food sovereignty, food security, food freedom, food processing infrastructure investments and other efforts to protect Maine’s small family farms and promote rural economic development. Hickman has also served on numerous community organizations and, in 2011, received the Spirit of America Foundation Award for Community Service. Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Hickman moved to New England to attend Harvard University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in government. He and his spouse, Jop Blom, live in Winthrop, where they own and operate Annabessacook Farm, a sustainable farm raising organic produce, dairy and livestock. They also host the Winthrop Community Gardens and a fresh food bank for anyone in need.
Seth Kroeck has been an organic grower for 25 years and has been certified by MOFGA at Crystal Spring Farm in Brunswick, where he lives with his wife Maura and their two children Leila and Griffin, for the last 19. The farm’s primary crops are carrots, Brussels sprouts and wild blueberries sold to wholesale markets, schools and hunger relief organizations in Maine. Kroeck is an active member of the Organic Farmers Association, Real Organic Project and the Maine Grain Alliance, and is committed to supporting and building regional food systems. MOFGA has been a central part of the success of Crystal Spring over the last two decades. Certification, the apprenticeship program and technical services have all been invaluable sources of support to him as a grower.
Martha Leggat has lived in North Yarmouth, Maine, for 23 years. A former teacher, more recently she has dedicated her time to volunteer pursuits, serving as a member and chair of her local MSAD #51 school board, tutoring New Mainers in language and citizenship at Portland Adult Education, and leading social justice and education ministries at the Congregational Church in Cumberland. She and her husband have three children, and are fortunate to live on a property that allows for a big vegetable garden, an orchard and beehives. Leggat currently works part-time at a local organic vegetable farm in Durham, and runs a granola business called Martha’s Maine Mix, selling small-batch granola (made with her honey!) to local natural food stores. She joined MOFGA as a lifetime member the first year she moved to Maine, and has been involved in different ways since then. Leggat is passionate about MOFGA’s mission, in particular regarding farmer training, promoting local and organic food, engaging in food and agricultural policy, and addressing climate change. Hobbies that Leggat is most engaged in include gardening, writing, political advocacy, outdoor pursuits and tutoring.
Abe Noyes was born and raised in Southwest Harbor. Noyes is an experienced organic gardener and was brought up growing vegetables as a way of life and has continued that tradition and practice into adulthood. Noyes’ involvement with MOFGA has mainly come through being a long-time Common Ground Country Fair attendee. At 29 years old, Noyes has been to at least 20 fairs!
Bradley Russell is the sustainable agriculture and food systems program director at Coastal Enterprises Inc., where she works to grow the resilience and profitability of Maine and regional agricultural and food businesses while supporting sustainable agriculture production, processing, marketing, and retail systems helping create access to safe, affordable locally produced foods. Russell’s roots both in her experience and education are at the heart of sustainability in food and agriculture systems. Prior to joining CEI, Russell worked with Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Oke USA Fruit Co., a fresh produce subsidiary of Equal Exchange, and High Mowing Organic Seeds Company. Russell is a member of the Leadership Maine, Casco Class 2022; she holds a master’s of business administration in sustainable business and entrepreneurship from the University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business, and a bachelor’s of arts in anthropology and Spanish from Colby College. Russell’s love of gardening and baking is not deterred by her lack of skill. She has attended the Common Ground Country Fair, off and on, for more than 25 years.
Sabina serves as outreach and communications director at Maine Farmland Trust (MFT). After graduating from Bates College with a degree in history, and with several summers of farming and fisheries work under her belt, Sabina spent years away from Maine, working for food- and farm-related businesses and nonprofits in Vermont and Washington. She moved back to her home state in 2013 to work with MFT and lives in the small town of Morrill. When not amplifying the stories of MFT’s work and of Maine farms, Sabina can be found in the garden, exploring Maine’s mountains and coastlines, or in the fields of the tiny flower farm she co-owns, Half Hitch Flowers.
Spector lives on a small farm in Jefferson with her husband and baby. She works as a fundraiser and donor organizer at Thousand Currents, a small foundation supporting work at the intersections of climate justice, food sovereignty and building alternative economies. Prior to moving to Maine, Jessie was the executive director at a national non-profit focused on racial and economic justice and continues to serve as a consultant for organizations working to integrate a stronger framework and practice of equity and justice. She has served on the boards of Jewish Voice for Peace and the Markham-Nathan Fund for Justice.
Ben grew up on a small farm in central Missouri. They raised beef cattle and grew corn and soybeans. That hilly, forested land of brush and trouble instilled in him a lifelong love of the outdoors. Currently, Ben works as senior staff attorney for The Wilderness Society and also runs a boutique law practice specializing in risk management. Formerly, he practiced law at the Maine Advocacy Center of the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) focusing on agriculture, climate change, and clean energy policy and litigation. He launched CLF’s Legal Food Hub in Maine in 2015 offering pro bono legal assistance to income-eligible farmers, food entrepreneurs, and food-related organizations and hosting dozens of legal workshops for the agricultural community. As he has for the past 20+ years, Ben stays connected to the field of experiential education, teaching emergency medical courses for remote environments with NOLS Wilderness Medicine. He lives in New Gloucester, serves on several nonprofit boards around Maine, and is humbled to work with the dedicated people at MOFGA.
Ivonne Vazquez (she/her/ella) is passionate about native plants, herbs, pollinators, DIY, sustainability, the environment, the outdoors and sharing gardening knowledge. With years of gardening, outdoor education and volunteer experience, she is most often found using her skills as a former Master Gardener Volunteer, current Licensed Registered Maine Guide/Recreation, Basic Gardening Instructor at Bangor (Maine) Adult Community Education, small acreage diversified farmer and native plant grower. She recently earned a certificate in sustainable landscaping & garden management and another in permaculture design.
Vazquez and her husband own Bas Rouge Farm & Forge in Orono, Maine, which was established in 2022. Transitioning from a decade-old homestead to a farm business, the primary enterprise is a native plant nursery. They are participants in the MOFGA Journeyperson program (2023-24). In addition to growing and selling native plants at several local farmers’ markets in Orono and Bangor and native plant sales, she is a freelance writer of gardening articles, which appear in The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, and an avid photographer whose main subjects are native plants and pollinators. She travels throughout Maine speaking and presenting workshops on gardening topics to a variety of audiences. Vazquez is Spanish/English bi-lingual, of Puerto Rican descent and has lived in Maine since 1989.
Kessi Watters Kimball is a Mi’kmaq food and medicine producer who descends from the Listuguj First Nation. She is a community organizer and foundation builder with Eastern Woodlands Rematriation Collective as well as the food sovereignty director for Bomazeen Land Trust. She started Mawiomi Garden in 2020 with her children, nephews and little cousins. They are now in the fourth year and have grown to support five Indigenous youth apprentices and expanded their poultry and butchering operation. They currently cultivate 5 acres in the unceded Wabanaki homelands on the Sandy River in Starks, Maine. Watters Kimball also serves on the Farmer Advisory Board for FRSAN-NE/Cultivemos and is a 2022 Braiding Seeds Fellow. They create innovative collaborations across organizations to practice radical food justice and inspire young folks to restore/rebuild traditional food systems.
Patty lives in Belfast and has over 30 years of agricultural lending experience working with a wide range of farms. She moved to Maine in 2019 to assist in the creation Maine Harvest Federal Credit Union, the first credit union dedicated to financing farmers and food producers. Patty is an experienced ox teamster, operated a micro dairy & diversified livestock farms in VT and continues managing Vermont forestland she’s owned for 34 years. Finance work has been in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York. Other experiences include founding Board Member of VT CAN! (Low cost spay/neuter program), Excellence in Veterinary Nursing Award, Adjunct Professor at Vermont Technical College for agribusiness and veterinary technology, member of Vermont Meat Processing Task Force, Advisory Board member of The Carrot Project, Cornell Extension Service Clinton County Board Member and Treasurer and most recently Maine Beginning Farmer Advisory Council. Passions include Reid State Park, the ocean, rowing on the Penobscot Bay in Cornish Pilot Gig Boats and wooden Dories, Maine seafood, local food, cooking, and traveling adventures with her dog Mia.