Cooperative Extension: Agriculture

• • Anna Carter, Commercial clam harvester, member of Lubec Shellfish Committee and Planning Board, advocate of small-scale aquaculture
  • Brian Greulich, Licensed Forester, NRCS technical service provider
  • Eddie Nachamie, Ecology and Environmental Sciences Student, University of Maine, Orono
  • Jessica Leahy, Professor, School of Forest Resources, University of Maine, Orono
  • Kirsten Tenney, Full Plates Full Potential
  • Lucy Zwigard, Washington County Food Programs Coordinator, Healthy Acadia, Machias, and co-facilitator of the Washington County Food Council
  • Rachel White, Sustainable Agriculture and Livestock Educator, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Conference Planning Lead
  • Regina Grabrovac, Washington County Food Programs Manager, Healthy Acadia
  • Sandy Fortin, Healthy Eating Active Living Coordinator, Maine DOE Farm & Sea to School, Regional Local Foods Coordinator, Healthy Acadia
  • Tara Wood, Administrative Specialist, University of Maine Cooperative Extension 

2025 Panelists

• Noel Abrahamson, Washington County Community College: Noel is the new program coordinator of the Aquaculture Technology program at Washington County Community College. She listens to fisherfolk, wild harvesters and aquaculture businesses equally and with curiosity. She and her husband bought their first home in East Machias November 2024 with the hope of making their dream of starting a seaweed farm and nano-brewery come true. She is just getting settled in the community and in her new role at WCCC. Before moving to Maine three years ago she lived in Duluth, Minnesota where she was a volunteer diver at the Great Lakes Aquarium, a small boat operator at Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, Minnesota Master Naturalist and a volunteer in the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Noel earned her bachelors of science in oceanography from the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. She has worked as a physical oceanographer in Hawaii for the Hawaiian Ocean Time Series project.  One of the strongest values Noel has is to give back in some way before harvesting from what is available.
• Claire Bailey, Downeast Salmon Federation:Claire Bailey (she/her) is the Downeast Salmon Federation’s Community Engagement Coordinator. Her work centers around connecting local people to the habitat restoration projects taking place in their communities, with a focus on coastal wetlands and river connectivity. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a master’s in Conservation and Biodiversity from the University of Connecticut, and moved to Maine shortly after graduation. Since then, she has worked primarily with nonprofits, doing a mix of public engagement, community-based education, and food security programming.
  
• Brian Beal, Downeast Institute: Dr. Beal is a professor of marine ecology at the University of Maine at Machias (UMM). His position at UMM is divided equally between teaching and research, and includes his work at DEI.  In addition, Dr. Beal directs UMM’s Marine Field Station at Black Duck Cove. A native of Jonesport, Maine, Dr. Beal graduated from UMM in 1979 with a B.S. degree in Biology and went on to earn an M.S. degree in Marine Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He obtained a Ph.D. in Marine Bio-Resources from the University of Maine at Orono.
• Tatia Bauer, Maine Coast Heritage Trust: Tatia Bauer is the Marsh Restoration Program Manager at Maine Coast Heritage Trust. She has committed her life to the study, enjoyment, and protection of natural resources. She completed an undergraduate degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a master’s thesis studying pollinator restoration ecology, with various outdoor careers in between. Tatia focuses on expanding the scale and impact of salt marsh restoration practices in the state of Maine by coordinating partners, finding projects, and leading within the Maine Tidal Marsh Restoration Network.
• Ernest Carle, Princeton Wood Bank: Ernest Carle grew up on a farm in West Princeton, the 7th generation Carle and Libby from that area. After earning a ’78 degree from UMO in Forest Engineering, he returned home to serve as a forester for Georgia-Pacific, the Passamaquoddy tribe and the Downeast Lakes Land Trust in Grand Lake Stream.  He and his brother planted a church at Big Lake in 2012 where Ernest and his wife of 49 years, Ellen, now reside. Ernest is the lead volunteer for the Princeton Wood Bank which gives away 5-7 cords of dry firewood year.
• Abby Farnham, Maine Farmland Trust: Abby Farnham is the Assistant Director of Policy and Research at Maine Farmland Trust (MFT). Abby grew up in Waldo County and began working with MFT in 2016 after completing a graduate program in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University. In her current role, Abby supports MFT’s efforts at the municipal, state, and federal levels to advance public policy that protects Maine farmland as a critical natural resource, helps farm businesses thrive, and increases access to farmland and resources for all farmers. She also spearheads research efforts to inform policy development and MFT’s work with farmers and communities across the state.
• Brett Johnson, UMaine Cooperative Extension: Brett Johnson is Extension agriculture educator and technical service provider for Waldo, Knox, and Lincoln Counties. His research and educational programming are broadly concerned with the economic and environmental sustainability of farm businesses in Maine. Current program objectives include introducing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices to Maine’s Christmas tree producers, and identifying market opportunities for Maine’s specialty potato producers. Brett is Extension’s statewide contact for Christmas tree production. He also coordinates Extension’s state-wide farm business planning course, Business Planning for Producers.
• Ashley Martone, NRCS – Machias Field Office: Ashley Martone, District Conservationist for Washington County is a UMaine School of Forest Resources Alum. She began her natural resources career with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, working on biological controls and population tracking of emerald ash borer. After graduating from UMaine, she began working for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as a Soil Conservationist in Rhode Island where she had the opportunity to work on native oyster bed restoration among other projects. After spending about two and a half years there, she transferred to Connecticut before finally accepting the position as District Conservationist in Washington County Maine, where she assists landowners to implement a variety of conservation projects. Her office is located at 10 M&M Place Machias, ME and she can be reached at ashley.martone@usda.gov or 207-271-4009. www.me.nrcs.usda.gov.
• Brittany Mauricette, Downeast Forestry LLC: Brittany Mauricette graduated from the University of Maine with a Bachelor’s degree in forestry and surveying in 2013. Since that time, she has worked in both the private and public sectors as a forest technician, district forester, and forest manager. Today, Brittany is a consulting forester in Washington County working with forest landowners to manage their property productively and sustainably. Brittany is a licensed forester with certifications as a Stewardship Forester, Tree Farm inspector, and Technical Service Provider.”
• Rosalani Moore, H.O.M.E., Inc.: Rosalani Moore serves as the Executive Director of H.O.M.E., Inc.
  
• Alida Peterson, Maine Farm and Sea to Institution: Alida Peterson is the Food Systems Coordinator for the Maine Farm & Sea to Institution Network at Healthy Communities of the Capital Area and the Lead Research Consultant for the Maine Food Convergence Project’s Local Food Switchboard. With a background in farm to school programming, local food access, and food system research, she works to strengthen connections across Maine’s institutional food supply chain. Alida is also a master’s candidate in the Food Systems program at the University of Vermont, where she focuses on supply chain coordination and local food procurement.
• Willy Reid, Willingsfield Farm: For four years, Willy Reid and his partner have been building Willingsfield Farm in Pembroke while they farm. Arriving on soil that gave hay for decades with nothing in return, he began with a small herd of Highland cattle, a flock of sheep and compost. Willy’s passion for compost is exceeded only by his love of farming. He has farmed in five states – from his own certified organic farm for 15 years in Vermont to managing a school farm in Washington to a succession of leased land in California. He’s made prodigious amounts of compost and started a small compost company in California – steering over 3 million pounds of food waste away from landfills. He implemented a Carbon Farm Plan on a Califorrnia dairy ranch that suffered soil compaction, weeds and overgrazing. His journey has been one of much learning and adaptation which is helping inform his practice on his farm in Maine. He graduated from UVM College of Agriculture. He served on the Vermont Organic Farmers Review Board for four years. He is fluent in polywire and has built miles of Gallagher electric fencing.
• Tracy Shaffer, Loaves and Fishes: Tracy moved to Ellsworth after retiring as a director from Verizon post a 25+ year career that included sales, training, management, project and program management, capital planning, systems requirements and end user design. A goal since her early career, Tracy was able to retire early to have a second life chapter focused on community volunteerism. She moved to Ellsworth to be near family who had become year-round residents, as well as to be closer to a family camp that her grandparents purchased when she was a child. As part of her service in community, Tracy has an interest in helping to address food insecurity as well as serving as an ordained deacon in The Episcopal Church. Among other commitments, Tracy remains a dedicated Rotarian after serving as President of the Ellsworth club in 2018-19.
• Laura Thomas, Mano en Mano: Laura Thomas serves as the Access to Essential Services and Advocacy Director at Mano en Mano.In May of 2010, she graduated from the University of Maine with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and got her first job for Mano en Mano as ESL instructor in the camps during the blueberry harvest. Later that fall, she joined the board of directors and continued to work and volunteer for the organization for the next 14 years. In September of 2021, she stepped into the role of Access to Essential Services and Advocacy Director. In May of 2023, she completed her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Maine.
• Elizabeth Tarantino, Wolfe’s Neck Center: Elizabeth Tarantino serves as the Dairy and Livestock Manager at Wolfe’s Neck Center. She attained a Bachelor of Science degree in Pre-Veterinary Medicine at Berry College and worked on the campus’ dairy enterprise. Elizabeth spent four years on Martha’s Vineyard at The Grey Barn and Farm, where she started out as an apprentice and eventually became the herd manager. At Grey Barn, Elizabeth learned about the benefits of value-added products in farming operations.
• Jay Wason, UMaine School of Forest Resources: Dr. Wason is an Associate Professor of Forest Ecosystem Physiology at the University of Maine’s School of Forest Resources. His research addresses how extreme events like heat waves, drought, and mid-winter warming affect the physiology, growth, and survival of trees. He is now leading a USDA-funded project on the management and conservation of coastal red spruce forests in Maine.
• Andy Whitman, Maine Forest Service: Andy Whitman is the Climate and Carbon Specialist at the Maine Forest Service. Andy works with MFS district foresters to provide science-based information to woodland owners about managing their woodlands for resilience to climate impacts and improving forest carbon storage while managing for their other woodland objectives. He has an M.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Maine at Orono. He has spent most of his life living and working in Maine including 25 years on forestry and forest ecology. His lifetime focus has been on the sustainable management of forests and farmland for the benefit of humans and nature.