About the Team
If you are interested in farm coaching, mediation, training for service providers, or would like more information about the Toolkit for working with farmers or the Guide to Farm Coaching, please contact leslie.forstadt@maine.edu.
Meet the team!
Abby Sadauckas, MFA, is a farmer and agricultural service provider. Abby operates Apple Creek Farm, an organic livestock operation in Bowdoinham with her fiance Jake. Her farm roles include marketing & communication, financial management and daily operations. A Pennsylvania native who has lived in Maine for over two decades, she previously worked at the Maine Organic Gardeners and Farmers Association and served as Maine field agent for Land for Good
Karen Groat has worked extensively with the Maine Association of Mediators and the Maine Agricultural Mediation Program. She brings experience managing programming for multiple non-profits as well as mediation experience having worked with mediators, families, communities and outside organizations for over 18 years, specializing in complex family conflict and systems in more than 3500 mediations. She is an experienced Transformative Mediation trainer and communication coach, she provides private, business and court-related mediation and training and is on the Maine Association of Mediators Board of Governors.
Leslie Forstadt, PhD, Extension Professor, Human Development Specialist, conducts educational programs and research about farm/family balance, communication skills, and stress and resilience. She is a mediator in the Maine Agricultural Mediation Program and a member of the farm coaching team. She is one of the authors of the Toolkit for Agricultural Service Providers and the Guide to Farm Communication Coaching.
Polly Shyka co-owns and operates Villageside Farm in Freedom, Maine. She values open and clear communication and loves working with other farm owners and farm workers to practice these skills. Polly has extensive experience with facilitation, is a mediator, and also an Interfaith Chaplain.
Sylvie Boisvert, MA, Sylvie has a decade of experience working with farmers, small businesses and nonprofits in the areas of business development, strategic planning, and organizational support. She has specialized in guiding individuals and organizations through complex transitions, with a particular focus on the human elements of change. Skilled at building relationships, facilitating community partnerships, delivering educational programming, and leveraging a collaborative approach to problem-solving.
Committed to helping organizations and individuals transition successfully, especially when navigating the emotional and relational complexities of change. She is invested in supporting Maine’s small business landscape and food system to build healthier people and communities.
This work is supported by the Northeast Extension Risk Management project under award number 2024-70027-42540 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
