Who We Are
Members of the MFRN Leadership Council
The Maine Farmer Resource Network is a partnership of institutions, agencies, and organizations dedicated to supporting new farmers. Together, we provide resources, guidance, and expertise to help farmers succeed in building sustainable and thriving agricultural businesses. Our network combines diverse perspectives and strengths to address the unique challenges and opportunities facing beginning farmers across our region.
Personalized service, offering a comprehensive range of loans, financial products, services, health savings accounts and retirement planning options.
- Joanna McCormick, AVP of Ag Relationships, jmccormick@ancorumcu.com
American Farmland Trust supports farmers through many types of programs including peer network groups, support for on-farm trials, and soil health assistance.
- Sara Kelemen, New England Soil Health Specialist, skelemen@farmland.org
Free business planning services and a variety of financing options for farms and other small businesses.
- Bradley Russell, Sustainable Ag and Food Systems Program Director, brussell@ceimaine.org
- Michelle Bond, Business Advisor, michelle.bond@ceimaine.org
The Cooperative Fund of the Northeast (CFNE – www.cooperativefund.org) is a 50-year old nonprofit loan fund and US Treasury Certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that works for economic, social, and racial justice by advancing community-based, cooperative, and democratically owned or managed enterprises with a preference to assisting cooperatives in low-income communities by:
- Providing financial products at reasonable rates
- Developing business skills
- Offering an investment opportunity that promotes socially conscious enterprise
- Dorian Gregory, Deputy Director, dorian@coopfund.coop
New American Sustainable Agriculture Project, farmer training programs.
- Sandy Alles, Director of Farm Sales, sandy@cultivatingcommunity.org
Loans, leasing, appraisal, tax and payroll services, credit life insurance and crop insurance services.
- Shannon Webber, Regional Credit Leader, shannon.webber@farmcrediteast.com
- Matt Doyen, FarmStart Advisor, matthew.doyen@farmcrediteast.com
Caring support and expert guidance to help farmers, landowners and communities navigate the challenges of land access, tenure, and transfer
- Sylvie Boisvert, Farm Transition Coordinator and Maine Field Agent, info@landforgood.org
Foundation Free service that connects eligible farmers, food entrepreneurs, and organizations to attorneys.
- Phelps Turner, Senior Attorney, pturner@clf.org
- Mary Lovell Egan, Senior Program Coordinator, mlovellegan@clf.org
Maine AgrAbility supports farmers, fishermen, and loggers who experience barriers to employment such as aging, injury, or chronic illness. Our goal is to help clients continue working on the farm, in the water, or in the forest safely and productively by helping modify the work environment and finding adaptive equipment and tools.
- Bella Russo, Project Director, maine.agrability@maine.edu
Conflict resolution/mediation, contract and lease consultation and co-drafting, and financial coaching.
- Lucy Wess, Director, Lucille.wess@maine.edu
- Sheila Leonard, maineagmediation@maine.edu
Committed to supporting the interests of Maine’s aquatic farmers.
- Christian Brayden, Project Manager, christian@maineaqua.org
Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) is Maine’s support center for many land-based natural resource interests, including farms and forestry-related businesses, outdoor recreation, and public access to parks and public lands. Farm-focused programs include:
- Agricultural Resource Development
- Animal and Plant Health
- Board of Pesticide Control
- Maine Milk Commission
- Nutrient Management
- PFAS Fund and PFAS Response
- Quality Assurance and Regulations
- General Contact Info, dacf@maine.gov
- Matthew Boucher, Soil Scientist, matthew.boucher@maine.gov
- Brittany Peats, Farm to Institution, Brittany.peats@maine.gov
- Mariam Taleb, Farm Viability and Farmland Protection, mariam.taleb@maine.gov
- Kerry Young, Farm Worker Advocate, kerry.young@maine.gov
- Ticiana Rounds, Migrant Worker Outreach, ticiana.rounds@maine.gov
Maine Farm Bureau is a true grassroots organization made up of farmers who work together through county meetings and voting to identify key issues that are lobbied for in Augusta and Washington D.C. Our goal is to advocate policies and practices that create growth and prosperity for those who harvest everything from land and sea. Maine Farm Bureau campaigns for Maine agriculture as a whole, focusing on regulations that relate to production, processing, business practices, and landowner rights.
Our programs aim to help farmers protect farmland, access or transfer farmland, grow the durability of your farm business, and navigate PFAS contamination. We can help you identify your goals, harness your farm finances, scale up your business, make smart decisions in a changing environment, get ready to access or transfer farmland, think through your farm’s future, and find the resources you need to succeed.
- Hanne Tierney, Farmland Access and Transfer Manager, htierney@mainefarmlandtrust.org
- Catherine Durkin, Technical Assistance Specialist, catherine@mainefarmlandtrust.org
Farm viability, assists farmers and consumers, farmers market programs.
- Jimmy DeBiasi, Director, snap@mffm.org
Business advising, training and business resources.
- Dion Olmstead, Certified Business Advisor, dion.r.olmstead@maine.edu
Resources for coastal communities.
- Chris Bartlett, Staff Development & Research Support, cbartlett@maine.edu
- Dana Morse, Aquaculture Lead, dana.morse@maine.edu
- Jaclyn Robidoux, Marine Extension Associate, jaclyn.robidoux@maine.edu
Organic agriculture resources, events, trainings, and programs; Organic certification; Advocacy.
- Ryan Dennett, Programs Director, rdennett@mofga.org
- Bo Dennis, Beginning Farmer Programs, bdennis@mofga.org
- Anna Mueller, Farmer Professional Development Specialist, amueller@mofga.org
SCORE Maine connects farmers and agribusiness owners with experienced agricultural mentors who provide free, confidential mentoring, training, and business resources. Mentoring support includes business planning, financial projections, loan-readiness and application support, enterprise analysis and budgets, recordkeeping systems and practices, growth strategies, marketing, and sound business decision-making.
- Allyn Lamb, SCORE Maine Ag Mentor, allyn.lamb@scorevolunteer.org
- Stephen Veazey, SCORE Maine Ag Mentor, stephen.veazey@scorevolunteer.org
State and Federal farm programs and funds often overlook the small-scale and subsistence farmers. Maine’s sixteen Soil & Water Conservation Districts help fill this gap through technical assistance, education, and funding. By working with local stakeholders in the community, nonprofit organizations, and federal, state, and local governments, Maine’s Soil & Water Conservation Districts have helped to protect our soil, water, forests, wildlife, and other natural resources for almost 90 years. Districts provide local conservation leadership, teach the value of natural resources, encourage conservation efforts and help plan and implement voluntary programs. Each District program is different and unique to the area that it serves, because the programs are developed by local people to solve local problems.
New American community farming programs and resources, land access.
- Muhidin Libah, Executive Director, muhidin@somalibantumaine.org
Research-based production resources.
- Deborah Bouchard, Director, deborah.bouchard@maine.edu
Research-based production resources.
- Leslie Forstadt, Human Development Specialist, Farm Stress and Coaching, leslie.forstadt@maine.edu
- Tori Jackson, Ag and Natural Resources Leader, tori.jackson@maine.edu
- Jason Lilley, Sustainable Ag and Maple Educator, jason.lilley@maine.edu
- Brett Johnson, Sustainable Ag and Farm Business Mgmt Educator, brett.w.johnson@maine.edu
- Rebecca Long, Horticulture Training Programs Coordinator, rebecca.j.long@maine.edu
- Christina Howard, New Farmer Education, christina.howard@maine.edu
- Sheila Leonard, PFAS Navigator Program, um.pfasnavcoord@maine.edu
Loans, price support, conservation, risk protection, disaster assistance, and regulation resources.
- Jackie Bell, Farm Loan Chief, Jacqueline.Bell@usda.gov
- Amanda May, Farm Program Chief, Amanda.May@usda.gov
- Kimberly Vealey, Loan Specialist, Kimberly.vealey@usda.gov
Conservation programs, financial and technical assistance.
- Thomas Kielbasa, Public Affairs Specialist, thomas.kielbasa@usda.gov
- Chuck Penney, Outreach Coordinator, charles.penney@usda.gov
Loan guarantees, producer grants, and renewable energy or energy efficiency improvement programs.
- John Butera, State Director, john.butera@usda.gov
- Morgan Hotham, Community Outreach Coordinator, morgan.hotham@usda.gov
- Jay Fortier, Loan Specialists (Guarantees), jay.fortier@usda.gov
- Ivana Hernandez Clukey, Loan Specialist (Grants), ivana.hernandezclukey@usda.gov
- Katrina Shaw, State Energy Coordinator, katrina.shaw@usda.gov
Agricultural surveys and statistical reports.
- Kevin Pautler, kevin.pautler@usda.gov
- Charles Butler, charles.e.butler@usda.gov
Educational demonstrations, apprenticeships, and resources.
- Kate Turcotte, Farmer Education, kturcotte@wolfesneck.org
Direct Your Inquiries:
If you represent an agency or institution that works with Maine farmers and are interested in presenting to MFRN, please contact Tori Jackson, Chairperson, at tori.jackson@maine.edu.