Staff

Jim Ahearne - Common Ground Country Fair Director Having been born and raised in suburban Long Island, Jim didn’t meet his first organic tomato until college. One reason he remembers that tomato is because the same person who introduced him to organic produce invited him to get involved with the colleges’ annual folk festival. In the William Smith and Hobart Colleges’ Folk Festival he found his calling and for the past twenty years Jim has enjoyed a career in events, festivals and concerts including work for Concerts for the Environment, nine years with the legendary Don Law and his Tea Party Concerts and more recently, engagements in China helping to produce international clown festivals. The year of the carrots (1989) was his first Common Ground Country Fair and Jim and his family have been Fair regulars ever since. Today he lives in Freeport with his wife, Lucy Birkett, two hilarious and loving daughters who are growing like weeds and a sporty little welsh corgi that even a big dog person would have to admire. Contact Jim.
April Boucher - Common Ground Country Fair Office Coordinator and New Farmer Programs Coordinator April is a 2006 graduate of College Of The Atlantic, where she specialized in agriculture and ecology. She grew up in New Hampshire and spent many summers coordinating logistics at Storyland, experience which will serve her well in her work at the Common Ground Country Fair. April has had lots of interesting experiences working on farms and conducting wildlife research. She spent the past summer coordinating shorebird protection for the Coastal Waterbird Program of the Massachusetts Audubon Society on Cape Cod. Contact April.
Janice Clark - Finance Administrator/Advertising Manager Janice was born and raised in Maine and lives in Vassalboro in a farmhouse on 80 acres of land. She has five married children and 17 grandchildren. She and her husband garden organically and raise and sell garlic. Janice worked as bursar at Oak Grove-Coburn School in Vassalboro for sixteen years. When the school closed in June of 1989, she became MOFGA's Office Manger. A few months later she also assumed the duties of Advertising Manager. At that time, MOFGA had five paid employees and Janice has watched the staff grow to 19. She has watched MOFGA grow in membership and fulfill a dream to procure its own permanent site in Unity. She enjoys vegetable canning, kayaking and cross-country skiing. Contact Janice.
Kacey Weber - Database Manager and Program Assistant for Membership & Development Kacey grew up in Windham, ME. Throughout her childhood, she spent most weekends, summers and many school vacations at her grandfather's farm in West Gardiner, ME. There, she helped with harvesting and maintaining his vegetable gardens and his PYO strawberry business. Kacey was also involved with a local 4-H group, of which she was a member for almost 12 years. She is a recent graduate of the University of Maine, where she majored in Animal Science. At the University, she became involved with the Witter farm and worked extensively with the dairy herd there. Although she loves all animals, she does have a soft spot for dairy cows. During the summer months, she worked for the Department of Environmental Protection as a Conservation Aide. She enjoys many outdoor activities such as fishing and swimming, reading and being with family and friends. She now resides in Dexter with her husband, Rob, and two cats, Gus and Dewey. Contact Kacey.
Donna Doel - Associate Director of Livestock, MOFGA Certification Services Originally from Maine, Donna has spent nearly fifteen years working in dairy farming and cheese making throughout the US and in Ireland, and was owner/operator of a successful goat cheese enterprise in Fayetteville, Arkansas ("Doeling Dairy"). Before getting into the dairy business, Donna was a technical specialist for the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) program, and for five years worked with extension specialists, government officials and other cooperators on topics such as sustainable dairy production, manure management, soil nutrient management, and agronomic crop production. Donna holds BS and MS degrees in plant and soil sciences from the University of Maine, Orono, and, before coming to MOFGA, spent two years working for USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) in Presque Isle. Trained by the Independent Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA), Donna has been doing inspection assignments for MCS since 2004. Contact Donna.
Jean English - Editor - The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener Jean English has a B.A. in Psychology and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Plant and Soil Sciences from the University of Massachusetts. The focus of her graduate research was plant mineral nutrition. She worked for Cooperative Extension at the University of Kentucky and has taught horticulture and organic gardening at UMass and Smith College. She and her husband moved to Maine in the 1980s, where Jean became a freelance writer and editor. Her articles have appeared in Horticulture, The Christian Science Monitor, Mother Earth News, Organic Gardening and other publications. She has written a gardening column for local Maine papers since the mid-1980s and has edited The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener since 1988. She and her family raise organic Christmas trees, and she grows nursery stock for Fedco Trees and fruits and vegetables for family consumption. Contact Jean. Read The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener.
Grace Keown - Summer Assistant in the Fair Office Grace grew up in New Jersey and has lived in Arizona; Long Island, New York; and parts of New England. She and her family moved to Maine in 2004 to start homesteading and living more sustainably and simply. She and her family have a farmstead in the Dixmont hills, where they’re revitalizing the soil, bringing back a 90-year-old apple orchard (mostly Wolf River and cider apples), raising dairy goats, pigs and chickens, growing some of their own vegetables and berries organically, and supporting local agriculture and sustainability. Grace graduated from the State University of New York at Stony Brook with a B.A. in Studio Art and Art History. She is a member and co-founder of Dirigo Road Gallery, president of the Valley Arts Alliance, and has taught workshops in drawing and wire-jewelry making. Grace won MOFGA’s 2008 Common Ground Country Fair artwork contest with her Hay Barn illustration. Contact Grace.
Vernon LeCount - Facilities Coordinator Vernon LeCount has had a long-standing interest in sustainability. He lives in GE-Free Montville, with his wife Helga, on land of the Twitchell Hill Community with an organic garden, three windmills & solar panels for power, and a MOFGA-certified wild blueberry crop. He started volunteering at Ecology Action in Cambridge, MA in 1967, and was active in the beginnings of the Boston Food Co-op movement. Later, he helped develop the Friends Co-op and the Belfast Food Co-op, which he recently managed. Vernon studied engineering at Northeastern University in Boston and later received a Masters at the University of Texas, where he was named a University Fellow. He has had a variety of jobs including stoneware potter in the Old Port Exchange, the Electronic Media Specialist at the University of Maine - Orono, an Assistant Professor at Hofstra University in NY, and the City Engineer in Belfast. Vernon also worked several years doing broadcast production work for Public Broadcasting in Juneau and Austin. Contact Vernon.
Russell Libby - Executive Director Russell planted his first garden after getting free seeds at the end of fourth grade. His involvement with MOFGA started at the first Common Ground Country Fair in 1977 where he saw a connection between local, organic food and a strong Maine economy. He began participating in the Consortium for Maine Food Self-Reliance in 1979, and joined the MOFGA Board of Directors in 1983. After a dozen years on the Board, including two years as President, Russell became Executive Director in 1995. He has led MOFGA's growth over the past decade as the organization moved to the new Common Ground Education Center in Unity, expanded the Agricultural Services and Education programs, and created a subsidiary to run the Certification program. Russell has a wide range of agricultural affiliations, including 10 years as Research Director at the Maine Department of Agriculture. He currently serves on the boards of: the Agricultural Council of Maine; the University of Maine Board of Agriculture; Maine Farmland Trust; Eat Local Foods Coalition; National Organic Coalition; and FEDCO Seeds. He has a degree in economics from Bowdoin College and a Master's in resource economics from the University of Maine. With his wife, Mary Anne, and 3 daughters, he operates Three Sisters Farm (a small diversified farm) in Mount Vernon. He served three years on the School Board, currently chairs the Comprehensive Plan Committee, and serves as a Selectman. He also writes poetry in his spare time. His first book, Balance: A Late Pastoral, was published in 2007. Contact Russell.
Andrew Marshall - Educational Programs Director Andrew manages MOFGA's educational programs with the help of a volunteer education committee. These programs include new farmer recruitment and training initiatives, including the Apprenticeship and Journeyperson Programs and the Farm Training Project, and educational workshops and events like Spring Growth, Small Farm Field Day, and the Farmer-to-Farmer Conference. Andrew also teaches Sustainable Agriculture through a partnership with Unity College. He has a background in agroecology and rural sociology, and is a PhD candidate in Environmental Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Before joining MOFGA, Andrew helped to develop and deliver programs at the UCSC Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, and contributed 2 chapters to the Center's manual, Teaching Organic Farming and Gardening: Resources for Instructors. Andrew was also a participant in the MOFGA Apprenticeship program. He lives on a farm in Knox, Maine, where he and his family raise organic vegetables and livestock. Contact Andrew.
John McIntire - Shop & Equipment Manager John is a long-time MOFGA member and volunteer. Before joining the MOFGA Staff, he worked as a mechanic in Montville. He now keeps our heavy equipment in working order at the Common Ground Education Center. With his partner Nancy Rosalie, another wonderfully dedicated MOFGA volunteer, John lives off-the-grid, across the road from our headquarters. John is an integral part of the contra dancing community in the Northeast, networking with musicians and calling dances regularly. Contact John.
Tim Nason - Graphic Designer, The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener Tim was born in New Hampshire and grew up on Beacon Hill and several Boston suburbs, but moved to North Berwick, Maine, in 1972 to homestead and start a family (ultimately 6 daughters). In 1974, aged 22, he took on production of MOFGA's mimeographed newsletter, which MOFGA soon expanded into a tabloid entitled The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener. Tim has designed (and for 7 years edited) the paper almost contiuously since then. He and his wife Susan cultivate a big flower garden in Dresden, sharing their 75 acres with dogs, cats, kittens, Dwarf Nigerian goat, Potbelly pig and an American Guinea Hog. Tim enjoys designing and editing publications, volunteering for community groups, writing fiction, and researching local history. He recently completed a BA and MFA in Writing at Vermont College, and is completing an MA in American & New England Studies at the University of Southern Maine. Tim is a past director of the Friends of Merrymeeting Bay land trust, and is now chair of the Dresden Conservation Commission, the Dresden Historical Society, and the Lincoln County Democratic Committee. Contact Tim.
Kate Newkirk - Associate Director, MOFGA Certification Services, LLC Since 1999 Kate and her husband Peter have operated WinterGreen herbs & vegetables a certified organic farm in Winslow, ME. Kate works part-time as Associate Director of MOFGA Certification Services LLC. Before coming to MOFGA Kate spent 20 years working as a Soil Scientist and Research Associate at The Ecosystems Center at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA and the Virgnia Cooperative Soil Survey Program at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA, among others. Kate received a Master of Science in Agronomy (1987) and a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy (1978) from Virginia Tech. Contact Kate.
Ellis Percy - Fairgrounds Logistics Coordinator Ellis has been farming in Maine since the mid-1970s, raising beef and hogs, and running a specialty foods business making maple syrup, dilly beans, pickled fiddleheads and garlic, and Beyond Coffee. Ellis came to MOFGA through the Common Ground Country Fair, and served as a volunteer on the Fair Planning Team, the Fair Steering Committee, the MOFGA Board, and the Buildings & Grounds Committee, which he now chairs. Ellis was a key player in the search for a permanent home for MOFGA, discovering the 250+ acres of land that is now the Common Ground Education Center. Each September, Ellis settles in at MOFGA to coordinate Fair Set-up and Clean-up. Ellis and his wife, JoAnn, live in Jefferson. Contact Ellis.
Steve Plumb - Utilities Coordinator Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, Steve grew up in Charlton, Massachusetts. On his own after high school, he travelled around the country for several years supporting himself with various jobs. In the mid-70's, he lived at Earlham College as a visitor, baking bread, working with the college food co-op, and falling in love with his future wife, Lynn! The Plumbs moved to Maine in 1984 after the birth of their first child. They now have three children. Steve's years in Maine have been spent raising children, building a home in Nobleboro, working, and volunteering. Steve also works with local libraries as a computer consultant and handyman. He lives "outside the box" and seeks to find a balance between working and volunteering, simplicity and technology, having at his home both a computer network and an outhouse! Steve has been a MOFGA volunteer since the mid-1980s, serving at various intervals on the Fair Planning Team, Fair Steering Committee, Buildings & Grounds Committee, and Board of Directors. He also worked as MOFGA Facilities Coorinator for two years. Steve believes that maintaining the connections between the Fair and MOFGA's goals is important. Contact Steve.
Abby Sadauckas - Volunteer Coordinator and Logistics Coordinator for Educational Events Abby is an artist and chicken enthusiast who grew up in the rural Pennsylvania town of Hop Bottom. She obtained a BFA at Moore College of Art in Philadelphia before moving to Maine. Since then she has been part of numerous group shows in the Northeast and has been a visiting artist at the Vermont Studio Center, Haystack School of Crafts, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and Waterfall Arts Center. Abby holds an MFA in sculpture from VT College of the Fine Arts. She and her partner Dan have started a small farm in Knox where they enjoy the company of their laying hens, goats, and beef cows. Contact Abby.
Diane Schivera - Organic Livestock Specialist Diane graduated from Cornell University in 1981 with an MAT in Agricultural Education and in 1977 with a BS in Animal Science. She also received an AAS in Veterinary Technology from SUNY, Delhi and was an Assistant Professor for that program in the early 80’s. Diane became MOFGA’s Livestock Specialist in 1998. Since that time, she has written livestock related articles for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, the American Livestock Breed Conservancy’s newsletter, and Hoard’s Dairyman. Diane feels sustainablity is the crucial issue when making choices in life. She and her husband Gary grow and preserve the majority of their vegetables and fruit. They also keep a flock of assorted poultry for eggs and meat. The birds are protected by Frank and Lydia the dogs. They live in a house that is less than 1,000 square feet and heat, cook and make hot water on their wood-stove all winter with about 1.5 cords of wood. Look for Diane Morris Dancing at the Common Ground Country Fair. Contact Diane.
Jacomijn Schravesande-Gardei - Certification Assistant Jacomijn, or for short Jaco, grew up in the Netherlands. After obtaining her bachelors and masters in Forestry at Wageningen University, she moved to Belfast, Maine, to be with her husband, cat, rabbit, two goats, and their four chickens. She worked at the Chase farm in Freedom and did an internship with the Coastal Mountain Land Trust. While fixing up their current house in Belfast, she and her husband are looking for a place to build something simpler. Jaco enjoys gardening, reading, traveling, taking care of animals and being in the outdoors. Contact Jaco.
Eric Sideman - Organic Crop Specialist Eric Sideman grew up just a stones throw outside of New York City where he could see the Empire State Building way off in the distance from his bedroom window. Slowly he edged north and to the country while he tested different colleges. During those years he earned a BS in agriculture from Cornell University, an MS in biology from Northeastern University and a PhD in Botany from the University of New Hampshire. Eric moved to Maine in 1982 to teach biology and ecology at Bates College. In 1986 he moved on to MOFGA to become what some call "the nation's first Organic Extension Agent." He provides technical support for farmers and gardeners, serves as staff scientist for MOFGA, plans and produces educational events for MOFGA and Cooperative Extension, and serves on various agricultural committees for the Maine Department of Agriculture and the University of Maine. From 1997 to 2002 Eric served a term on the National Organic Standards Board, an advisory board to the USDA National Organic Program. On the side Eric runs a PYO strawberry farm. Contact Eric.
Heather Spalding - Associate Director Heather has worked as an environmental activist since graduating from college in the mid-80s. She spent 10 years in Washington, DC, working for the National Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club, and Greenpeace International where she served as Publications Coordinator for the International Toxics Campaign. Heather's introduction to MOFGA came during a summer 1996 sabbatical from Greenpeace, when she volunteered as an apprentice on New Leaf Farm in Durham. Wanting to settle in her home state of Maine, Heather then accepted a job offer to coordinate the Common Ground Country Fair. After several years focusing on the Fair, Heather became MOFGA Operations Director, coordinating a three-year organizational development program. As Associate Director, Heather now focuses primarily on Membership Outreach, Public Policy, MOFGA's participation in the Alliance for a Clean & Healthy Maine, and Staff Management. Heather grew up in Waterville, and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1986, with a degree in Geography and Environmental Sciences. Heather's husband Will Sugg is the Director of the Maine Environmental Policy Institute. Heather and Will have two children. Contact Heather.

C.J. Walke - Landscape Coordinator Before coming to MOFGA, C.J. worked as Assistant Librarian at Mount View High School in Thorndike, and as Farm Manager at Kelmscott Farm in Lincolnville. A graduate of Unity College, C.J. is now studying to get a Masters in Library Science. MOFGA is drawing on C.J.'s Master Gardener qualifications to assist the organization's Volunteer Landscape Committee. He is playing a key role in shaping a long-term plan for MOFGA's Living Collections. C.J. lives with his wife and two daughters in Swanville. Contact C.J.
Melissa White Pillsbury - Organic Marketing Coordinator Melissa worked at MOFGA for two years as Educational Programs Assistant (AKA Fair Assistant, AKA Volunteer Coordinator) before being promoted to the Organic Marketing Coordinator position. She has a B.A. from Brandeis University in Economics & Sociology. Melissa serves on the Board of Directors of the Unity Barn Raisers. She resides in Unity where, coincidentally, she also grew up. Contact Melissa.
Cheryl Wixson - Organic Marketing Consultant Cheryl Wixson grew up on a dairy farm in Winslow, Maine. She is a third generation graduate of the University of Maine, and is the University's first woman agricultural engineer. After 10 years in the pulp and paper and telecommunications industry, Wixson founded a catering company and small restaurant that served international cuisine featuring organic Maine products. The last meal served at her restaurant was a nine-course meal featuring Petunia, Wixson's pig, that achieved international notoriety when code enforcement determined it was residing illegally in the same neighborhood as novelist Stephen King. Cheryl then retired from the restaurant business to bake cookies and raise crops, rabbits and three daughters on her organic, urban farm in Bangor. In 1999, Wixson built a state-of-the art kitchen and educational facility dedicated to teaching people the joys and benefits of healthy eating and cooking utilizing Maine products while supporting a sustainable environment. Cheryl is a food columnist for the Bangor Daily News, consults with restaurants from Maine to California, develops recipes for food manufacturers and hosted two Maine Public Television series, the latest being What's for Suppah?. She has studied food science and human nutrition at the University of Maine, is a master composter, and teaches kindergarten children that food comes from farms. Contact Cheryl.
Mary Yurlina - Director, MOFGA Certification Services, LLC Mary is an ecologist. She worked with the Akwesasne Mohawks in upstate New York on environmental issues. She inventoried and mapped natural areas for the New York City Parks Department. After entering graduate school, she spent most of her time working on large scale ecological restoration projects in New York and New Jersey where her particular focus was native bee pollinators. Before moving to Maine, she spent three years at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis where she coordinated conservation programs for the Center for Plant Conservation. Mary has a doctorate in Ecology and Evolution from Rutgers University. She enjoys gardening and the outdoors with her family and friends in Maine. Contact Mary.