VOLUME 11, NO. 2
FALL 2012
NEWS
Russell Libby Honored with Paul Birdsall Award Maine Farmland Trust’s October
11 annual meeting marked the end of Russell Libby’s tenure on MFT’s board, after thirteen years of service, including several years as MFT’s treasurer. Libby was not only instrumental in founding MFT, but in helping move the organization to the unique and critical position it holds today. Beyond this, Libby has done so much to advance farming in other ways, notably through his longstanding role as executive director of Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA). To acknowledge both his spectacular service to MFT as well as his broader contributions to sustainable agriculture, MFT bestowed on Libby its highest honor, the Paul Birdsall Award, which recognizes sustained and inspiring contributions to Maine agriculture. The award is named after Paul Birdsall of Penobscot, an innovative farmer and the “father” of farmland protection in Maine. MFT’s board created the award in 2010 to honor Birdsall, but the award has not been presented since. As MFT’s John Piotti explained at the meeting, the award was not intended to be given out every year, but rather, when circumstances warrant. The award was presented to Libby by its namesake, Paul Birdsall. Birdsall spoke of several positive developments in Maine farming over the past few years—from the growth in farmers markets to the revitalization of grain
“We need to be thinking well beyond saving 100,000 acres of farmland, and thinking about how we can return a million acres or more to production.” Russell Libby
Russell Libby is one of several agriculture leaders depicted in a series of photographs now on display at Frontier Café in Brunswick. See pages 4-5 for more photos and information.
production—and then noted how Libby has had a hand in them all. MFT’s board chair, Bill Bell, then spoke about Libby’s deep commitment to MFT. Together, Bell and Birdsall then presented Libby with a farm photograph as a token of appreciation, and asked him to make some comments. Libby spoke eloquently about the important role MFT is playing, and the optimism he feels for the future of
farming. He ended his remarks by referring to the research being led by Brian Donahue of Brandeis that shows how New England could be growing 80% of its food in fifty years, but only if Maine is farming much more land. “We need to be thinking well beyond saving 100,000 acres of farmland, and thinking about how we can return a million acres or more to production,” said Libby.