Speakers from Maine Farmers’ Market Conventions

Mike owns and operates Bahner Farm with his amazing wife Christa on 37 acres in beautiful Belmont. They grow a diversity of organic vegetables, raspberries, strawberries, herbs and cut flowers for sale at three farmers markets a week from may through October. They also sell at their farm stand and through a summer and winter CSA program. After working for 4 years on diversified farms in central Maine, familiarizing themselves with farmers markets, they struck out on their own. They first applied to farmers markets for the 2010 season and haven’t looked back. They also have two adorable little children who help tremendously with farm marketing.

John operates Maine-ly Poultry in Warren, which is a family operated farm that raises broilers and turkeys on feed with no growth hormones, antibiotics or animal by-products. He attends farmers’ markets in Belfast, Rockland, Damariscotta, Orono, Bath, Brunswick, Boothbay, South Portland, and Portland, including many winter markets.

Ron is an extension educator with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. Based in Hancock County, his focus is community development education and includes three strands: Projects that network citizens, local government and nonprofit organizations in creating a “preferred future” for the community and implementation plans to move things forward; Assistance to groups and organizations, helping them become more effective through review of their mission, current and planned projects, structure, roles and responsibilities, and communication; and Citizen education, about public issues and about how groups, organizations, and communities work. Ron is also a member of the Marine Extension Team. In 1996-2000, Ron served as interim Maine Sea Grant Extension leader and helped create the memorandum of understanding that led to formation of the Marine Extension Team. After that, he assisted the Maine Community Foundation with a three-year initiative funded by the Ford Foundation, working with community action agencies to stimulate rural development. In 2001, Ron returned from a sabbatical leave, where he spent seven months looking at community development strategies in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. In August of 2003, Ron returned to Scotland to learn more about environmental education aboard Leader, a refurbished 110-year old trawler.

Amber Lambke has lived in Skowhegan, Maine since 2001. She grew up in Brunswick, Maine and has a Masters Degree in Communication Disorders from University of New Hampshire. Amber has worked as a speech-language pathologist for the last 11 years, until giving up this work last year to pursue a business plan in milling locally grown grains into flour. Living in town in Skowhegan, and unable to grow large quantities of food on their small parcel of land, Amber and her husband came to know the Farmers Marketers quite well as avid customers. When downtown Skowhegan's revitalization became a point of focus in 2003, there was interest in expanding the market as a downtown attraction and community gathering place. Amber began her work facilitating connection between municipal groups and the market at that time. As a result of expanding the number of vendors, adding entertainment and a children's nutritional outreach program, and changing location, farmers have reported a tripling in attendance and sales in the last 2 years."

Amy Carrington, a member of Maine Farmland Trust (MFT)’s Farm Viability team, has ten years of experience in food systems development. She supports MFT with its project planning, implementation, and evaluation. Ms. Carrington has worked on a diverse array of independently-owned New England farms and has experience in agricultural marketing, animal husbandry, vegetable production, small fruit production, and greenhouse management.

Prior to her work with MFT, Ms. Carrington served as the Project Director at Cultivating Community where she led the farmers’ market and refugee farmer training initiatives. Ms. Carrington has also served as the manager at the Lowell Farmers’ Market, worked with immigrant farmers at Tufts University, and conducted field research at UNH’s Agricultural Experiment Station. Ms. Carrington holds a B.S. in Environmental Conservation and Sustainable Agriculture from the University of New Hampshire and is Girl Scout USA Gold Award recipient.

Amy Carrington was the Project Director for The New American Sustainable Agriculture Project at Coastal Enterprises, Inc. She coordinated the planning and development of NASAP programs and services and was directly involved in delivering trainings and technical assistance to participating farmers. She facilitated the farmer committee and other community based leadership development initiatives within the NASAP. Carrington brings extensive agricultural production expertise to the NASAP.

After receiving a B.S. in Environmental Conservation with a focus in Sustainable Agriculture from the University of New Hampshire Carrington worked on a diverse array of independently-owned New England farms and has experience in sustainable vegetable production, small fruit crop production, agricultural marketing, animal husbandry, and greenhouse management. She served as the market manager and was a grower/ vendor at the Lowell Farmers' Market in Massachusetts.

For three and a half years Carrington worked with immigrant farmers in Massachusetts as the Farm Site Coordinator for the New Entry Sustainable Agriculture Project at Tufts University. She has also served as a member of the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension Research Staff investigating small fruit crop research experiments.

Amy is the director of Blue Hill's Healthy Peninsula, which mobilizes, supports, and collaborates with community partners to improve the health of the towns of the Blue Hill peninsula, Deer Isle, and Stonington.

Bonnie Rukin is a social change activist from Camden, Maine. She has worked as a teacher, organic farmer, lay homeopath and non-profit leader for several decades. Her values and community actions have focused on sustainability in organizations and their related missions in the areas of health, philanthropy, education, social justice, agriculture and the environment. Since January 2010 she has been the Coordinator of Slow Money Maine, happily finding a match for her skills, interests and life experiences in leading a diverse and inclusive network of over 300 people actively engaged in varied forms of investing in local sustainable food systems.

Brian and his partnet Holli Cederholm operate Proud Peasant Farm in Washington, a small-scale diversified farm cultivating 2 acres of heirloom, open pollinated vegetables and culinary herbs using organic practices. They also produce seed, seedlings, and eggs from heritage breed hens.

Cheryl Wixson, P.E. does Organic Marketing for the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. Wixson is a University of Maine agricultural engineering graduate. A long time local foods advocate, Cheryl has hosted 2 television series, numerous radio shows, and writes a weekly column for the Ellsworth American. She and her husband founded a specialty food company destined to put more Maine food on Maine plates.

Clayton owns Fail Better Farm and operates it with his business partner, Hanne Tierney. After growing up on a corn, soy and hog farm in the Midwest, he ran as far away as he could: to a job in Boston doing computer programming for a space telescope. While there, he joined a CSA and -- within 18 months -- had left his job to grow veggies in Maine. He started his farm as MOFGA's Farmer-in-Residence, later buying his own farm in Etna where he lives with his son and raises MOFGA certified Organic produce for sale exclusively at farmers' markets in Portland, Waterville, Orono and Bangor.

Clayton currently serves as Chairman of the Bangor Farmers' Market, Market Master of the Downtown Waterville Farmers' Market, Treasurer of the Orono Farmers' Market and co-Chairman of the Maine Federation of Farmers' Markets.

Colleen Hanlon-Smith is the Executive Director of the Maine Federation of Farmers' Markets (MFFM). MFFM has existed in various forms over the past 20 years as a group of volunteers (largely market members) that were interested in developing a statewide organization to support, promote and provide resources for Maine's farmers' markets. Hanlon-Smith joined MFFM in February of 2012. In her first year with MFFM she has focused on infrastructural development of the organization as well as outreach to markets and creating supporting programming.

Colleen brings 8 years of experience on Maine's farms, at farmers' markets, marketing and distributing from farm to institution, working in Maine's kitchens and orchestrating culinary and agricultural fundraising and educational events. Colleen also assists MOFGA as the Food Vendor Liaison for Common Ground Fair. She has lived and worked throughout the State of Maine and currently resides in Freedom. She is a graduate of Bates College in Lewiston.

Craig Freshley is Owner and President of Good Group Decisions in Brunswick. Through his writing, teaching, and meeting facilitation services, Craig Freshley has helped hundreds of groups make good decisions. He is the author of The Wisdom of Group Decisions and dozens of one-page Good Group Tips. Craig Freshley has a Masters Degree in Public Policy and Management and has developed a lifetime career studying behaviors and attitudes that contribute to group productivity, efficiency and peace. He raises chickens, buys food at farmers markets, and lives in a cohousing community in Brunswick, Maine.

As Northeast Regional Project Director, Cristina Sandolo develops and implements innovative programs that increase affordable access to fresh, healthful food in historically excluded neighborhoods within Connecticut.

Having been born into a traditional Italian-American family, Sandolo's connection to food is strong. Sandolo most recently explored the relationship between culture to food as she spent time abroad in Rome, Italy. With a background in the environmental sciences, Cristina understands the importance of exploring the natural environment, nutrition and health through horticulture, the culinary arts and, of course, eating good food. Sandolo works to enrich the lives of her home state's residents through the development of initiatives that reintroduce the critical components to a healthy, functioning food system: sustainability, environmental justice, equitable access, cultural influences and community involvement.

Cristina holds a B.S. in Wildlife Biology and Management.

Daniel Price is the owner and operator of Freedom Farm in Unity, Maine. He has been farming in Maine for 10 years and selling at farmers' markets for 6 years. The farm has been attended several markets throughout the state and they are looking to focus efforts in Belfast and Portland in the coming year. Last year Daniel took over the position of market manager for the Portland market.

While Dave currently leads MOFGA's Agricultural Services Program, he has worked with MOFGA in countless ways since 1985 when his family's New Leaf Farm in Durham first received organic certification. Dave joined MOFGA's Board of Directors the next year and served for 18 years, including terms as Board President and Vice President. Dave also has been a member of the Finance, Apprenticeship, Certification and Ag Services Committees. New Leaf Farm is a celebrated source of organic vegetables, fruits and herbs for markets and restaurants in the greater Portland area. The Colson Family has hosted dozens of farm apprentices, many of who have gone on to start their own organic farm operations in Maine. Now, as a member of MOFGA's staff, Dave is scaling back farm production somewhat, providing leadership to an evolving Ag Services staff, and sharing his wealth of knowledge of organic farming in Maine. Dave has a BA in Agriculture as well as over thirty years of on farm management experience.

Dave Milan works for the Town of Bucksport as the Director of Economic Development. He works with businesses already located in Bucksport as well as attracting new businesses that will diversify the tax base in Bucksport and provide good jobs for Bucksport citizens. He assists companies with business plan development, identifying funding & employee training opportunities, regulatory hurdle jumping, and other challenges that businesses face in their quest for success. www.bucksport.biz.

Prior to becoming the ED Director in 2001, Dave retired as the Deputy Chief of Police at the Bucksport Police Department. After spending 26 years as a police officer, Dave has brought his talents as a criminal investigator and problem solver to the business world. Graduating from Bucksport High School and Eastern Maine Vocational Technical Institute, Dave went on to graduate at the top of his class at both the Maine Criminal Justice Academy and the FBI National Academy located in Quantico, VA.

Dave serves on the Board of Directors for the Hancock County Planning Commission and Eastern Maine Community College as well as serving as the President of the Bangor Region Development Alliance.

Dave has been married to his wife Vicki for 28 years and they have four grown children and one brand new granddaughter.

Deb Burwell is a grassroots organizer at heart who runs a facilitation business specializing in strategic planning with non-profits and small businesses. She is also a co-facilitator of Paddling the Rapids, a strategic forum for executive directors of non-profits and their boards. Deb is committed to exploring power dynamics and how women use their voices in service of what they care most fiercely about.

Deborah Chadbourne runs Western Maine Market, an online farmers' market based in Farmington, and operates Rasmussen Farm in Freeman Township with her long-time partner, David Rasmussen. A 12th generation Maineiac and avid genealogist, Deborah earned a BA in English & Philosophy from Wellesley College and a Master of Architecture degree from the Boston Architectural College before putting her higher education to use on the farm. She began market gardening in the Spring of 2008 and has been involved with Western Maine Market since November 2008.

Western Maine Market, www.WesternMaineMarket.com, opened in April 2009 under the aegis of the Western Mountains Alliance with funding from a SARE grant. Customers order local farm products online and pick them up at the farmers' market or can have their orders delivered to them. Deborah served on WMM's advisory committee and volunteered as administrator of the website until May 2010, when Western Mountains Alliance turned the market over to the farmer vendors. In October 2010, the vendors voted to privatize the market and turn it over to Deborah. She has been working to expand pick-up, delivery, and payment options for customers, to widen the customer base, and to increase the number of vendors and range of products while keeping costs for both vendors and customers as low as possible.

Rasmussen Farm grows a vast range of veggies, berries, herbs, greens, cut flowers, and mushrooms, focusing on unusual and hard-to-find items. Striving to be "beyond Organic," the farm practices companion and intensive planting and newly employs Muscovy ducks Hamlet & Ophelia to help with pest control.

Diane Eggert is the Executive Director of the Farmers' Market Federation of New York. Under her leadership, the organization has developed a variety of programs and services to support and advance the farmers' market industry in New York State, including a commercial general liability insurance program for markets and participating vendors, market manager training programs, new market development in partnership with community organizations, and market promotional programs. The Federation also partners with the NY State Department of Agriculture and the NY State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to offer a statewide farmers' market wireless EBT program to allow New York's farmers markets and other non-traditional retailers access to the food stamp program.

Dick Spencer is an attorney at Drummond Woodsum in Portland whose law practice includes representation of private non-profit conservation groups, school districts, and municipalities. He helped draft Maine’s milk pricing laws and has experience representing individual farmers in connection with agricultural conservation easements. He has also represented the Portland Farmers Market Association in its dealings with the City of Portland. He is a member of Drummond Woodsum’s public sector group and has been recognized in Best Lawyers of America in the areas of Public Finance and School Law. He is a former member of the Maine House of Representatives where he was the sponsor of Maine’s first Farm and Open Space Tax law. He is an honors graduate of Harvard College and was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar at Columbia Law School.

Elizabeth Sprague joined Downeast Business Alliance in 2006 as a Small Business Coordinator and has since completed several major AG and food security projects that have served as the basis for AG infrastructure development projects in Eastern Maine. She is currently working on solutions for inspected meat processing in Eastern Maine and, as part of this project, serves on the Aroostook-Washington County Working Group on Value-Added Meat Processing. She is an advisor to Washington County Food Alliance.

Elizabeth designed and implemented DBA's first Advanced Incubator Without Walls (IWW) series micro-enterprise in 2009 and has since developed specialized coursework for focusing on business finances and marketing. She is a Certified NxLevel and Indianpreneurship Instructor. Elizabeth is listed in Feminists Who Changed America.

She lives in Washington County where she grew up, and after many years ‘away', returned in 2005. She serves on the boards of Maine Craft Association and Cobscook Bay Resource Center. A fiction writer, she teaches creative writing at Sunrise County Senior College. She runs the lemonade stand at East Machias River Day Festival.

Enid Wonnacott has been the Executive Director of NOFA Vermont since 1987. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from St. Lawrence University and her Masters in Natural Resource Planning from the University of Vermont. Enid was raised on a small farm in Weybridge, Vermont and spent most of her childhood dreaming about becoming a large animal veterinarian. She now lives on a small farmstead with her family in Huntington.

Monroe Cheese Studio, Monroe.

As Microenterprise Coordinator for Women, Work, and Community in Aroostook County, Erica Quin-Easter works with entrepreneurs from all walks of life to develop their businesses, maximize their resources, and market effectively in Maine's rural economy.

Ethan Robertson’s parents sold the family farm when he was a young boy. His father took a job with Farm Family insurance when he was 8, and his insurance education began! Though his folks no longer made a living farming, Ethan had sheep as a 4H project and always helped out making maple syrup with his dad in the spring. In college he studied biology/education and worked on dairy farms, then for a computer software company and finally for his family’s insurance agency. He and his wife settled in Maine and Ethan started working his way into part ownership at All Points and Weber Insurance. Ethan has seen firsthand how hard it is to make a living running a small business, whether it be a farm, insurance agency or sugar house! He enjoys working with people to help them save money, be more successful, feel more secure and protect their business and livelihood. Ethan works out of the Brewer and Madison offices. He is the president of the Somerset County Farm Bureau and has been active in the Farm Bureau Young Farmers Organization. Ethan’s specialties include: Commercial insurance quoting and planning with clients, Facebook, and other social media. Agricultural Sales and Business experience. Leadership organization and leadership positions in groups and community organizations.

Graphic designer and illustrator Gabe McPhail lives on Vinalhaven where she operates Workshop31, a promotional services company offering a wide range of marketing services to small-scale businesses and non-profits.

For ten years Gabe administered "Image Building Concepts" (IBC) a program of Coastal Enterprises Inc. and the Maine Farms Project. IBC served over 200 Maine farms, farmers' markets and farm organizations, providing graphic design and promotional services, including logo illustration and marketing consultation. Samples of Gabe's work can be seen at her website workshop31.com.

Gray Harris is the Director, Agriculture and Food System Development and Programs. Gray heads up CEI's Agricultural Enterprises Initiative (AEI) and is also the current TA Coordinator for business planning services for Maine Farmland Trust's Farm Viability Program. She was the former administrator and co-administrator of the Farms for the Future program, a business planning and grants program for Maine farmers. Gray coordinates/administers business planning programs providing technical and financial assistance for farmers and ag-related enterprises to improve business viability; maintains an extensive network of service providers in the rural/ag sector to achieve program goals; and is active in state and region-wide efforts to improve ag infrastructure serving local foods producers and markets, and efforts to create access to fresh, healthy foods for all of Maine's people.

Greg is President of GSFA Consulting, a business management and marketing consulting firm located in the Dartmouth College region of New Hampshire. GSFA CONSULTING works with a broad range of clients across New Hampshire, New England and the US.

Greg's background includes over 20 years of practical marketing experience. He has specific skills in applying a "systems approach" to marketing and communications, an in-depth knowledge of market and media research, marketing and communications technologies, and more recently, word-of-mouth marketing. The majority of his work today is focused on media analysis, integrated research, strategic planning, agri-marketing and communications planning.

A New Hampshire native, Greg was raised on a small New Hampshire dairy farm, and was active in 4-H activities. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1972 and served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force until 1976. After an in initial career in the printing and publishing industry he returned to graduate school in 1980 at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, working towards an MS in marketing.

From 1981-87 he held management positions with National Aviation Underwriters (NAU) in St. Louis, MO, becoming Vice President Marketing. In this position he developed an industry-leading database lead management and communications system that received national recognition in Direct Marketing Magazine. When National was acquired by AVEMCO Corporation, he became Assistant Vice President, Group Marketing, handling special projects for a range of AVEMCO subsidiaries in aviation, marine and travel protection insurance.

Greg returned to New Hampshire joining Whitman Communications Group in 1988 and then formed GSFA Consulting in 1993. He has reconnected to his roots in agriculture, serving on New Hampshire's Rural Development Council, working on rural economic development issues, regional agricultural product identity programs, and tourism issues. For over 5 years he has taught a class on marketing for Maine's "Tilling the Soil" NxLeveL Program for Agricultural Entrepreneurs, and more recently has been speaking on word-of-mouth marketing in agriculture. He also holds the unofficial titles of chief marketing officer, concierge and valet parking manager, donut taster and general factotum at Riverview Farm, a 70+ acre orchard owned by his brother on the scenic Connecticut River in Plainfield NH.

Gregory Warren is a Senior Agent for Farm Family Life & Casualty Insurance Companies. Farm Family specializes in agriculture-related insurance and serves the northeast from their corporate headquarters in Albany, New York. Greg's office, Warren Associates, is located at 60 Main Street in Bucksport, Maine.

Greg was raised in rural Delaware and graduated from Clemson University in 1980 with a degree in Agriculture Education. He taught high school agriculture before starting his insurance career with Farm Family in Delaware in 1988. An opportunity to take over the Waldo, Washington, & Hancock County service area brought Greg & his family to Maine in 1990.

Greg & his wife, Anne, live in Penobscot and have four children and three grandchildren. Anne has worked with Greg in their insurance business since it began in 1988 and is currently the office manager for Warren Associates.

Gretchen Henn is a Program Director and Business Counselor with the Maine Women's Business Center at Coastal Enterprise, Inc. (CEI). Through the WBC, she provides general business counseling for a wide range of clients in diverse industries, with a strong focus on the use of information technology-based solutions to business problems such as marketing and financial management. Before joining the WBC in November of 2007, she was an independent business consultant to small and growing organizations in the Portland area, specializing in funding strategies and financial management, and sat on the Maine Technology Institute's Information Technology Peer Review Board for several years. In addition, Ms. Henn has 25 years of experience in corporate America, working as a project manager for UNUM and in a sales and technical support capacity at IBM in Portland and the Midwest. She has also been a small business owner, having started one of Portland's first bed and breakfast inns. She holds a BS in Computer Science from Purdue University. She has been using QuickBooks since 1996 and teaches a Basic QuickBooks lab several times a year as part of her work at CEI.

Jack McAdam retired in 2009 after 36 years with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), 32 of those years at sea on Fisheries Research Vessels. Many people refer to him as Captain Jack. With in months of retirement he found himself co-owning McDougal Orchards in Springvale with his wife Ellen (who had been a partner since 1989). The same year of his retirement the Sanford Farmers' Market started up. The first Manager was part of the Sanford Downtown Legacy that the market falls under. Soon Jack opened his mouth and found himself the Market Manager. Every year at the post season meeting when he asks for any interest in a new market manager he hears a unanimous "You are doing a fantastic job Jack!" Late in the 2010 season Jack got the market up and running with EBT. In 2011 he secured funding to offer half off EBT incentives. In 2012 the market took in over 20K with EBT, WIC, Credit Debit and a non USDA Senior Share program.

Every month over 30 million dollars gets loaded onto EBT cards in the State Of Maine. Local farmers' should be able to get some of these funds. I have seen people with EBT cards dressed better than I will ever be, with smartphones, etc. but I have no idea what their life was like last week. I do not feel it is my position to pass judgement if they met the state and federal requirements to be on Food Stamps. All of my vendors feel the same way.

Jim McConnon is an Extension Business and Economics Specialist and Professor of Economics at the University of Maine. He joined the faculty of the University of Maine in 1989. Dr. McConnon’s work is primarily in the areas of small business management, entrepreneurship and retail trade. Dr. McConnon has conducted hundreds of educational workshops and seminars on topics related to business development such as marketing, pricing, business planning, customer service, and financial management. More than 8,000 Maine people have participated in his educational programs. Dr. McConnon also conducts the Trade Area Analysis Extension program, which he co-developed while at Iowa State University.

Extension Educator, University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

Jane brings over 20 years of experience in the design and implementation of experiential community development programs for youth and adults. Over the years she has launched several innovative Extension programs, from Voices, a school-based enrichment program for teens, to the Mid-Coast Home-Based Business Conference, the first statewide conference for home-based business owners in Maine, to producing and hosting Doing Business, a live, public affairs radio show.

As a result of her community facilitation work, her latest innovation is the collaborative creation of Strengthening Your Facilitation Skills, Levels 1 and 2. The Training Series is designed to help local citizens as well as professional staff learn how to get work done more effectively and efficiently in group meetings. Strengthening Your Facilitation Skills, Level 1 has been used to train hundreds of volunteers and staff from over 30 organizations in Maine, and is now being used to train new Extension staff as well as citizens in other states. It has been identified as a curriculum by the National 4-H Learning Priorities to Build Effective Organizational Systems.

Jane is working collaboratively to research the societal impact of having skilled community facilitators. She is a member of the International Association of Facilitators and the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals.

Assistant Extension Professor and Food Safety Specialist. Statewide Food Safety Educator & Assistant Extension Professor of Food Safety, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, 2010-Present. Research Consultant, Mainely Sensors, LLC, 2007- 2010. University of Maine Dept. of Food Science and Human Nutrition Pilot Plant Manager Internship. 2008 – 2009. NFS Sensors Fellowship, University of Maine, 2006 – 2010. President and CEO of Yo Bon, LLC, A company that evolved from an award-winning University of Maine Food Science and Human Nutrition product development class, Yo Bon is embarking on the commercialization of “the health savvy indulgence”—a delicious pairing of luscious dark chocolate and creamy wild Maine blueberry yogurt in Yo Bon Blueberry Bites. While delivering a decadent, luxurious taste, Yo Bons also provide a powerful punch of antioxidants and calcium as well as probiotics and fiber. Three on-site production workers are employed on a temporary basis.

Jay Friedlander is the founder of the Sustainable Business Program and the inaugural Sharpe-McNally Chair of Green and Socially Responsible Business at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. The first climate neutral college in the U.S., College of the Atlantic has been cited by the Princeton Review, the Sustainable Endowment Institute, Fast Company, SmartPlanet and others as a leader in sustainability.

As Chair of the program, Jay has developed a sustainable business curriculum demonstrating how social and environmental responsibility creates competitive advantage. To move students beyond the classroom, Jay created a sustainable enterprise incubator fostering growth of traditional and social ventures. This unique academic program has attracted the attention of Newsweek, as well as Ashoka, who selected College of the Atlantic as one of five U.S. Changemaker Campuses in 2009.

Prior to joining College of the Atlantic, Jay was the chief operating officer for O'Naturals, Inc., a natural and organic fast-food restaurant group. O'Naturals was founded by Gary Hirshberg, the CEO of Stonyfield Farm, and board members included Peter Roy, a former President of Whole Foods Market.

Since opening its first store in 2001, O'Naturals has received numerous awards for sustainable business and has been recognized for its innovative approach by: The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, Time, Vogue and media in Europe and Japan.

Jay was instrumental in all elements of the start-up, including fundraising, concept development, daily operations and expansion strategy. Under his leadership, O'Naturals developed a franchising relationship with the $19.5 billion Compass Group.

In addition to his start-up experience, Jay has worked with senior executives of Fortune 500 companies. As a strategy consultant he developed and implemented global brand experiences and customer-centered growth strategies for clients including Citigroup and other industry leaders.

Jay has a wide range of work and life experiences. He has served in the Peace Corps in Mauritania; written an ecotourism business plan for a college in Costa Rica; broke fundraising records for Rails-to-Trails Conservancy; counseled Native American students; and taught environmental education.

Jay's honors include being a ceremonial speaker for the Yale and Goldman Sachs Foundation on Non-profit Ventures; presenting academic papers at International Human Ecology Conferences; serving as an adjunct professor in new venture creation at Babson College for over 8 years; and serving as a board member for Maine Businesses for Sustainability.

Jay received his MBA from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College, where he specialized in new venture creation and graduated Summa Cum Laude, Valedictorian of his class. Jay earned his undergraduate degree in Sociology and Anthropology from Colgate University where he graduated with Honors.

In addition to speaking English, Jay is conversant in Spanish, French and Hassiniya Arabic.

Jay is an outdoor enthusiast and has spent time living and traveling throughout North America as well as Africa, South and Central America, and Europe. His son Max has recently joined Jay and his wife Ursula in their adventures.

Jennifer Trowbridge is the Controller at Washington Hancock Community Agency in Ellsworth. Jennifer received her BS in Accounting from the University of Southern Maine, and her MBA in Management from Strayer University. She has worked in non-profits and small business since 1997. She continues to provide bookkeeping services to small business, as well as consultation and training. She is an adjunct teacher with RSU24 Adult Education, teaching Bookkeeping and QuickBooks. Jennifer lives in Ellsworth with her husband and two children.

Joe Slocum is from a big family which means that he grew up in an atmosphere of open diversity within a broader respectful community. He is a dad, a lawyer, a writer, a Registered Maine Guide, a storyteller and a firm believer in the importance of every little piece. He is currently enjoying the position of City Manager of the great City of Belfast. He says he is more impressed by his responsibilities than his title. His overriding goal is to "find a way" to foster common ground and he promotes the use of communication and reassurance as positive tools to cultivate that environment. He is currently working with the Belfast Farmers Market and the Belfast merchants to enhance their respective interests.

John has 22 years experience working as a farmer advocate and resource contact for the Maine Department of Agriculture. Prior to that John spent a total of 12 years as a farmer and small fruit researcher, managing the 256 acre Highmoor fruit research farm for the University of Maine and Cornell's 20 acre grape research farm in Fredonia, New York. He currently manages grant programs in agricultural marketing and water source development and administers a low interest loan program for the department. He teaches a farm business planning class and advises farmers on bookkeeping and financial management. He is involved in ag marketing policy development and recently completed a major market report on Maine's local agricultural sector. John's passion is small fruits and has a degree in horticulture from Penn State and a master's from Cornell. In his spare time he runs a cranberry nursery/greenhouse business with his wife Deb, in Mount Vernon.

As Cooperative Extension's Water Quality and Soil Specialist, I develop and deliver educational programs designed to encourage growers and homeowners to implement practices to protect surface and ground water supplies. I teach courses on food systems and fate of pesticides in the environment. My cropping systems research focus primarily on low input nutrient and weed management strategies to improve productivity, reduce risk to water quality, and boost local food production. Our Watershed Stewards and Think Globally Eat Locally programs are designed to encourage citizens to correct problems that potentially affect lake water resources and to understand agriculture and the benefits of local food systems. I also serve as the university representative to the Maine Board of Pesticides Control. I am a cooperating professor with the Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences and a member of the graduate faculty. I have a Ph.D. from Penn State University (1991) and a MS from Southern Illinois University Carbondale (1986).

Joshua is the Executive Director of the Woodlawn Museum, Gardens & Park in Ellsworth, Maine, a 180-acre historic house and public park.

Woodlawn's mission is to offer the public opportunities for recreation and education on a preserved historic estate, and provide connections to the region's cultural heritage through programs that arouse curiosity and entertain. Under Joshua's tenure that began in 2000, Woodlawn has completed a million dollar capital campaign, preserved its buildings and grounds, inventoried its collections, and completed an interpretation plan leading to new audio tours. Joshua has also worked to make Woodlawn a more highly appreciated community resource by launching various initiatives and activities including: educational workshops and lectures, forging program partnerships with other organizations, the development of a community garden, implementing a croquet program, a farmers' market, and utilizing the estates property as a public park.

Active in many community groups including Rotary and the Cooperative Extension, Joshua is married with two children and is an active marathon runner. Joshua also serves on the board of the Cooperstown Graduate Program Alumni Association. In addition to his MA from Cooperstown, he holds a BA in History from Elmira College and an MA in Public History from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Judith (Judy) H. Blaisdell is the Agricultural Promotions Coordinator with the Maine Department of Agriculture. She leads the Department's as the liaison for farmers' markets and manages special events. She also works with the agricultural industry with promotion and market production. She manages the State's Get Real Get Maine website and agricultural commodity promotion events. Blaisdell a native Mainer has a background in family farming with dairy, equine and livestock dealing. An active childhood in 4-H and other farming events, she began her career at the Maine Department of Agriculture in January of 2000. She has been employed with Maine State Government for over 24 years with a background in natural resources.

Kayla Colby is the Vendor Manager for the Maine WIC Nutrition Program. The focus of her position is to communicate with the over 300 vendors authorized to accept WIC as well as the vendor community to provide them information about the WIC program and to assist WIC authorized vendors. As the Vendor Manager she also runs the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program for Maine.

Kelly joined the Public Markets program at the Project for Public Spaces in 2006 to support the Diversifying Farmers Markets Grant Program. In addition to administering the grants program, Kelly provided technical assistance to over 40 farmers markets from 22 states across the United States and worked to develop an effective communications and marketing campaign for the program.

Lauren Errickson is a farmer, herbalist, and permaculture designer who operates Singing Nettle Farm and Conscious Elements Permaculture in Brooks, Maine, with her husband Bill. In 2011, Lauren initiated the Brooks Park Boosters' Farmers Market with the goal of providing the Brooks community easier access to fresh, local food.

Lexie started Little Red Hen Baked Goods in 2003. She grew her business from selling only one product to one restaurant in Bar Harbor to where it is now, selling over 20 products to businesses on MDI and in Ellsworth. She has been selling baked goods at the Woodlawn Farmer's Market in Ellsworth since they began in the spring of 2010. The Woodlawn Farmer's Market is the first farmer's market she has been a vendor at. Lexie lives in Bar Harbor with her husband and two children.

Linda Edgerton is a "city girl" whose ancestral roots (pun intended) run deep in farming. She initiated the Gardiner Farmers' Market and has spoken publicly on starting a new market and shared commercial kitchens. She and husband Jon enjoy their own gardening efforts and supporting local growers.

Linda Edgerton started a very successful Farmers' Market in Gardiner in 2008. A dozen vendors participated offering a wide variety of local veggies, fruits, breads, berries, baked goods, soaps & lotions, goat milk, cheeses, eggs, beef, poultry and pork and more. Edgerton is an avid market-goer for the past 30 years and she and husband, Jon, enjoy the offerings of their own orchard and gardens.

Maina is a farmer and artist passionate about place. She is manager of The Brunswick Farmers’ Market Project, an effort to revitalize two hundred-year-old freight shed barns into a year-round farmers’ market and community gathering space for Brunswick. She is a farmer at Six River Farm, a diverse organic vegetable farm on the shores of Merrymeeting Bay in Bowdoinham, where she also co-founded and operates Browns Point Press, a letterpress print shop dedicated to making work that celebrates food and agriculture.

Malory has over 25 years of public policy development and advocacy experience. She has held multiple government positions and has extensive stakeholder coordination skills. Shaughnessy served as a Cumberland County commissioner and was a founding member of the Cumberland Public Health District. In her position with Maine Community Health Options, the new nonprofit CO-OP health insurance company in Maine, she works in the development and implementation of community and consumer outreach and education. Shaughnessy received her MPP in health policy from the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School of Public Service, and her BA in political science and economics from the University of Missouri in Kansas City. She has four grown sons and tends to a small urban permaculture garden with her husband in Portland.

Mark Guzzi owns and operates Peacemeal Farm in Dixmont Maine. After apprenticing on farms for a few years he attended the University of Maine Sustainable Agriculture program. There he worked on the Black Bear Food Guild a student run CSA and market garden and got his start in Orono Farmers Market.

After graduation he and two friends moved to Peacemeal Farm where they started their own market gardening business. Mark now owns Peacemeal where he grows ten acres of mixed vegetables. The produce is marketed at farmers markets in Orono, Belfast, Camden and Waterville. Mark is currently the chair of the Orono Farmers Market.

Marshall Piper is the Consumer Protection Inspector for the Department of Agriculture. He inspects licensed facilities to make sure they are in compliance with the State food code. His area of expertise covers licensure and code compliance including the implementation process. His position relates to those in who deal in Retail Food, Commercial Processors, Mobile Vending, Home Food Manufacturing, HACCP investigations (FDA), Meat Processing, Maple Syrup, and Honey.

Martha Page is the Executive Director of Hartford Food System, Inc., a nonprofit organization devoted to food security programs, including urban agriculture, policy, and advocacy since 1978. Before coming to this role in January 2010, Martha was the Environmental Health Director for the City of Hartford Department of Health and Human Services. In that capacity, she was responsible for the management of food safety and other environmental issues, as well as the execution of large federal grants for lead paint hazard remediation. Prior to completing a Masters Degree in Public Health, Martha spent more than 25 years in the health insurance industry in a number of executive positions. In addition to the MPH degree, she holds an MBA and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management.

Outside of work, Martha currently volunteers as a founding Board member for a cycling and pedestrian advocacy organization. She has previously served on numerous nonprofit boards and has volunteered for the United Way in the resource investment process. She loves to travel and especially loves the joy and freedom of bicycle touring, which she has done in many countries with her husband, Bill. Martha and Bill have four adult children, five grandchildren, and a delightful Border Collie.

The Director of MOFGA Certification Services, LLC Mary has been working for MOFGA as director of its Organic Certification Program, a separate LLC, since 2002. MOFGA Certification Services LLC is USDA-accredited to certify crops, livestock, handling and wild crops to the National Organic Standards. It does so with a staff of seven, a board of five, approximately 15 seasonal inspectors, and many volunteer advisors on committees. Prior to moving to Maine, Mary pursued a variety of environmental activities including ecological restoration work in the NY-NJ metropolitan area, outreach within the Mohawk Community of Akwesasne on the NY-Canadian border, and rare plant conservation networking via the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. She has a BS in Natural Resource Management and a Doctorate in Ecology, both from Rutgers University.

Melissa has been with MOFGA since 2004, first as the Educational Programs Assistant and as the Organic Marketing Coordinator since 2006. She works with farmers on developing their individual marketing strategies, helps individuals and businesses source food from Maine producers, and strives to increase and strengthen the local markets for Maine grown food. Melissa served a 3 year term on the Board of Directors of the Unity Barn Raisers, a rural community development organization, and in 2009 served on the Advisory Board of Barrels Community Market, a non-profit market for locally produced foods and home goods in Waterville, Maine. She has also led a community volunteer effort to create a local food guide for Waldo County. She has a B.A. from Brandeis University in Economics & Sociology, is the mother of two beautiful boys, and loves to go on adventures.

Michael O'Connor is the EBT project manager for the state of Maine. Since the program's inception in 2003, he has handled the contracts of merchants who have EBT transactions at their sites. He is also responsible for answering merchants' questions about EBT.

Michele received her BA from Wellesley College. She received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Georgia, and served as a veterinarian in the US Army Veterinary Corps. She founded Dirigo Quality Meats as a way to bring her acquired food safety skills to the locavore movement.

Program Manager, Farm Viability Project of the Maine Farmland Trust. Mike owns and operates Alive 'n' Pickin' Farm and produces and sells organic storage crops throughout the fall and winter. He lives in Unity, Maine with his wife, baby daughter, dog, and 4 cats.

I am a designer with more than a dozen years of experience behind me, heavily influenced by my background in public relations, marketing, and journalism. I use the skills I've gathered in those areas to enhance my design work so each piece communicates to its audience with captivating clarity.

A Maine native, I have chosen to live and work in Maine. Like many, I left and returned with a deeper appreciation for my home state, and for those who choose to make this state the home of their business or service. Working with small businesses and nonprofit organizations is a great passion, and I have had the good fortune to have worked with both in my private life and my career.

Prior to starting Monique Bouchard Design, www.mbouchard.com, I have been designing for the Maine nonprofit community as the graphic designer for BHC Consulting Group, LLC and Gary Friedmann & Associates (both firms specializing in fundraising and development for nonprofit organizations) designing web and print pieces for many organizations and working with the media to promote events.
It has been my great privilege to have worked in Down East Maine both for, and in collaboration with, the Washington Hancock Community Agency. As part of WHCA's resource development team (now Downeast Business Alliance), I have advised and assisted dozens of small business owners with graphic design, marketing plans and assessments, media kits and public relations strategies.

A member of the University of Maine Honors College, I'm proud to have graduated with highest honors from the University of Maine at Orono in Mass Communications, with course concentrations in advertising and children's media. My honors thesis was a production of radio drama for children.

If I look familiar, it may be that you've seen me on the stage of the Grand Theatre, Penobscot Theatre, Maine Masque Theatre, Orono Community Theatre or singing with the St. John's Chamber Choir, Leafy Greens & Mutton or singing with the sea-chantey and madrigal trio, Port o' Call (available for weddings, bar mitzvahs and parties of all kinds!)

In my spare time, I re-enact medieval times with the Society for Creative Anachronism (an international nonprofit organization dedicated to recreating the best the medieval times had to offer); and am proud to be the graphic designer for BangPop! a new organization bringing events from the pop culture fringe to the Bangor area. And last, but by no means least, I enjoy time with my husband and son!

Nada Haddad is the Agriculture Extension Educator with the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension in Rockingham County.

Nada develops and implements educational programs to assist fruit, vegetable, forage, livestock producers, greenhouse growers and schools. Her program efforts have centered on improving food production system that yields affordable, good quality food and agricultural products without depleting or damaging natural resources, keeping a clean environment and providing a good livelihood for farmers and developing new marketing opportunities. Nada is on the teaching team of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Business Institute.

In the last 10 years Nada critiqued more than 60 farmers' markets vendors display and farmstands helping growers better market their farm products.

Nada holds a Bachelor of Sciences in Plant Production and a Master of Sciences in Plant Pathology from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.

Ned Porter is the Director of National and Regional Policy for Wholesome Wave. In that role, he works at the local, state and federal levels to make it easier for partners to improve the access to and affordability of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. He also collaborates with other organizations at the intersection of food and farm policy, and seeks to educate state and federal officials about policy reforms that would improve the food system for underserved communities and family farmers. Previously, Ned served for 10 years as Deputy Commissioner of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources, the State’s lead agency dealing with all aspects of the food system, from the field to the table. He also worked on Capitol Hill for six years, handling agriculture and natural resource issues for a member of Congress who served on the Committee on Agriculture, and has a background in journalism with the Bangor Daily News.

Paul is the treasurer of the Ellsworth Farmers Market and, with his wife Karen, runs Happy Town Farm. He helped develop and manages the market's EBT and "Get your Veggies" double value program. Paul and his wife Karen have been farming on their diversified organic farm since 1978. They grow 4 acres of vegetables and flowers, raise sheep and chickens, and make maple syrup. They have been selling at the Ellsworth Farmers Market since 1981.

Economist, U.S. Department of Agriculture
After graduating from the University of Maryland, Ricardo Krajewski joined USDA Economic Research Service agency and subsequently transferred to the Agricultural Marketing Service in 1990. Ricardo's expertise primarily focuses on the marketing and transportation of agricultural commodities. He has traveled extensively throughout the Western Hemisphere providing export/import seminars in support of the Foreign Agricultural Service. By virtue of joining the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) team after its grant enactment in 2006, his renewed focus shifted towards grant implementation. In his current capacity, he continues assisting the management of FMPP both in pre- and post-award activities. Ricardo is currently active in a Grants Management Certificate Program focusing on regulation and management of federal grant awards.

Roxanne Eflin is the Program Director for the Maine Downtown Center, a program of the Maine Development Foundation focused on revitalizing historic downtowns in Maine. She serves as the state coordinator in Maine for the National Trust Main Street Center and has 28 years experience in downtown revitalization, historic preservation and nonprofit management. She is an outspoken advocate for small businesses and local food systems. For over ten years, she served as Executive Director for Maine Preservation.

Currently, Roxanne serves on the Community for Maine's Future panel, the Steering Committee of the Maine Downtown Coalition, and the Executive Committee of the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission. She has received numerous awards including the Maine Downtown Center's Downtown Visionary Award in 2007 and a President's Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She holds a Masters degree in Urban Planning and Historic Preservation and is a Certified International Tour Manager. She and her husband steward a National Register 175-year old farmhouse and barn in Buxton.

Ryan is the owner of Crescent Run Farm, raising vegetables, pork, poultry and lamb with her husband Michael. She is the manager of the Thomaston Farmers Market. Ryan has an M.S. degree from the University of Maine in plant and soil nutrition and a B.S. in sustainable agriculture.

Sarah Smith has been managing the Skowhegan Farmers' Market for 6 years where they have accepted EBT cards since 2007. The market has grown from 4 vendors to 18 today and now runs both a Double Dollars EBT incentive program and a Fruit and Veggie Prescription program. Sarah also manages The Pickup, a multi-farm CSA in Skowhegan, that offers CSA shares to all community members including those receiving SNAP. Sarah also owns and runs Grassland Organic Farm with her husband and three young children.

Sharon is a food systems advocate and has worked with small farmers and farmers markets for more than a decade. She is the President of the national Farmers Market Coalition and past Chairman of the Board for the Florida Association of Community Farmers Markets. She's also a former farmers market manager and has consulted with numerous communities throughout Florida in starting or growing markets. Most recently, Sharon has been an advisor to both the Wholesome Wave Foundation, Florida Partnership to End Childhood Hunger and the University of Florida's Small Farms Academy.

Sherie Blumenthal is the Food Access Coordinator for the Lots to Gardens program at St. Mary's Nutrition Center (NC) in Lewiston, where she lives and works. Through her work at the NC She has been the Market Manager for the year round Lewiston Farmers' Market since 2008 and has actively worked to implement innovative and sustainable programs that make fresh, nutritious food more accessible to low-income families. Sherie has overseen a number of different market incentive programs designed to support low-income families including a market-wide EBT program, veggie prescription program, double value coupon program, and an end-of-market gleaning program. In 2011, she piloted a volunteer veggie share program where low-income volunteers worked 1-2 hours supporting the NC's food preservation projects in exchange for a bag of vegetables; a program she feels could be replicated through markets in need of staff support. Sherie believes that all people deserve access to fresh, nutritious, culturally appropriate food and that people affected most by food insecurity should be engaged in finding solutions to hunger and offered opportunities to give back to their community.

Steve Hoad is a graduate of Bates College with a degree in speech communication.
He has worked in radio, sold advertising, written reams of commercial copy, and run an ad buying agency.

Been a journalist on the web, been an advocate around low income and disability issues and now is part owner and does sales, marketing and promotion for Emma's Family Farm in Windsor Maine.

Steve Miller understands farmers' markets from the ground up, literally. Steve has a Masters in horticulture from Clemson and more than 25 years with Cornell Cooperative Extension, working in horticulture production and marketing. His educational film takes a lighthearted approach to "selling your best" at farmers' markets which he knows from experience having spent 10 years managing two municipal farmers' markets. He is Cornell's Farmers' Market Nutrition Program Coordinator and for the past four years he has worked statewide with Cornell developing and implementing education programs for Extension staff, farmers and farmers' market managers.

Technical Assistance Project Manager

Suzanne grew up on a wheat farm outside Great Falls, Montana. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Textile and Clothing from Iowa State University. She spent twenty years in the apparel industry in Oregon, including production management positions with Nike and Hanna Andersson; and acquired an MBA from Portland State University.

In 1997, her path led back to farming when she helped found the Hollywood Farmers' Market in her Portland, OR neighborhood. This community-based farmers market attracts 100 volunteers, 45 vendors, and more than 4,000 customers every week from May through October; and has become a model for many other neighborhood markets in the Portland metropolitan area.

Inspired by the success of the Hollywood Farmers' Market, Suzanne helped revive the Oregon Farmers' Market Association and served as its President from 2000 to 2005. During her tenure, she secured funding and developed the OFMA website (www.oregonfarmersmarkets.org), encouraged the development of farmers markets throughout the state from a total of 35 in 2000 to over 70 markets in 2005, and helped organize the first four years of the annual Oregon Small Farm Direct Marketing Conference sponsored by Oregon State University Extension.

In 2001, Suzanne helped promote the creation of the City of Portland/Multnomah County Food Policy Council, and was appointed a founding member of the council and later became chair. She then mentored the creation of Washington's Clark County Food System Council.

In 2004 Suzanne developed a model program to utilize wireless card service technology to accept SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer cards in the Hollywood Farmers Market. Since, she created a Debit SNAP in Farmers Market workshop for Oregon markets. She has now presented similar workshops in eight states across the country.

Suzanne is currently a consultant for Kaiser Permanente NW's Community Health Initiative promoting healthy eating and active living (HEAL) programs in the communities it serves. In this role, Suzanne works with regional HEAL grant recipients, supports Kaiser Permanente farmers markets, and works with state and national organizations on sustainable food related initiatives, including Farm to School and School and Garden legislation and Healthy Food in Health Care campaigns.

Tanya Swain is executive director of the Western Mountains Alliance (WMA), a community and economic development organization located in Farmington, Maine. In her role with WMA, Tanya promotes growth in the agriculture sector through marketing and promotion and helping to connect farms with new resources, tools and consumers. Under her leadership at WMA, the organization launched one of the state’s first online farm markets and developed western Maine’s first annually updated guide to farms and farm stands. Tanya coordinates the Franklin County Ag Task Force and is a member of Farm Energy Partners and the Maine Farm to School Working Group. Prior to her position at the Alliance, Tanya worked as a regional coordinator for the Maine Community Foundation and has a background in public relations and journalism. She has an M.A. in Public Policy and Management from the University of Southern Maine and holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Washington in Seattle.

When I started attending the Brewer Farmers' Market back in 1983, my sole concern was being able to sell the produce my farm was growing at a good price. After attending market for a year or two, I began to realize that how the market was organized had a great impact on my sales. And how the market was organized also influenced how it made decisions about dues, new members, what could be sold at market, and how it promoted itself, and this, too, had an impact on my sales. So I got involved in the market's steering committee and began to understand how various market members thought the market should operate. Some wanted a market czar, some wanted everyone to do their own thing. But everyone seemed to agree that if the market as a whole did well, then so did they.

In the intervening 27 years I have had numerous discussions on just about all facets of how a market should operate. I have been involved in the Maine Federation of Farmers' Markets (1991-1997 and 2010-), in the founding of the Unity (1999), Pittsfield (1997), Newport (2007), Orono (1994) and Waterville (2006) Farmers' Markets, and I was involved in the writing and adoption of the original Maine farmers' market law in 1992 (the first in the nation, as it turns out). Having listened to so many farmers' market discussions over the years, I thought it only appropriate to share some of the things I have learned. Share what you know, don't hide it, and you'll help everyone move along.

Tricia Cook coordinated and administered the Western Maine Market project during its first year. The Western Maine Market is believed to be the first online farmers' market in the state of Maine. Her work involved coordinating the Market's logistics, developing its homepage and providing technical assistance to farmers in populating their pages, and uploading and downloading weekly product and order information from the site. In 2010, Tricia oversaw the development the online Maranacook Local Foods Buying Club, a school based community buying club which seeks to create greater access to local food, while demonstrating to students a microcosm of the local food system. Last year, in partnership with Maine Rural Partners, she wrote a resource guide for farmers called, Cold Cache: Extending the Farmers' Market Season.

Tracy Weber is a program coordinator with The Opportunity Alliance's Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative. She has spent the last year and a half working with farmers' markets in the Lakes Region and community partners across the state to support markets in implementing EBT programs.