Kristin Varnum: Celebrating 25 years with MFT

It’s not every day you get to celebrate a staff member who’s been with the organization nearly as long as it’s been in existence. Congratulations and a big thank you to Kristin Varnum for reaching 25 years with MFT! 

Kristin has been instrumental in helping grow the organization and in shaping the work we do today. Shortly after Maine Farmland Trust’s founding in 1999, Kristin Varnum was hired on as one of the organization’s very first staff members, working as a paralegal and office support. Over the past 15+ years, Kristin has served as Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, as well as our Interim President & CEO, and her leadership and institutional knowledge have helped us navigate through organizational transitions, the pandemic, the PFAS crisis, and more. 

"Kristin, how do you do it? We couldn't exist without you!” as MFT Board Member emeritus Susan Morris puts it (before jokingly adding, “Don’t ever die!”). “I said that to her many times over 25 years.” We couldn’t agree more.

We sat down with Kristin to hear a few stories from the early days and what she hopes for MFT’s future:

What’s it been like to see MFT evolve over the last 25 years? What are some milestone moments that stick out? 

I’ve always been proud to be a part of such a great organization. I’ve watched MFT grow from 2 employees to over 40, and from a mission centered on farmland protection to one that has grown in scope and impact and is always adapting to meet the changing needs of farmers and the agricultural landscape.

Some key milestones definitely stand out. Early on, we focused primarily on farmland protection, ensuring that land would stay in farming for generations. Milestone moments included expanding our work to include farmland access work (through FarmLink) and then farm viability – helping farmers not just access land, but also thrive on it. More recently, we've deepened our commitment to supporting historically marginalized farmers and tackling climate resilience in agriculture. Through it all, what’s been most rewarding is seeing how MFT has remained farmer-centered, evolving in response to their needs while staying true to our mission. The work is never done, but looking back, it’s inspiring to see how far we’ve come.

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What’s a fun/favorite memory from the early days of MFT?

25 years – that’s a long time ago! When I started with MFT, things were very different. LouAnna Perkins (our first Executive Director) and I used to share dial-up access to the internet on one computer. If we wanted to email or look something up on that thing called Google, we had to take turns. It’s hard to imagine now!

I also can remember spending many hours folding, stuffing, sealing, labeling and stamping envelopes to get mailings out to raise awareness of our good work. Sue Lanpher and I used to spend days together getting those mailings done (Sue was a volunteer then, before she became our Farmland Access & Transfer Associate, where she’s grown our FarmLink service over the past 18 years!). Today we laugh about how we used to tackle 10,000+ mailing lists like they were nothing!

What’s your favorite thing about your role?

I love my role at MFT because it allows me to support MFT’s mission from a strategic and operational perspective. Working at the intersection of finance and organizational management gives me a big-picture view of how we can remain strong, adaptable, and effective in serving farmers.

Leadership in this space is especially rewarding because it’s about ensuring MFT is positioned for long-term success – not just financially, but in how we evolve, build partnerships, and create meaningful impact. It’s fulfilling to help shape the organization in a way that allows our team to do their best work and support Maine’s agricultural future.

What do you hope for the future of MFT?

I hope that MFT remains a trusted partner for Maine’s farmers, ensuring that farmland stays in farming and that the people who work the land have the support they need to succeed. Over the years, we’ve grown and adapted to meet the evolving challenges in agriculture, and I hope that we keep that momentum – always listening to farmers and responding in ways that best support them.

At the same time, I hope MFT continues to be a supportive, thoughtful employer for its staff. The strength of this organization comes from the dedication and passion of our team, and I want to see MFT remain a place where people feel valued, inspired, and empowered to do meaningful work.

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Kristin, thank you so much for your steadfast dedication to Maine Farmland Trust’s mission since the early beginnings, and for all that you’ve done to support our growth into the dynamic, responsive organization that we are today. Our work wouldn’t be the same without you. Cheers to you!