May 22, 2017
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Ellen Sabina
Maine Farmland Trust has hired Ellen Griswold of Portland, Maine as its new Policy and Research Program Manager.
Griswold will manage MFT’s policy work at the federal, state, and municipal levels. She will also oversee research and data collection efforts in support of various development, programmatic, and strategic areas. She will be the primary point of contact for any research-related inquiries.
Griswold has worked with MFT since last September as the Wang Food and Farming Fellow. Her duties have included the development of a State of Agriculture resource that examines trends in different agricultural sectors that will help MFT communicate emerging and long-term needs for Maine’s farmers and our food system. In developing this resource, she is reaching out to experts across the state to research the policies and programs that have impacted the identified trends. Ellen will continue this work as she steps into her new role on June 5th.
“During my fellowship, I have been so impressed by the breadth of the programs provided by MFT, as well as the knowledge and talent of its staff,” Griswold said. “I am excited to be working on food and agricultural policies that protect farmland, support farmers, increase access to locally-grown food, and revitalize rural communities in Maine.”
Griswold received her BA from Brown University in 2001 and her JD from Georgetown University Law Center in 2007. She recently completed an LLM in Food and Agriculture Law at Vermont Law School. Griswold brings extensive federal policy and regulatory experience to her new role, having spent over six years working on energy issues in Washington, DC, in addition to prior state and municipal-level experience.
Ellen’s deep personal interest in the structure of our food system—and its implications for public health, the environment, and agriculture producers—led her to pursue a new career in agriculture and food policy.