Welcoming New MFT Board Members

Earlier this month, our four new Board members met with our leadership team for an orientation and to celebrate over a farm-to-table meal. We are thrilled to welcome Lauren Giroux, Alix Hopkins, Tom Settlemire, and to welcome back Henry Whittemore, who previously served on the Board from 2010-2022.

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“We’re delighted to have these four exceptional leaders join us on Maine Farmland Trust’s Board of Directors. Their wisdom and experience in farming, conservation, and Maine’s agricultural economy will help MFT continue to innovate as we work to protect farmland, support farmers, and grow the future of farming.” - Dave Colson, MFT Board Chair

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Read on to learn more about each of their backgrounds, which speak volumes about their commitment to MFT’s work and the farmers we serve:

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Lauren Giroux, Director of Product Selection & Trialing at Johnny's Selected Seeds, grew up in Waldo County, a child of back-to-the-land movement parents. As a teenager, Lauren picked up seasonal work at Johnny's Selected Seeds, Chase Farm, and Chase’s Daily. After earning her B.S. in Sustainable Agriculture and Landscape Horticulture at UMaine, Lauren returned to Johnny's in 2009, where she is now a member of the Senior Management Team and oversees the structure and integrity of product trialing and product selection decision making for all seed and perishable product lines.

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Alix Hopkins has worked in community development and land conservation for decades. She is the founding Executive Director of Portland Trails, Maine’s first urban land trust, and has served on numerous boards including the Pownal Land Trust, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, and the Forest Society of Maine, among others. Alix is also the author of Groundswell: Stories of Saving Spaces, Finding Community, a project she embarked upon with the Trust for Public Land. For the past 30+ years, she has worked on restoring her farm in Pownal.

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Tom Settlemire is an emeritus professor of Biology and Biochemistry at Bowdoin College and an active leader in Maine’s farming and conservation community for more than 50 years. Tom ran a farm in Brunswick for 35 years and helped establish the Downtown Brunswick Farmers Market. Tom has also been deeply involved as a past President and volunteer at the Brunswick Topsham Land Trust, where he helped to found the Crystal Spring Farmers’ Market. Tom also serves on the board of the Fork Food Lab, a non-profit that helps small business owners turn Maine-grown produce into value-added products.

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‍Henry Whittemore held a decades-long career in large-scale timberland management, with experience across North America, Australia, New Zealand, China, and Eastern Europe. Most recently he served as Executive Director of the Maine TREE Foundation, before retiring in 2020.

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At MFT, we are grateful for the dedication of our Board members and are looking forward to working with these four wonderful additions to continue growing our impact.