On Jan. 2, 2025, Maine Farmland Trust announced that Stacy Brenner is the organization’s new President and CEO. Brenner has been involved with Maine Farmland Trust for 20 years, engaging with its programs as a farmer, serving on its Board of Directors, and most recently on its staff as Senior Advisor for Farmland Access. 

“It is a joy and honor to be the first farmer to lead MFT as President and CEO, said Brenner, in a news release. "I have experienced both the challenges of farming and the immense fulfillment of supporting my family on the income of a successful farm operation, and have felt the impact of Maine Farmland Trust’s programs firsthand. My enthusiasm for Maine’s farmland and agricultural future is boundless, and I am ready and enthusiastic to collaborate with farmers, partners, and supporters to increase MFT’s impact and significance to farmers, the food system, and farmland in Maine.”  

When she was a beginning farmer herself, Brenner leveraged MFT’s farmland access support. In 2006, Brenner and her husband, John Bliss, established Broadturn Farm on the easement-protected property they lease from Scarborough Land Trust, which they found through MFT’s Maine FarmLink service.  

In 2016, Brenner and Bliss also participated in the inaugural cohort of MFT’s Farming for Wholesale (now known as Farming for the Long Haul) business planning program, which they credit for assisting in the growth and development of their farm’s success.  

As a Board member at Maine Farmland Trust from 2017-2022, Brenner served on the Lands Committee, providing strategic support, guidance, and oversight of the organization’s farmland protection efforts and engaging staff and Board in discussions about farmland access.  

After joining MFT’s staff in 2022 as Senior Advisor for Farmland Access, Brenner has helped advance the organization’s efforts to make farmland more accessible and affordable to new and beginning farmers, including low-income, Black, Indigenous, and/or farmers of color. Brenner has led the development of a pilot “Buy/Support/Protect/Sell” model, which will offer wraparound support programs over a lease period before protecting the farm with an easement and making the sale, providing farmers with a longer runway to establish their farm business and financial footing.  

“Having worked alongside Stacy for years as both a fellow organic farmer and MFT Board member, I was delighted to join the Board in the unanimous vote to confirm Stacy as MFT’s President and CEO,” said Dave Colson, MFT’s Board Chair. “Stacy is an outstanding leader and a strong voice for agriculture. With her connection to Maine’s farming community, deep knowledge of the issues, and her collaborative, innovative spirit, Stacy is well-positioned to lead the organization in its mission to protect farmland, support farmers, and grow the future of farming.” 

“Stacy is sensible, empathetic, and thoughtful, and we’re all enthusiastic to work with her as President and CEO,” said Margot Kelley, Vice Chair of MFT’s Board of Directors. “She is a keen listener, a willing collaborator, and unafraid to tackle complex challenges and think outside the box – all qualities that will help MFT grow its impact statewide.”  

In December, Brenner was also sworn in to her third term as a State Senator representing District 30, where she will continue to serve in Maine’s part-time, citizen Legislature. In her first term, Brenner played a key role in the State’s response to PFAS contamination and helped to shape programs to deliver the state’s $60 million fund as Chair of the PFAS Fund Advisory Committee. As Chair of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee and as Senate appointee to the Maine Climate Council, Brenner has also fostered strong bipartisan collaboration to advance environmental issues, including farmland conservation.  

Brenner also served on the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) Board of Directors from 2017-2022, assuming the position of Board Vice President in 2020 and Board President in 2021.

Maine Farmland Trust is a statewide, member-powered nonprofit working to protect farmland, support farmers, and advance the future for farming. Since its founding in 1999, MFT has permanently protected over 370 farms and has helped to keep over 68,000 acres of farmland in farming and support a network of over 550 farms with critical services. More at www.mainefarmlandtrust.org.