ORONO, Maine — University of Maine Cooperative Extension faculty and staff earned multiple national and regional awards this summer at the 2025 National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference, with Maine programs recognized for excellence in service, education, communication, and innovation.

Horticulture Professional Kate Garland received NACAA’s Distinguished Service Award, honoring more than a decade of outstanding Extension programming, leadership in the profession, and ongoing growth in subject-matter expertise.

New Farmer Program Manager Chris Howard, Vegetable and Small Fruit Specialist David Handley, and State Livestock Specialist Colt W. Knight were named national winners of NACAA’s Search for Excellence in Young, Beginning, or Small Farmers/Ranchers for the Maine New Farmers Project. In three years, the project helped 183 people start agricultural businesses in Maine, delivered 88 courses, tours, and webinars to 1,838 participants, advanced business-planning skills for 464 beginning farmers, and led to 76 completed business plans and 24 financings. The program also expanded access to resources through new documents, videos, and a growing statewide network—engaging significant numbers of women and veterans.

Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture Professional Nick Rowley received the Achievement Award for impactful early-career contributions focused on soil health in vegetable and forage systems, including cover cropping, weed management, compost utilization, reduced tillage, and variety trials. A recognized Compost Expert/Crop Advisor and member of the Maine Compost Team, Rowley has supported highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) mortality management through composting and is helping lead a USDA national training effort for compost subject-matter experts.

In the NACAA Communications Awards, Knight was a national finalist in Audio Recording for The Maine Farmcast, Ep. 2: Swine Industry with Brett Kaysen, highlighting collaboration among producers, researchers, and industry stakeholders. Horticulture Professional Rebecca Long won the Northeast regional award for Feature Story for “To Rake or Not to Rake,” published in Maine Home Garden News and later adapted by the Sun Journal, extending its reach to more than 19,000 additional readers.

Forage Educator Jaime Garzon was a finalist in the Extension Education Poster category for “The Maine Hay Contest,” which encourages producers to evaluate forage quality. In its inaugural year, 12 farms from eight counties participated; results spurred plans for management improvements and increased participation in 2025.

Beyond awards, Knight led a Super Seminar, “Leveraging AI for Extension Success: Tools, Techniques, and Insights,” produced the opening session Flag Ceremony video, and handcrafted a leather padfolio that raised $500 for the NACAA Scholarship Auction.

For more information about UMaine Extension programs and resources for farmers, visit extension.umaine.edu.

About University of Maine Cooperative Extension:  As a trusted resource for over 100 years, Extension has supported UMaine's land and sea grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county. UMaine Extension seeks to build thriving communities and grow the food-based economy, focusing on aspects from production and processing to nutrition, food safety and food security. Extension also conducts the most successful out-of-school youth educational program in Maine through 4-H which offers hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture and civic engagement and creates a positive environment where participants are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles.