NOBLEBORO — On Nov. 4, the Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District held its annual awards banquet at the North Nobleboro Community Hall. In addition to dinner, the evening agenda included highlights of conservation education and practices in Knox and Lincoln counties by the District and Natural Resources Conservation Service field offices in Augusta and Belfast.

The evening also include the presentation of conservation awards, along with guest speakers Sally Allen, James Wilgar and Ethan Tillson from the ABLE Project at Whitefield School.

The following awards were presented:
Conservation Farm of the Year presented to Patti and Chris Hamilton, Hamilton Farm/Barred Owl Creamery & Catering - Whitefield. Hamilton Farm is an Maine Organic Farm and Gardeners Association certified organic farm that raises goats and sheep for meat, fleece and dairy, as well as pigs and a variety of poultry. Adding value to the products, Patti Hamilton runs a catering business and licensed creamery that produces farmstead artisanal cheeses, which means that all cheeses are made with milk from goats and sheep raised on the farm. In 2015, the American Cheese Society awarded Barred Owl Creamery first place for mixed goat/sheep milk feta and second place for hot pepper jelly chevre. Since 2000, when they moved to Whitefield, the Hamiltons have worked with NRCS to incorporate conservation practices as part of their farm plan including pasture restoration, rotational/prescribed grazing, wetlands protection, and installation of a high tunnel to extend the season for herbs and vegetables grown for cheese and catering.

Honorary Lifetime Membership on the District Board conferred on Barry Tibbetts, of Sheepscot Valley Farm of Whitefield, for his outstanding leadership in agriculture and conservation. Tibbetts served as a supervisor on the District Board for 24 years, 21 as board chair, and continues to serve as an associate supervisor. He also continues to help out at the District Plant Sale.

Excellence in Forestry Education presented to Lorraine Taft, of Friendship, in recognition of her work with the Forest Pest Outreach Project of the Maine Deptartment of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Taft’s passion for and dedication to educating Maine citizens about the threat posed by invasive forest pests, such as hemlock wooly adelgid, winter moth, emerald ash borer and Asian long-horned beetle was said to be “exemplary” during the presentation.

Excellence in Agricultural Education presented to Ellie Libby, of Waldoboro, for her unrivaled enthusiasm and dedication to teaching Midcoast youth about the importance of the links between farm and food during her years with Knox-Lincoln Cooperative Extension 4-H. Libby has been an active volunteer at many District events, including every annual Conservation Fair since at least 2009. 

Excellence in Horticultural Education presented to Liz Stanley, of Warren, in recognition of her dynamic leadership of the Master Gardener program of the Cooperative Extension in Knox, Lincoln and Waldo counties. Stanley has inspired hundreds of volunteers to become involved in community gardening, deliver educational talks and workshops, conduct citizen science, grow food for the needy, serve with nonprofits to support environmental outreach, and participate in civic beautification throughout the Midcoast.

Following the awards, teacher Sally Allen, education technician James Wilgar and student Ethan Tillson gave an exciting presentation about the Aquaponics Based Learning Environment that they are pioneering at Whitefield School. ABLE uses aquaponics, outdoor gardens and a newly constructed greenhouse as teachings and learning tools for middle-school classes.

The District thanked the cooks of Nobleboro Community Association for the food, as well as the businesses that donated items for door prize drawings; Agricola Farm, Union; Ames Supply, Wiscasset; Mystic Woodworking, Warren; NEWAIM Farm, Waldoboro; Schoolhouse Farm, Thomaston; Spear Farm, Nobleboro; Viking Lumber, Warren; and Warren True Value, Warren.