UNITY, Maine — Russell Libby, the longtime director of MOFGA, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, died Sunday after battling cancer for a year, a staff member confirmed. He was 56.
According to the organization’s website, Libby became involved with MOFGA after attending the 1977 Common Ground Country Fair, the annual MOFGA public event.
Libby joined the MOFGA Board of Directors in 1983, serving as president for two years. He became executive director in 1995.
“He has led MOFGA’s growth over the past decade as the organization moved to the new Common Ground Education Center in Unity, expanded the agricultural services and education programs, and created a subsidiary to run the certification program,” according to MOFGA’s website.
The organization moved to newly constructed buildings in Unity where it had enough land to also host the fair, which previously had been held in Windsor.
“He was really instrumental in that whole move,” said Jean English, longtime editor of MOFGA’s newsletter. The organization had a solid base when Libby took over, she said, but “he ran with it and expanded its influence.”
English said Libby, “had the brain of an economist,” and could manage the organization, “and he had the heart of a poet,” which let him relate to all sorts of people.
“I’ve had the privilege of knowing and working with Russell for many years — first at MOFGA and more recently as Congress has worked on the latest reauthorization of the Farm Bill,” U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree said in a statement Sunday night. “Throughout, I have always looked up to Russell and relied on his wisdom and knowledge on everything from the operations of our farm to changing national policy. He was one of a kind, and his passing is a terrible loss to the entire state.”
On Libby’s Facebook page, Ron Beard of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension wrote: “Russell Libby died as he lived … growing to wisdom, sharing his heart, inspiring his friends and colleagues with his courage and his humor … journey now to rest.”
Libby also served for ten years as research director at the Maine Department of Agriculture. He also served on the boards of the Agricultural Council of Maine, the University of Maine Board of Agriculture, Maine Farmland Trust, Eat Local Foods Coalition, National Organic Coalition and FEDCO Seeds.
He held a degree in economics from Bowdoin College and a master’s in resource economics from the University of Maine. With his wife, Mary Anne and three daughters, he operated Three Sisters Farm in Mount Vernon, where he served in town government and on the school board.
In 2007 Libby published a poetry collection, “Balance: A Late Pastoral.”
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Mt. Vernon Elementary School with a potluck meal immediately following.
He did much good in his time on earth. R.I.P.
Condolences to his family.
No doubt good food and traditional medicines gave him the extra time needed with his family.
This is a great loss.
Oh my, I knew him since his days at Bowdoin…Terrible loss, but everyone knew he was losing the battle and breathed a sigh of relief when he attended COMMON GROUND; his legacy is huge and the lives and livelihoods he influenced were legendary!
Thank you Russell for all you did to open our eyes to the importance of food and unity. I appreciated your thoughts and wisdom when we spoke of Farmers and Fishermen and how similar journeys we were on. The world has lost a very good man.
MOFGA members and others in Maine will miss the wise counsel of this unassuming natural leader, this good citizen who urged us all to live better lives.
So sorry to lose Russell, a good, kind man with a dream of clean food, clean earth. I hope many arise soon to make that happen.
It is indeed an unfortunate day when anyone still in the prime of life leaves us early and I am honestly and sincerely sad that Mr. Libby has passed. However as we ponder his life, and passing, even you cleanearth must admit that apparently living a life free of chemicals isn’t a guarantee of a life free of cancer. So perhaps your constant gripes about contemporary farming techniques and companies which provide seed that helps feed the world are ill targeted. I hope you consider this before you launch into your next tirade.
I knew that some numb nut would make a comment like this. Even if you want to get into a scientific argument about the causes of cancer and Libby’s lifetime exposure to carcinogen’s and his genetic cancer risks, THIS IS NOT THE PLACE TO DO IT.
It is exactly the place to do it, and responds in kind to the comment made by Cleanearth Nancy!
It isn’t. This is about this fine man’s life and death. Your negativity has no place here and your rant about food politics is selfish and insensitive.. as well as being wrong. If you can’t see the bias and unsupported assumptions in your position then there’s no point in arguing with you.
If only it were easier to get B-17 injections.
Sad , especially this time of year…Even good living and good eating can’t protect you from the curse of cancer…Sometimes I think we put to much emphasis on things we do and eat and not the genetics side of it…May God be with his family…RIP…
You make a good point.
I concur completely.