3 days Ago
Annie Watson gets some help from her son, Guthrie, at Sheepscot Valley Farm in March. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer Annie Watson is an organic dairy farmer. She’s run Sheepscot Valley Farm in Whitefield since 2013 with her husband, Michael Moody.
They live on the farm with their three sons. She studied theater at Brown University in Rhode Island and worked in restaurants and food service before becoming a farmer. She’s also president of the Maine Dairy Industry Association and a board member of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA).
She’ll be giving a keynote address Friday at the Common Ground Country Fair in Unity, which runs Friday through Sunday. What are some of your favorite things about being an organic dairy farmer? This morning we were looking outside at our cows, and there was a brand new calf that stood up. She had just been born.
Being able to have that as our normal part of our lives is something so remarkable. Moments that to us are ordinary, but in reality are extraordinary. I feel very, very lucky to have that, for my children.
(When they saw the newborn calf), my 4-year-old was like “Oh, I’m gonna go check on her.” So he put his boots on and ran outside. Then he came back in and told me she looked clean.
The mother cleans the baby off and he knew to look for that. Annie Watson and two of her sons, Guthrie and Henry. Photo courtesy of Annie Watson What makes your farm organic? We have a very specific set of rules we have to follow.
We don’t use any antibiotics, and all the cows feed themselves, out in the pasture. We have to document everything about the health care of our animals. We adhere to a more holistic system, so the cows have more of a natural rhythm to their lives.
What will your keynote speech be about? I’m a first-generation dairy farmer. I’m going to just lay out my own journey into farming, and the lessons I’ve learned over the past 11 years. I’ve realized (organic dairy farming) is so important for all the other agricultural entities and systems.
We’re losing dairy farms so quickly , we’re really in danger of losing this generational understanding and knowledge of not only the land, but the importance of what dairy farming contributes to our communities. What’s your favorite thing to see or do at the fair? I really love seeing all the art, meeting the artists that come and display their work. It’s really just such an amazing opportunity to see it in this rural setting, which has its own beauty.
I’m an artist at heart. I also love seeing all the volunteers, because the remarkable thing about the fair is that it’s all volunteer-led . There’s a great feeling of camaraderie because so many people work together to put on this amazing event.
What’s your go-to fair food? I don’t know if I have a favorite thing to eat, but I do love the farmers market (at the fair.) Being a farmer, I love to have the opportunity to support other farmers. Being able to get what you’d like for dinner tonight right there is pretty remarkable.
We invite you to add your comments, and we encourage a thoughtful, open and lively exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use . You can also read our FAQs .
You can modify your screen name here . Readers may now see a Top Comments tab, which is an experimental software feature to detect and highlight comments that demonstrate compassion, reasoning, personal stories and curiosity, and encourage and promote civil discourse. Please sign into your Press Herald account to participate in conversations below.
If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe . Questions? Please see our FAQs . Your commenting screen name has been updated.
Send questions/comments to the editors..
