Annie Watson, Organic Dairy Farmer “Landscapes Lost” Annie Watson is a mother, business owner, advocate, and organic dairy farmer. Not originally a Mainer, she moved to the state she now calls home in July of 2005 after graduating from Brown University. It was in September of this same year that her life changed after going on a date to chop corn with a local dairy farmer she met while tending bar. Eight years later, she and that same dairy farmer, Mike, now her husband, began dairying together with the purchase of Sheepscot Valley Farm in Whitefield, Maine. Their farm, family, and Annie’s dedication to the dairy industry have only grown since. Together, they milk 75 cows and are members of CROPP Cooperative. Annie currently serves as president of the Maine Dairy Industry Association and on the board of directors of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, and is also a director of the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership. As a first-generation dairy farmer, she brings a fresh perspective to an industry rooted in generational knowledge. Annie is a strong advocate for organic and local food systems and their interdependence within our rural communities. She is a proven leader with strong advocacy skills and her ability to connect people is something in which she takes great pride. Annie and Mike live on their farm in Whitefield with their three young sons, Oliver, Henry, and Guthrie, their herd of organic Holsteins, and a very small farm dog, Otis. Drawing from experiences as a first-generation dairy farmer, and her own non-farm beginnings, in her keynote address, Annie will discuss how finding community where she didn’t expect it inspired her to become an outspoken advocate for the dairy industry, and why the dairy landscapes we are losing are of importance to us all.
