AROOSTOOK COUNTY — Maine Agri-Women recently surprised organization President Pam Townsend of Blaine with the 2017 Maine Agri-Women Award.
Presented this summer during the annual Potato Industry Dinner in Fort Fairfield, part of the Maine Potato Blossom Festival, the award recipient was kept a secret until the night of the event.
Maine Agri-Women member Sue McCrum introduced Townsend and presented the award, noting that Townsend, like many others of her generation, supported Aroostook’s agricultural heritage by picking potatoes and working on the potato harvester during school harvest break, even though she didn’t grow up on a farm.
“When I think of leadership, these things come to mind,” said McCrum. “Pursuit of bettering yourself, knowing your team and yourself well, giving people the tools to succeed, open, authentic and positive influence, confidence and courage to try new things, building consensus and common goals, helping others achieve the impossible and building the next generation of leaders. This lady has done all these things.”
McCrum said Townsend has helped Maine Agri-Women grow and has begun community partnerships to better the lives of local residents, while encouraging others to join the organization. Townsend is also a member of American Agri-Women, serving as chair and co-chair of several committees, and has mentored young women in agriculture in The County.
“Her leadership skills are phenomenal,” McCrum said.
Townsend recently reflected on the award and what it means to her.
“A lot of people say they have no connection to agriculture,” she said, “ but I always tell them, ‘If you eat and wear clothes you do.”
“I was honored to be named Maine Agri-Woman of The Year by Maine Agri-Women, an affiliate of American Agri-Women, which is the nation’s largest coalition of farm, ranch and agribusiness women with over 50 state, commodity and agribusiness affiliate organizations throughout the country,” she said.
“I was very surprised and honored to be recognized by my peers in the industry,” Townsend continued. “At our meeting I was told that someone else was receiving the award and didn’t realize it was me until they got to the end of the description that they were reading.
“I should have known when my husband kept asking if I wanted him to go to the dinner with me,” she quipped. “He is not good at keeping secrets, but he did keep this one.”
Townsend and her husband, Harvard, live in Blaine and have two sons, Derek and Matthew, along with daughters-in-law and four grandchildren. She has been employed by County Super Spud in Mars Hill for 20 years.
Comprised of women from throughout Aroostook County who are involved in agriculture, Maine Agri-Women works to educate students as to where their food comes from. Representatives visit classrooms all over The County to read agriculture related books during the month of March, and tour agriculture-related businesses in the State so they themselves can learn more about the industry.
