易胜博官网

When Amanda Beal looks back on the journey that led to her doctoral work at 易胜博官网, a career with Maine Farmland Trust and her selection as the first woman commissioner of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, the path seems clear.

Beal grew up on a dairy farm in Litchfield, Maine, and would go on to become an expert in the state on agriculture and sustainability. Maine Gov. Janet Mills her appointment on Jan. 20, and she was on Feb. 19.

鈥淥ver all of these experiences, I have developed a real interest in natural resource use in relation to food production and agriculture,鈥� Beal says.

As commissioner, Beal is responsible for the state鈥檚 various land-based natural resources, including Maine agriculture, forests and parks and public lands. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of work that could be done to maximize opportunities for these different areas and to explore commonalities,鈥� Beal says.

She credits her 易胜博官网 studies, and more than two decades of working on agricultural issues throughout her professional career, with helping prepare her for the role: 鈥淥ver the last four years, in particular, I鈥檝e been engaged in working lands conservation as part of that work, but I still have a lot to learn around forestry,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚 do feel that I have a good starting base from my time at 易胜博官网, where I took classes that explored forest health and the importance of forests to our overall ecosystem and economy.鈥�

Beal is currently at work on her dissertation in 易胜博官网鈥檚 natural resources and Earth systems science (NRESS) doctoral program, and it was that program that brought her to the university. 鈥溡资げ┕偻� was the right place for me because of the NRESS program,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 felt I needed to be in an interdisciplinary department where students were looking at natural resource based issues from many directions.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檝e really enjoyed my time at 易胜博官网 and the quality of the other students and faculty. I鈥檝e had so many great interactions on my journey.鈥�

鈥淚t has been an honor to serve Amanda as her advisor and graduate committee chair for the past several years,鈥� says . 鈥淲hen Amanda arrived here at 易胜博官网, she already had not only a distinguished graduate record at Tufts but she had also served as chair of the board of the Maine听Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, a demonstration of her leadership ability and, as well, her dedication to leading Maine agriculture.鈥�

Beal served as president and CEO of Maine Farmland Trust from 2016 to until her confirmation as commissioner and was responsible for leading efforts to support farmers and revitalize Maine鈥檚 rural landscape by keeping agricultural lands working. She is also the co-author of 鈥淎 New England Food Vision鈥� and served as the By Land and By Sea coordinator for Maine鈥檚 Eat Local Foods coalition, where she developed and implemented a community-based action project to explore challenges and opportunities for collaboration between farms and fisheries.

Back to the Farm

Amanda Beal is in good company in her recent selection as Maine鈥檚 commissioner: 易胜博官网 alumna Lorraine Stuart Merrill 鈥�73 was nominated to be 易胜博官网鈥檚 commissioner of agriculture in 2007 and served in that capacity for a decade.

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With an increase in the number of farms in Maine, one of her goals as commissioner is to ensure farmers have access to good markets and fair prices for the work they鈥檙e doing. Amidst challenges around a changing climate, she says she wants to find ways for farms to adapt and be part of the mitigation strategy for addressing that important issue.

Her dissertation work is right in line with that effort. 鈥淲e could grow a lot more food in New England, theoretically, and if we were to try to hit some of the targets in , we鈥檇 be looking at a lot more land coming back into production,鈥� she explains. 鈥淎t the heart of my dissertation is looking at those projections and ways to navigate large-scale land use change while ensuring watershed health. What we don鈥檛 want is to trade off productivity on land for productivity in the ocean and our waterways. The aim of my research is, 鈥楧o we know everything we need to know to maximize production without unintended consequences if our agricultural footprint were to expand exponentially in New England?鈥� These are questions we need to be asking ourselves over the next few decades.鈥�

As her advisor, Carroll is looking forward to seeing what Beal will accomplish as commissioner.

鈥淚t is now most appropriate that she is being given the opportunity to serve in a public leadership capacity in the state she loves, especially given her roots in Maine dairy agriculture and the sustainable agriculture research she is now conducting,鈥� he says. 鈥淗er work will serve all of New England's food security while directly and immediately serving the people of Maine, those who farm and those who eat.鈥�

Learn more about graduate studies in 易胜博官网鈥檚 NRESS.