Homestead
BDN’s Homestead section is a celebration of rural life. Our writers cover small farms, animals, DIY solutions and fascinating Maine people who find unique ways to live simply. Read more Homestead stories here.
More than 45 years ago, David Tracy Moskovitz and Bambi Jones bought 100 acres to start an organic farm in the midcoast town of Whitefield. Over the next four decades, they purchased hundreds more.
They learned sustainable forestry practices and built trails on the connected parcels they had acquired. In 2007, they used 1,000 of those acres to establish the Hidden Valley Nature Center. The center is now owned by the Midcoast Conservancy land trust, which includes sustainable forestry as one of its pillars because of the couple’s efforts.
On Saturday, they became the first Maine winners of the Leopold Conservation Award for New England, which covers Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
The award, named for author and conservationist Aldo Leopold, is given by the Sand County Foundation, the American Farmland Trust and the New England Forestry Foundation.
It honors farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond and inspire others with their dedication, according to the foundation.
Jones said that although many Maine farm properties are mostly forested, the trees are often unmanaged.
She wants more landowners to know that sustainable forestry can be an additional source of income. For example, they can harvest trees selectively over the years and sell the wood while allowing valuable species the time and space to grow larger.
Moskovitz and Jones also have pruned and thinned trees, avoided disrupting the soil, created water crossings, built structures and left dead trees for wildlife habitat, and developed practices for building trails and protecting water quality that are now used by other foresters.
As they bought more land themselves, Jones and Moskovitz focused on adding parcels that were connected to each other. This provides more habitat for wildlife and helps preserve water quality.
Acquiring the land also was a community effort that took patience and communication because all but one of their parcels were bought before going on the open market.
