2026 Forestry Field Day Recap

The 2025 Forestry Field Day brought community members together to celebrate and learn from the outstanding management practices of Jay and Kathryn Libby. From field tours and live chainsaw demos to an appearance by Smokey Bear and maple-topped treats to satisfy any sweet tooth, the event welcomed guests from all across Maine. Adding a touch of whimsy to the day, Jay and Kathryn’s granddaughter created fairy houses tucked throughout the property, giving Forestry Field Day participants something magical to discover along the way.

Forestry Field Day featured four engaging field tours that showcased many different aspects of the Libby’s forest stewardship. Field Tour One, Libby Maple’s Forest Management, was guided by forester Jon Doty of Two Trees Forestry and offered a detailed look at the management practices used on the Libby Maple Tree Farm. Field Tour Two, Wildlife by Design, led by private lands biologist Joe Roy of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, focused on strategies for creating and maintaining high-quality wildlife habitat on working forestlands. Field Tour Three, Ruts, Routes, and Runoff, with Maine Forest Service water specialist Tom Gilbert, addressed the challenges of managing water on forest roads, including culvert and bridge planning and the use of Best Management Practices to protect water quality. Field Tour Four, Sap to Syrup, guided by Jay and Kathryn Libby’s sons, Jon Ward and Clint Libby, followed the entire maple sugaring process, from sugarbush management to syrup production. In addition to the tours, attendees explored interactive demonstration stations covering firewood processing, heavy machinery operation, chainsaw safety, and tree identification and measurement techniques, rounding out a comprehensive, hands-on learning experience. 

Lunch began when people caught the scent of pulled pork and chicken sandwiches from Porks BBQ Pit in the air. Just when folks thought they had their fill, Kathryn Libby brought out buckets of Gifford’s for an ice cream bar featuring all sorts of toppings, including the famous Libby Maple Crunch. “People come for the field tours, but they remember the food!” said Kathryn Libby during the planning process. Having had a breakfast of mini pancakes from Maine Grains, maple syrup from Libby Maple, and coffee from Joe’s Flat Iron Cafe, Kathryn made sure her guests were well-fed. Once folks were too full to wander away, we gathered for the highlight of the day: celebrating Jay and Kathryn Libby for their outstanding accomplishments at Libby Maple.

The award ceremony opened with a legislative sentiment shared from Senator Guerin’s office, acknowledging the Libbys’ long-standing commitment to forest stewardship, family forestry, and the broader Maine woodland community. Somerset County Chair Cody Lachance then presented the Outstanding Tree Farm of the Year award to Jay and Kathryn Libby, eloquently summarizing all that makes the Libbys special. Kathryn shared a memory as Jay collected himself for his big speech. She recalled an old Tree Farmer newsletter that once featured a previous Outstanding Tree Farm of the Year winner on the cover. At the time, the Libbys had looked at it and said, “That is going to be us one day,” making this award a meaningful full-circle achievement. Jay Libby then took the microphone and shared his emotional gratitude with the crowd, summing up his values simply and powerfully: “First it is my family, then it is my trees.”

The Maine Tree Farm Program would like to thank our co-coordinators, the Maine Woodland Owners Association, for their dedication to helping us celebrate our Outstanding Tree Farm of the Year winners. The Maine Tree Farm Program is also thankful for our planning committee members: Kevin Allcroft, Jon Doty, David Irving, Nicole Rogers, Jason Hilton, and CJ Herlihy, without whom this event would not have been possible. We are especially grateful for all of our volunteers, who helped set up, run errands, clean up, and ensure the event ran smoothly. 

The Maine Tree Farm Program sends a special thank you to our event sponsors and supporters, including Sappi, Prentis & Carlisle, MB Tractor & Equipment, Heavy Machines LLC, Hight Chevrolet GMC, Liberty Graphic, Northeast STIHL, Gifford’s Ice Cream, Maine Grains, Porks BBQ Pit LLC,  ED Bessey and Son, Farm Credit East, Robbins Lumber Company, and the Maine Forest Service.