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Marjorie Cooper elected MACD president

Marjorie Cooper, owner of Cooper’s Hilltop Farm in Leicester, has been elected the new president of the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Districts (MACD). Cooper has served as a supervisor for the Worcester Conservation District for many years. Her association with the district grew out of her participation in other agricultural and environmental organizations.

Involved with Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom for more than 20 years and the Massachusetts Envirothon, Cooper joined the conservation district at the encouragement of a colleague from those groups. She has provided a farmers’ voice to these educational programs, as well as to the conservation district.

“Taking care of land is important but not everyone has the same interest in it,” said Cooper, who feels that farmers offer an important viewpoint in land conservation.. “Farmers have a different perspective. We have to take neighbors concerns into consideration, so anything we can do to create a dialog helps. We deal with the public so we have to listen to the public.”

The reason why conservation districts were formed some 70 years ago is still valid today, according to Cooper. “Federal programs have to have local representation,” said Cooper. “You don’t want to lose that. We have to help interpret for today’s needs.”

As for her new role leading MACD, Cooper says, “My position is to find possibilities for agreements between districts. It involves both paperwork and communication.”

Cooper succeeds past president Kenneth Taylor of Westfield.

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