Employee Vignette

Rita Thibodeau

District Conservationist, Greenfield Field Office

Rita Thibodeau knows Franklin County and the farms and farmers in it. It comes with the territory as District Conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Greenfield, Massachusetts. But it’s also because she’s a farmer, too.

Rita and her husband Ken Herzig run a 330 acre dairy and maple syrup operation in Colrain, Massachusetts. She joined NRCS in 1992 as a Soil Conservation Technician in the Northampton field office and later was promoted to Soil Conservationist and eventually District Conservationist in 2002.

“Farmers’ daily struggles are the same as mine,” says Rita. “So I go out in the weather to talk to farmers about what they really want to talk about. I understand their issues and concerns.”

When it’s raining or freezing outside is when Rita’s office is busiest. “My phone is ringing and folks are dropping by. We get the paperwork done as efficiently as possible to devote our time to servicing the farmers who need our assistance,” says Thibodeau.

Rita is proud that the Greenfield office usually exceeds its goals. The all female staff, which includes Rita, Soil Conservationist Lisa Hall and Office Automation Assistant E.J. Hunnewell, has broken through to folks who otherwise might not have been willing to work with the federal government.

“I think we do so well because the farmers trust us and respect our opinion and our technical assistance. We’re approachable and we listen to their ideas. We look at all the alternatives and try to work with them for the best solution to fit their problem,” explains Rita.

Whether she’s in the field or in the office, Rita Thibodeau works with farmers to bring conservation practices to fruition and they appreciate her efforts. “According to the farmers, we at NRCS are the good guys who make it possible to put conservation on the land. They know that their land matters to us.”

For More Information Contact:

Diane Baedeker Petit
Public Affairs Officer
413-253-4371
diane.petit@ma.usda.gov

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