Clark Phillips passed away on June 27, 2012. He was leader in many organizations and on the forefront of social and environmental concerns, including organic agriculture and forestry. Clark was a pioneer in establishing organic farming in this province and across North America. His lifelong dedication to this work had a significant impact and will not be forgotten. He played an equally important role in the woodlot sector, encouraging and practicing forest management techniques that promote and restore the Acadian forest. He was active in developing the working land trust movement and his farm and woodlot are now owned by Community Forests International, to be maintained in a working state and managed in a sustainable manner in perpetuity. Clark was a force for change and will be truly missed.
A memorial service and visioning session for the future of Whaelghinbran Farm will be held on July 15th from 12:00 - 5:00 at Whaelghinbran Farm (2002 Cedar Camp Rd., South Branch, Kings Co., NB E4E 5E7). Please feel free to bring a dish as the event will be a potluck. In lieu of sending flowers please consider making a contribution to Community Forests International or to the New Brunswick Community Land Trust.
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From Jeff Schnurr, Community Forests International
On Wednesday, June 27th, between the hours of 4-5 AM, we lost our friend, our mentor and our inspiration, Clark Phillips. There is no question of filling his shoes -- we can’t. They’re too big, too knowing and too meaningful. But we can continue his legacy. We will honour Clark by continuing his work at Whaelghinbran Farm.
We learned from Clark.
We learned that if you believe in something, you stand up for it. For Clark, everything was a protest. Farming was a protest. Cooking was a protest. Living a rich life with his lifelong partner, Susan Tyler was a protest for all that is good and meaningful. There is no one I respected more in this world and as hard as it is to lose him, we were able to make his dream a reality. When Clark left us he was worried about the farm, but he was not worried about succession. His last request was that we finish the second planting of potatoes.
We planted the potatoes. We’ve always wanted our work to count for something and on Wednesday, June 27th it did. It hurt but there was a hidden joy in knowing that we were continuing his belief - we were protesting on those fields for everything Clark believed in.
Somehow, on the farm, life and death makes sense. It seems natural on a landscape that will outlive us all. As the water and sun feed the plants, we care and toil in the earth. We are a temporary part of the landscape and we will work to make our time count. I will not last forever. Community Forests International will not last forever. But together we know that we can work towards something that is greater than ourselves, like Clark did. We can live our beliefs on the land and work with those we love and care for.
Clark, we will miss you.
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From ACORN (Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network)
Dear Organic Community,
I'm afraid I have more sad news to share with you: One of our sector's organic pioneers, Clark Phillips, passed away early Wednesday morning, on June 27th.
Many of us were fortunate to know Clark Phillips, who, with his amazing partner Susan Tyler, first started farming in 1966 near Saint John. The both became enthusiastic organic practitioners in the 70's when they moved to their present location of Whaelghinbran Farm (near Fundy National Park, NB).
Clark was tirelessly involved in all aspects of the organic community. Of particular significance in the Atlantic Provinces is that Clark was involved with the initial organization of a regional organic organization––which of course, became what ACORN is today. The list of his contributions and accomplishments within the organic movement, the co-operative movement, and to ecological forestry is impressive and inspiring:
- Clark was the foundational president of ACORN;
- Clark and Susan were awarded the Gerrit Loo Award for outstanding contributions to organic agriculture in Atlantic Canada in 2004;
- He helped to establish the New Brunswick Chapter of The Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA NB);
- He served on the Board of OCIA National and International;
- He served on the Advisory Council for the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada Advisory Council (2002-2005)
- Clark was also a Board member of the Organic Federation of Canada, representing New Brunswick's interests.
Clark was also involved with the Co-operative Enterprise Council of New Brunswick, Southern New Brunswick (SNB) Wood Marketing Executive Board, SNB Wood Co-op Board and was the SNB director at the New Brunswick Federation of Woodlot Owners, (NBFWLO).
When I detail the list of Clark's life work, I am humbled, amazed, and inspired that he accomplished all of this in addition to his primary occupation: a farmer and sustainable woodlot owner. There is no doubt that he is and has been a shining example to us all in the organic sector of an engaged and dedicated citizen of a better world.
As some of you knew, for the last two or three years, Clark and Susan were preparing to retire from actively farming the land, and embraced the role of mentoring the next generation on the farm and in the forest. Their successors are a group of passionate New Brunswicker’s called Community Forests International, who have been working alongside the duo to transition this tremendously important knowledge to a whole new generation of farmers and forest stewards.
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Remembering Clark: An obituary by his partner Susan Tyler
BORN PAUL CLARK PHILLIPS
IN WARRENSBURG
IN A HOUSE THAT STILL IS A HOUSE WE VISITED A WHILE AGO
(UNLIKE THE POEM BY FROST BUT SOMEHOW AN ECHO)
RAISED IN MOUNTAINS AND WOODS AND SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS
IN KITCHENS WHERE FOOD NOURISHED BODIES, MINDS AND PASSIONS
LIFE WAS THE GOAL FOR HIM IN THE FOREST AND THE FIELDS
COMMUNITY WAS THE GOAL FOR MEETING
COOPERATION HIS WAY TO GET THERE
CONSENSUS DESIRED
COMPROMISE – ONLY AS A MEANS TO THAT CONSENSUS
NOT GIVING UP OR IN
HE MET PEOPLE AND LEARNED THEM AND LOVED THEM FOR WHAT THEY DID
AND HE STOOD UP AND JOINED AND TOOK THEM WITH HIM
AND SO
(BESIDES HIS DAUGHTER, HIS SISTER HIS BROTHERS AND THEIR FAMILIES HIS GRANDCHILDREN HIS PARENTS HIS AUNTS HIS STEP CHILDREN HIS PARTNER)
AND SO
HIS HUGE EXTENDED FAMILY GREW HE NEVER FORGOT ANYONE
A LOVER TENDER AND WARM
FIERCE SHELTERING HEAT IN HIS EMBRACE
HE DROVE A TRACTOR
HE PLANTED VEGETABLES POTATOES FOOD AND IDEAS
HE CUT TREES – TO LET IN THE LIGHT -
(AND MAKE A LIVING BY THE WAY) BY THAT WAY
REGENERATING ACADIA
HARD KEPT SILENCE WAS A TOOL HE USED TO BARGIN
THEN A QUESTION GENTLY OPENING THE DOOR TO ARBITRATION
YES AND NO WERE WORDS HE COULD SAY
AT THE END OF THE PAGE
LOST IN THE TURNING
A POWERFUL FORCE INTERRUPTED
HEART STOPPED
BREATH STOPPED
STRENGTH GIVEN OUT
STRENGTH
GIVEN OUT
DISTRIBUTED
SPREAD BY LOVE
SPREAD WITH LOVE AND COMMITMENT
“HERE THERE EVERYWHERE”
THE SUN THE SOIL THE RAIN A DOUBLE RAINBOW IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD
THE FLASH OF A YELLOW WARBLER AN EAGLE FLIES
THE TURKEY VULTURE HITCHES A RIDE ON THE AIR STREAM
HIS BLUE EYES TRACKING
A UNIVERSE FOR HIS LOVER TO BE LOST AND FOUND IN
