Where you can find me:

• May 5th, 6:30pm-8:00 | Candidate Forum at Town Hall. (with MCTV).
• May 7th, 6:00pm-7:30 | Casual Q&A with Nate Card, at Brick House (24 3rd St, TF).
• May 14th, 5:30pm-6:30 | Montague Indivisible Potluck, at Common Hall, in Montague Center.
• May 14th, 6:30pm-7:30 | Reading with Tea & Crumpets Society, at National Spiritual Alliance, in Lake Pleasant.
• May 16th, 9:00am-10:00 | cheering Brick House 5K runners, at Unity Park, in Turners Falls.
• May 16th, 11:00am-12:45pm, 2:15pm-4:00 | Tabling for Pollinator Partnership at Greenfield Bee Fest, Energy Park, in Greenfield.
• May 16th, 1:00pm-2:00pm | Visiting Day of Remembrance, at Great Falls Discovery Center, in Turners Falls.
• May 17th, 4:30pm-6:00 | Casual meet & greet at Element Brewing, in Miller's Falls.

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Most folks know me as Nate Card. I’m a Senior Resiliency Planner at Regenerative Design Group Cooperative in Greenfield, where I use geo-spatial data analysis and community engagement to support local soil health, regenerative agriculture, and biodiversity. Outside the studio, I volunteer with Redistro, a mutual aid project, helping reduce waste and teach repair skills in our community.

I moved to the area in 2023 for graduate school and stayed because I fell in love with both the ecology and the community I found here. With family roots in Massachusetts (albeit, a few generations removed), it feels like coming home. Before this, I spent nearly 20 years in theater and event production, creating spaces and occasions for social gathering and storytelling throughout the country.

I’m running for Selectboard because I want to help Montague grow in ways that work for us all. That means protecting our natural spaces, supporting affordability, keeping local services strong, and making sure residents have a real voice in shaping our shared future. I plan to build on the work of those who came before me and collaborate with all town staff to serve the whole community.

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Montague Reporter, May 14th issue Letter to the editor:

"Let’s talk about doing more with less.

When I decided to run for Montague Selectboard, I also committed to running a zero-dollar campaign: no fundraising, and no spending on new campaign materials. I made that choice intentionally because I believe government works best when platforms are built on relationships and conversations rather than money and advertising. Here in Montague, relationship-building and genuine engagement matter far more to me than how big my budget is.

This approach also reflects the kind of mindset I intend to bring to the Selectboard. Montague, like most small towns, has to make difficult decisions with limited resources. I believe thoughtful budgeting is often less about dramatic cuts and more about consistently making careful, practical choices that add up over time. Small decisions about how and when we spend money can have a lasting impact on the town’s long-term financial resilience.

I also believe keeping local campaigns free of finance helps keep public service accessible. People should feel that they can run for local office without needing wealth or fundraising networks. At a national scale, I would like to see Citizens United overturned; but change trickles up, not down. I think it is worth demonstrating that local campaigns can succeed outside of finance if we want to see the same principles reflected in our state and federal governments.

As one expression of these principles, I chose not to produce new plastic campaign signs, which are often used for only a few weeks before becoming waste. Instead, I’ve been repurposing old signs with paint and paste. It’s a small decision, but one that reflects my broader belief that we can do more to use resources thoughtfully and avoid unnecessary waste or spending.

If this approach resonates with you, I hope you’ll consider two requests:

1. Think about how a new library could amplify these values throughout Montague, and vote yes to invest in our future on June 24th.

2. Share this story with a few friends or neighbors, and encourage them to do the same. I might be the one in the candidate’s seat, but I do so as a representative: this is our story to tell together. Elect Nathanael Card Schiffbauer for Selectboard on May 19th.

You can learn more about me, my priorities, and where I’ll be around town at about.me/natecard."