June 6th, 2022
By Michael Shulman
Andrew Bahrenburg Named AFT’s New Deputy Policy Director
(Washington, D.C.) American Farmland Trust has named Andrew Bahrenburg as its new Deputy Policy Director, where he will play a critical role in preparing an organizational strategy to advance transformational agricultural policy at the state and federal level, including through the 2023 Farm Bill.
“AFT is eager to expand synergies between our state and federal policy work, increase our government relations capacity and provide additional strategic leadership,” said Tim Fink, AFT Policy Director. “With Andrew’s vast experience, we feel that he will naturally and effectively steer AFT’s policy strategy forward in collaboration with our team for years to come.”
Bahrenburg has served in policy roles in Washington and Vermont throughout his twelve-year career. Most recently, he was a Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), where he developed, managed, and advanced the Senator’s legislative priorities on issues including agriculture and climate change. For two years prior, Bahrenburg served as National Policy Director for the National Young Farmers Coalition where he directed the 2018 Farm Bill campaign and led the organization’s federal and state policy staff.
“I am excited about the opportunity to help shape agriculture policy at AFT, especially as the next Farm Bill cycle begins,” Bahrenburg said. “Throughout my career, as a legislative staffer, as an advocate, and as a farmer, I have worked hard to advance innovative policy solutions that protect farmland and support those who steward it. AFT is a national leader in this movement and the stakes are higher than ever before. I’m eager to get to work.”
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American Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture movement and continues to raise public awareness through our No Farms, No Food message. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 6.8 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of additional acres and supported thousands of farm families.