Meet Nia Rivers, AFT's Southeast Engagement and Support Specialist
Nia Rivers joined American Farmland Trust (AFT) in April 2026 as Southeast Engagement and Support Specialist, supporting outreach, partnership development, and technical assistance efforts across Kentucky and the Southeast. In this role, she supports AFT's Women for the Land initiative while helping strengthen relationships with farmers, landowners, Extension professionals, nonprofit organizations, and agency partners. Nia also works closely with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and other collaborators to expand access to conservation resources, strengthen technical service partnerships, and support resilient working lands throughout the region.
Nia brings a collaborative approach rooted in service, conservation, and relationship building. Her background in conservation, water quality, environmental stewardship, and agriculture reflects AFT's commitment to supporting producers through trusted partnerships, education, and community engagement. By working alongside farmers and partner organizations across the Southeast, she helps expand opportunities that strengthen both agricultural communities and the landscapes they steward.
AFT's work across the Southeast focuses on strengthening conservation, supporting farm viability, and expanding access to trusted technical assistance for farmers and landowners. Through initiatives such as Women for the Land, AFT brings together producers, conservation professionals, Extension, and community partners to foster peer learning, build lasting relationships, and improve access to conservation resources. By working collaboratively throughout the region, AFT continues to support historically underserved producers while advancing healthy farmland, clean water, resilient communities, and sustainable agriculture.
Based in Kentucky, Nia brings a background in biology and professional experience spanning conservation, water quality, environmental stewardship, and agriculture. Before joining AFT, she worked alongside farmers across Kentucky, providing technical assistance, supporting grant administration and management, connecting producers to critical resources, and contributing to farm legal education efforts that helped farmers navigate heirs' property and farmland transition challenges. Since the pandemic, she has also become actively involved in urban agriculture, growing food for her family and community while strengthening her own connection to the land. Having lived in communities across the country before making Kentucky home, she values building relationships that support both people and place.
"My name, Nia, means 'purpose' in Swahili, and that meaning has always guided the way I approach my life and work," she said. "Growing up, I was often reminded to look at my hands and remember they were helping hands. That simple lesson became a lifelong commitment to serving others. American Farmland Trust gives me the opportunity to live out that purpose every day by supporting Southeast farmers, strengthening partnerships, and helping connect people with the resources they need to care for their land, their livelihoods, and their communities. I believe that when we empower one another, we create stronger farms, healthier landscapes, and more resilient communities for generations to come."
For Nia, conservation is ultimately about people. Every partnership built, every producer supported, and every connection made contributes to stronger communities and healthier working lands. Living with purpose means helping others thrive, and she is excited to continue that work alongside Southeast farmers, landowners, and partners.
