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Knowledge Murphy Named AFT’s New Western Solar Specialist 

(Bellingham, WA) American Farmland Trust has named Knowledge Murphy as its first Western Solar Specialist to help develop and implement AFT’s strategy at the intersection of solar energy generation and farmland conservation.  

“This new position is critical in enabling AFT to launch research, develop programming, and inform policy across the West that will further our Smart Solar principles,” said Addie Candib, AFT’s Pacific Northwest Regional Director. “Knowledge brings the skills and experience necessary to ensure that AFT’s leadership in this rapidly evolving space is innovative, relevant, and impactful.”  

With more than a decade of solar experience, Murphy has managed, overseen, and consulted on projects in renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainability, and environmental justice. Most recently, as Sustainability Coordinator with the Multnomah County Office of Sustainability, Murphy worked to make the county a national leader in climate action, environmental justice, and climate justice.  

Murphy’s background and personal passion for renewable energy made this a logical next step in his career. “I am passionate about energy because I’ve seen firsthand how energy burden can cripple low-income people,” said Murphy. “I have worked with families and individuals and have assisted those suffering through energy shutoffs in several states. In this role, I have an opportunity to bring this familiarity together with my technical know-how to as a grid resource for bulk system and distribution operation.”  

This new position will play a significant role in AFT’s Farmers Powering Communities project, a partnership to combat climate change by advancing smart solar, which will protect America’s most productive farmland and ranchland while expand equitable access to renewable energy. 

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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.