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Ben joined American Farmland Trust in July of 2024. Ben works closely with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to support growers and land managers in Wake, Durham, Chattam, and Johnston counties of North Carolina in conservation programs and practices, with an emphasis on outreach to those of historically underserved communities. Ben is originally from the mid-Hudson Valley region of New York State. He completed a Master’s degree in global development at Cornell University and a Master’s in Soil Science at NC State University, but also holds a Bachelor’s degree in theater and performance from Bard College. Between his undergraduate and graduate studies, Ben worked on small vegetable and livestock farms in New York and Vermont, and served as an agriculture extension volunteer in Paraguay with the US Peace Corps. Prior to joining the AFT team, Ben worked to benchmark the soil health of the US cotton-belt with the Soil Health Institute.