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Heidi joined American Farmland Trust in November of 2022. She works with the New York team as a deputy director, supporting various programmatic and administrative aspects of the New York portfolio. Heidi grew up on a farm in Iowa, discovering her true passion for agriculture after moving to New York City and managing a program to connect upstate produce with emergency food programs. She most recently spent ten years in NYC government in a number of roles focused on health equity in BIPOC communities, including as project manager to open three Neighborhood Health Action Centers and program director of a multi-million-dollar initiative to support COVID-19 vaccine equity. Her extensive background also includes supporting FoodWorks, NYC’s first comprehensive plan for the city’s food system, and helping recruit the next Edible Schoolyard; a year in India as a Fulbright researcher; time behind the counter as a cheese monger and a summer as an assistant cheese maker in Vermont; and teaching NYC teens how to cook as an afterschool culinary instructor. Heidi holds a Bachelor of Arts in social work, a Master’s in urban planning with a concentration in food systems and has over 15 years of nonprofit and government experience. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and cat, finding new places to take nature walks on Long Island, learning Punjabi, and doing DIY home projects. She eventually hopes to call herself a successful composter.