Rachel Irvine

Rachel Irvine is a born-and-raised Hoosier with a passion for land protection and stewardship. As the Indiana Farmland Protection Specialist at American Farmland Trust, she supports the implementation of the ACEP-ALE program and helps build capacity for permanent farmland protection across the state. Prior to joining AFT, Rachel worked as a conservation agriculture researcher and environmental consultant, prioritizing farmers’ insights to inform conservation strategies. She has conducted extensive research with farmers across the Midwest, examining the social, economic, and environmental factors that influence conservation practice adoption.

Her work has spanned partnerships with government agencies, agribusinesses, and nonprofit organizations, exploring farmer decision-making, conservation program design, and policy levers to scale conservation agriculture adoption. Rachel holds a Master of Science in Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Management from Central European University (Hungary) and the University of Manchester (England). She earned her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Indiana University Bloomington’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, local music, and always looks forward to summer tomato season.