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Rachel Lechuga (she/her) is the first-generation daughter of immigrant parents Jaime and Bernardina Lechuga of Guatemalan and Bolivian descent, respectively. Rachel has a deep connection to her heritage through farming. She holds a B.S. in Conservation and Land Restoration with a focus on Sustainable Food Systems from Northern Illinois University.

Rachel worked various seasons in organic vegetable farming in Illinois and Bolivia. She’s worked in non-profit program development with a local food bank and returned to agriculture and food justice advocacy with her time at the Chicago Food Policy Action Council.

Now, at American Farmland Trust, she bridges her knowledge in local food production with new learnings about row crop agriculture. Her position allows her to speak with farmers from a diverse range of production types where she finds joy bringing farmers together and bridging knowledge gaps. She works toward shifting narratives around who is thought of as a “farmer” in the Midwest region and highlighting the vast backgrounds and diversity that Midwest agriculture has to offer.