March 22, 2023 Guest: Beth Sauerhaft

Our guest this week will be Chappaqua resident Beth Sauerhaft, PhD.

Beth is the Vice President for Programs at the American Farmland Trust. She is a sustainability expert, thought leader and broad strategic thinker with a proven track record of engaging cross functional teams and diverse stakeholders to accomplish sustainability initiatives in corporate and government environments.

As VP for Programs at AFT, she provides leadership and administrative support for national programming and integration of the organization’s regional and national programming.

American Farmland Trust (AFT) began in 1980 after a small group of farmers and conservationists asked an important question: What will happen to the nation's food supply if we continue to wastefully develop our best farm and ranch land?

AFT focused in the early years on pioneering programs around the country that use a powerful tool – conservation easements – to make the nation's best farmland off limits to developers. From the early days, AFT has been a strong advocate for voluntary conservation practices and programs that preserve not just land but also our precious soil and water supplies. In the 35 years since AFT began, we've seen farmland preservation transform into a national movement that has protected well over five million acres nationwide. Of course, there is much more work to be done. Today, AFT is dedicated to preserving the nation's farm and ranch land – and critical natural resources like soil and water. We also make sure to never forget that it is people – our family farmers and ranchers – who feed us and sustain America.