The Nature Conservancy hires new Agriculture Program Director and Applied Agricultural Scientist to support work with Maryland and Delaware farmers
Daniel Sweeney and Kristin Fisher will work with farmers and agribusinesses to increase adoption of farming practices that improve local water quality and build resiliency against climate impacts.
Media Contacts
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Matt Kane
The Nature Conservancy
Phone: (323)-898-6510
Email: matthew.kane@tnc.org
The Nature Conservancy in Maryland and DC announced two new hires today that will support its work with farmers and agribusinesses in Maryland and Delaware.
Agriculture Program Director Daniel Sweeney and Applied Agricultural Scientist Dr. Kristin Fisher will work directly with the local agricultural community and other partners to increase the adoption of conservation practices that improve local water quality and build resiliency against the impacts of climate change. Former Program Director Amy Jacobs will now oversee TNC's agriculture work across the Chesapeake Bay region.
“The Nature Conservancy has a long history of working with the farming community in Maryland, and we’re thrilled that Kristin and Dan have joined us to continue that,” said Jacobs. “They bring with them years of experience working with farmers, agribusinesses, agencies and lawmakers, and applying science-based solutions to that work for farmers and for the environment in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.”
Agriculture Program Director Dan Sweeney previously worked for the Maryland Agriculture and Resource Based Industry Development Corporation delivering finance programs to farmers and other industries. He has also worked for the Maryland General Assembly.
Said Sweeney, “I am excited to use this new role to apply my background and experience in economics and financial incentives to support farmers to adapt to climate resiliency, improve water quality, and grow viable business operations that will last generations into the future.”
Applied Agricultural Scientist Kristin Fisher holds a Ph.D. in Soil & Watershed Science from the University of Maryland and served as an Agricultural Programs Consultant for Montgomery County. Her previous work has focused on nitrogen transport and cover crops.
“There is a lot of pressure on agriculture to be both environmentally and economically sustainable in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed,” said Fisher. “I look forward to applying new research ideas to on-the-ground projects that can help farmers achieve both goals simultaneously.”
The Nature Conservancy’s Regenerative Agriculture program works to support a thriving agricultural community where farms provide healthy food, clean water and resiliency to climate change, and support a healthy Chesapeake Bay for people and nature.
Both Sweeney and Fisher will be based in TNC's Easton, MD office, located at the Eastern Shore Conservation Center. Dan Sweeney can be reached at Daniel.Sweeney@tnc.org and Kristin Fisher at Kristin.Fisher@tnc.org.
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in more than 70 countries and territories, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.