As an American Farmland Trust consultant, John Stierna developed a suite of conservation proposals for the 2008 Farm Bill, and then worked with members of Congress and their staffs to develop legislative language, much of which was incorporated in the final law. A special emphasis within his leadership responsibilities was conservation programs for privately held working lands. He is now focused on water quality issues for the Chesapeake Bay and on certain aspects of the Clean Water Act.

Prior to joining American Farmland Trust, Stierna completed a career with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, serving as senior economist, and was named USDA Economist of the Year in 1997. Before that, he held a series of economics positions with USDA, the Midwest Research Institute, the National Water Commission, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Stierna worked on a Minnesota dairy farm during his teen years. He then earned a B.S. and M.S. in agricultural economics from Michigan State University.

Contact Information
1200 18th St. NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 378-1241
jstierna@farmland.org