Arlington agriculture nonprofit names first president and CEO

Arlington-based sustainability agriculture nonprofit Leading Harvest announced Friday that it has named Kenny Fahey as its first president and CEO.

Fahey, who works remotely from Seattle, has been Leading Harvest’s executive director since its launch 18 months ago. He has enrolled more than 1.3 million acres across 29 states in the organization’s Farmland Management Standard for sustainable agriculture, and he is overseeing a pilot program in Australia.

“Kenny has led us through our early months with a strong and sure hand, and the full board is thrilled that he will continue to drive Leading Harvest’s efforts as we build on our successes in the U.S., engage with the supply chain and expand our reach in international markets,” Oliver Williams IV, Leading Harvest chair and global head of agricultural investments for Hancock Natural Resource Group, said in a statement.

Fahey came to Leading Harvest on loan from The Conservation Fund, where he had served as its working lands principal. The Conservation Fund convened a group of farmers, investors, NGOs and farm managers to create a universal third-party certification program for farmland management, and Larry Selzer, the fund’s president and CEO, appointed him to staff the group. The group became Leading Harvest.

“This is a bittersweet moment for The Conservation Fund, where Kenny has been a highly respected and valued colleague,” Selzer, who is also vice chair of Leading Harvest board, said in a statement. “But we know that Leading Harvest — and the future of agriculture — will be well-served by this terrific, committed leader in our conservation and sustainability movement.”

Fahey holds an undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College and an MBA and master’s degree from the University of Michigan.

Started in 2020, Leading Harvest is a nonprofit organization committed to increasing the adoption of sustainability practices in agriculture. The organization provides assurance programs composed of standards, audit procedures, training and education and reporting and claim offerings.