Amanda L. Fuller joins Board of Directors of Orange County Land Trust

MOUNTAINVILLE — Amanda L. Fuller, a social investor and entrepreneur in sustainable food and farming, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Orange County Land Trust.
She currently serves as the financial strategist at Northeast Farm Access, which develops sustainable agricultural centers to provide growing farmers with long-term access to land.
Fuller began her career in commercial real estate finance as an associate on the investments team at W. P. Carey & Co. and went on to become vice president of the net lease real estate group at Angelo, Gordon & Co.
She transitioned into the world of social investments in 2013, seeking to create scalable models for impact investing and attract capital to sustainable farms and food businesses.

Chester Agricultural Center

As a member of Slow Money NYC and Foodshed Investors NY, she made investments in Blue Marble Ice Cream, Local Farms Fund and two agricultural centers developed by Northeast Farm Access, including the Chester Agricultural Center located in the Black Dirt region of Chester.
In 2014, she co-founded RootedNY, a social enterprise that brings consumers closer to their food through curated tours of local farms and food producers, including vineyards, cheesemakers, breweries, distilleries, oyster growers and foraging for wild edibles.
Fuller holds a bachelors of science in finance and accounting from New York University, Stern School of Business. This December, she expects to complete her masters in food studies at New York University, specializing in social entrepreneurship and impact investing.
She is also a holder of the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

'Fallen in love with Orange County'

According to Fuller, she was first introduced to Orange County through her grandfather: “Back in the 1970's, my grandfather purchased 271 acres of beautiful, raw land in Warwick, with the intention to build 36 houses on the property. Luckily, he never executed that plan.
"Once I started focusing my career on sustainable food and farming, I saw the need to return our land to its agricultural potential and conserve it for future generations," she added in a press release announcing her appointment. "Over the years, I have fallen in love with Orange County, from the time I first visited Warwick, to my organized tours bringing visitors to local farms and wineries, and recently as an investor in the Chester Agricultural Center.”

'Passion for improving food systems'

Land Trust Board President Stuart Turner said: “Amanda’s ambition and passion for improving food systems, strengthening local agriculture, and preserving the lands that are the basis for all of this, is simply remarkable. She represents the next generation of conservation leaders and we look forward to working with her to continue protecting the diverse habitats, farmlands, and natural resources that sustain our communities and improve quality of life.”
Orange County Land Trust is dedicated to preserving Orange County's natural resources, scenic landscapes and working farmland through conservation agreements with willing landowners.
For additional information, call 845 534-3690 or visit www.oclt.org.