Meet Nate Birt, Founder of Silver Maple Strategies

It's great to meet you! My name is Nate Birt, and I'm the founder of Silver Maple Strategies. I'm a nonprofit communication strategist helping purpose-driven leaders in agriculture, conservation, food, sustainability, and transportation accelerate their goals.

I position mission-aligned executives to lead with clarity, unlock funding, and deliver measurable impact through strategic communication, marketing, and storytelling. I coach leaders to build resilience and grow alongside a community of peers. And I support them in using persuasive messaging to secure investment, inspire action, and make bold decisions that benefit us all.

Based in High Hill, Missouri, I proudly serve nonprofit and mission-driven clients across the U.S., helping them lead with confidence and communicate in harmony with their values.

Leadership in Climate-Smart Agriculture

I previously served as a senior adviser and former vice president of Farm Journal’s Trust In Food™, where I led strategy, coalition-building, and authored an Advancing Markets for Producers (formerly Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities) grant proposal. That proposal was selected in 2022 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a $40 million award.

I also helped lead America’s Conservation Ag Movement, a national public-private partnership that has delivered more than $5 million in value to American farmers and ranchers in support of climate-smart agriculture practices, products, and technologies.

Journalism & Strategic Storytelling

I served as managing editor of Top Producer, Farm Journal’s CEO brand serving 120,000 farm executives. My decade-long tenure at Farm Journal began in 2012 as an assistant machinery editor and social media editor.

Before joining Farm Journal, I worked in consumer media and journalism. My writing portfolio includes work for AOL/Patch.com, the Detroit Free Press, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, Visual.ly, Speechify, and dozens of other national publications.

Author & Media Guest

I’m also the author of Frozen, But Not Forgotten: An Adoptive Dad’s Step-by-Step Guide to Embryo Adoption. I’ve appeared as a guest on programs including The Eric Metaxas Show, AgriTalk Radio, Millennial Ag Podcast, Truce Podcast, and others—sharing insights on adoption, agriculture, and social impact communication.

Education & Life

I hold a master’s degree in journalism and Bachelor’s Degrees in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Missouri. My wife, Julie, and I are parents to four children and many chickens, two dogs, and a cat. We farm eight acres in rural northeastern Missouri.