The Northeast Climate Adaptation Fellowship to Support Vegetable and Fruit Farmers

Final report for ENE20-164

Project Type: Professional Development Program
Funds awarded in 2020: $149,000.00
Projected End Date: 02/28/2023
Grant Recipient: University of Maine School of Food and Agriculture
Region: Northeast
State: Maine
Project Leader:
Dr. Rachel Schattman
University of Maine School of Food and Agriculture
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Project Information

Summary:
Ryan Fitzbeauchamp of Evening Song Farm and two farm-research assistants examine soil in a no-till vegetable planting. Photo by Rebecca Maden.
Ryan Fitzbeauchamp of Evening Song Farm and two farm-research assistants examine soil in a no-till vegetable planting. Photo by Rebecca Maden.

The problem and the solution: In coming decades, climate change will likely cause many challenges for farmers in the northeastern U.S. including increasing floods, extreme rainfall, growing pest pressure, and drought. Research shows that many agricultural advisors (AA) are either hesitant to provide climate related information in their professional services to farmers, or do not believe they possess the knowledge and expertise to do so. Through the Climate Adaptation Fellowship (CAF) Program, we provided climate education, resources, and mentoring to early adopting farmers and AAs throughout the northeast to accelerate adaptation to climate change. The 37 farmers and AAs who completed the Climate Adaptation Fellowship (CAF) program enhanced their knowledge of climate change, wrote adaptation management practices, conducted demonstrations and field trials, and communicated with other farmers or agricultural advisors about climate change. 

Our approach: The CAF program was active for 1-year. The curriculum was designed based on Adult Learning Theory and peer-to-peer education models. “Fellows” were farmers (peer-educators) and AAs who worked together in pairs or groups of three to complete program requirements. CAF was book-ended by two virtual workshops: one held over a week in January 2021, the other held over three-days in January 2022. In the year between workshops, Fellows were supported by our education team to complete (a) a risk assessment of the Farmer Fellow’s operation, (b) a climate adaptation and/or mitigation plan, (c) an economic assessment of adaptation-focused management systems, and (d) outreach to other farmers and agricultural advisors (individuals not enrolled in CAF). Fellows had access to outside presentations by subject matter experts and were supported to attend conferences and workshops to deepen their understanding of climate adaptation and mitigation. A CAF listserv, networking opportunities, and facilitated sessions catalyzed peer-to-peer learning among participants.

Learning outcomes: We asked Fellows to rate their own level of knowledge about climate science, climate impacts on agriculture, climate-related decision support tools, climate mitigation, and climate communication. The results of these self-assessments show that Fellows believed themselves to be highly knowledgeable at the beginning of the first workshop (across all five knowledge domains), but that by the end of the first workshop Fellows reported lower levels of knowledge on average. Research shows that we often overestimate our degree of knowledge on a topic prior to learning about it, which suggests that the initial self-assessment should be viewed conservatively. A lower level of self-reported knowledge was consistent through the beginning of the second workshop (in January 2022), but the reported level of knowledge rebounded to by the end of this second workshop. 

Changes in action or behavior: Fellows reported making changes in their farm practices and their outreach programs because of their participation in CAF. Fourteen Farmer Fellows reported that, based on their participation in CAF, they did something different on their farm in 2022 (e.g., changed irrigation practices, developed new cropping systems, piloted biochar use, and monitored soil moisture). Twelve AA Fellows reported that CAF caused them to alter their outreach programming in 2022. Specifically, they reported talking to new audiences about climate change adaptation, increasing the amount of outreach they conducted, publishing climate-related newsletter articles, and more. Some Fellows continued to work together after the conclusion of the program, to deepen their knowledge and expertise. For example, three service providers who are CAF alumni meet together on a monthly basis, with two additional service providers who did not participate in CAF. This group supports one another to develop targeted climate programming for Northeast farmers and demonstrates the ripple effects that CAF may have in the Northeast agricultural community.

Performance Target:

30 Fellows develop 15 individualized farm adaptation plans (risk assessments, adaptation plans, economic analyses) and 75 outreach products (newsletter articles, blog posts, fact sheets, or presentations) that reach an additional 150 farmers. Fifteen Fellows integrate climate change information into new/ongoing programming, assisting an additional 150 farmers.

Introduction:

Problem and Justification: In coming decades, climate change will likely cause many challenges for farmers in the northeastern U.S. including increasing floods, extreme rainfall, growing pest pressure, and drought. These will not affect all growers in the same way, depending on geographic and topographic setting, business model, and production system. Climate-risk exposure relevant to northeastern vegetable/fruit operations is difficult to quantify because of this diversity. Widespread events such as the 2016 drought are beginning to have increasingly notable effects on vegetable farms, and forecasts tell us that we will continue to see conditions that expose growers to greater degrees of risk as the century progresses. These pressures have the potential to severely undermine the livelihoods of farmers. (In this project, we use “farmers” to refer specifically to growers of vegetables and small fruit, unless otherwise noted.) Importantly, research shows that many agricultural advisors (AA) are either hesitant to provide climate related information in their professional services to farmers, or do not believe they possess the knowledge and expertise to do so. It is of great importance that service providers, including farmers who serve as informal advisors to their peers, improve their knowledge and confidence around climate change adaptation as it pertains to northeast vegetable production. In the absence of adaptive management, farm businesses are at risk.

Solution and Approach: Farmers and AAs who enrolled in the Climate Adaptation Fellowship (CAF) program enhanced their knowledge of climate change, wrote adaptation management plans, conducted field trials or demonstrations, and encouraged other farmers and agricultural advisors to explore farm-specific adaptation. Through CAF, our team provided climate education, resources, and mentoring to early adopting farmers and AAs throughout the northeast to accelerate adaptation to climate change. The CAF curriculum (completed in 2019) is the product of a multi-year, NIFA-funded collaboration between 7 Land Grant Universities, 3 USDA Agencies, 2 non-profit organizations, and 12 land managers. It was vetted through an extensive peer-review process where farmers, Extension professionals, and agricultural advisors evaluated the modules for relevancy, accuracy, and quality. This program aimed to increase farmer and AA knowledge about climate change, improve awareness of climate related risks at the farm-level, support climate adaptation planning and management, and improve climate change focused technical outreach in the Northeast.

Cooperators

Click linked name(s) to expand/collapse or show everyone's info
  • Dr. Marjorie Kaplan (Educator and Researcher)
  • Erin Lane (Educator and Researcher)

Educational Approach

Educational approach:

Recruitment and Enrollment: A request for applications was created by our leadership team and project cooperators. Agricultural Advisors and farmers applied to the CAF program in pairs, or they were paired after acceptance into the program. Applications were solicited through regional organizations including the USDA Northeast Climate Hub Land Grant University Network, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, Northeast Extension Directors, state organic farming associations, growers’ associations, and others. An application webinar was recorded and posted online. The leadership team reviewed applications and selected 40 Fellows.

Concepts and curriculum topics: The original CAF Vegetable/Small Fruit Module includes three presentations: (1) Climate Change: Observations and Localized Impacts; (2) Climate Change Communication: Challenges and Strategies; and (3) Integrating Climate Change into Your Work. These topics were shared in the first program workshop (in January 2021). In addition, we developed three additional presentations/interactive sessions: (1) climate change science - forcings, feedback loops, and evidence; (2) decision making tools for the Northeast; and (3) climate mitigation potential for vegetable and small fruit operations. The additional sessions were also delivered at the first program workshop.

Teaching guidance for the presentations included discussion prompts and small group activities. These sessions addressed known challenges with climate adaptation planning and climate communication. Participants became familiar with the effects of climate change in the Northeast relevant to vegetable and small fruit, and they learned about adaptation practices that have the potential to reduce climate-related risk. Fellows also became familiar with climate communication strategies and challenges and gained experience in science translation for farming and/or AA audiences. Three additional presentations or interactive activities were be created and delivered at the second workshop (January 2022) in response to participants’ specific needs and interests.

Instruction methods and sequence: CAF participants began the program by attending a virtual workshop. Originally this workshop was planned as a 2-day in person event, but COVID-19 necessitated that our program be conducted virtually instead. We held the workshop for 2-hrs a day over the course of 5 days, according to the preferences of the Fellows and the educators. The leadership team and project cooperators led a series of presentations and interactive activities, culminating in an intensive planning session. Pairs of AA and farmer Fellows worked together to create a one-year work plan, including one or more of the following: a risk assessment of the farmer Fellow’s operation, cost-benefit analyses of adaptation practices, on-farm demonstration project(s), field trials, or other projects approved by CAF cooperators. Each work plan included 3-5 outreach documents or activities, such as newsletter articles, blog posts, fact sheets, or presentations. Project collaborators (guest speakers and education team members) provided personalized assistance with work plans to ensure they meet expectations of the CAF program. A second in-person workshop was held 12-months later, also online (4-hrs a day for 3-days). At this workshop, CAF participants reported back to the group on the work that they completed, and lessons learned. We also hosted three outside guest speakers at this workshop, on topics aligned with Fellows' interests (including agriculture and the carbon cycle, soil moisture monitoring, and soil health benchmarking).

Supporting Fellows: During the 12-month period between workshops, the leadership team and project cooperators were assigned to pairs of CAF participants and met with them virtually to make sure activities stayed on track, answer questions, and troubleshoot problems. They also helped Fellows to make sure that outreach activities have multiple avenues for sharing with the broader northeast community of AAs and vegetable and small fruit producers. Fellows were supported financially to travel to each other's farms to see field trials or demonstrations, attend conferences, and engage in self-directed learning on climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Milestones

Milestone #1 (click to expand/collapse)
What beneficiaries do and learn:

Request for applications is sent through multiple networks including the USDA Northeast Climate Hub Land Grant University Network, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, Northeast Extension Directors, state organic farming associations, state Farm Bureaus, Young Farmers Coalitions, National Farmers Union, growers associations, and others, reaching an estimated 1000 farmers and AAs.

Proposed number of farmer beneficiaries who will participate:

1000

Proposed number of agriculture service provider beneficiaries who will participate:

1000

Actual number of agriculture service provider beneficiaries who participated:

1000

Proposed Completion Date:

July 30, 2020

Status:

Completed

Date Completed:

October 15, 2020

Accomplishments:

Solicitation for applications was sent out through the USDA Northeast Climate Hub listserv and Newsletter (3x), through the Northeast Extension Directors association (NEED), the Northeast Research Station Association (NERA), the national NRCS Climate Adaptation in the News listserv, NOFA-CT and NOFA-NJ listservs, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board client list, to all NRCS State Conservationists in the Northeast, to all leads of Soil and Water Conservation Districts in the Northeast, to the New Jersey Natural and Working Lands Group, to the Maine Organic Farming and Gardening Association list (3x), New Jersey 4-H educator lists, the Maine Vegetable and Berry Growers listserv, the Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Association listserv, through multiple Extension networks, through the Northeast Farmers of Color listserv, through the EMASSCRAFT listserv, and through Northeast Certified Crop Consultants lists.  

Milestone #2 (click to expand/collapse)
What beneficiaries do and learn:

50 vegetable and/or small fruit farmers and 50 agriculture advisors from 12 northeast states apply to the Climate Adaptation Fellowship program by 9/2020. 30 Climate Adaptation Fellows are accepted into the program by 11/2020. Information collected through the applications allows the project team to assess baseline participant information: knowledge about climate change and its effects on northeast agriculture, management and outreach skills, and goals related to adaptation management and outreach.

Proposed number of farmer beneficiaries who will participate:

50

Proposed number of agriculture service provider beneficiaries who will participate:

50

Actual number of farmer beneficiaries who participated:

23

Actual number of agriculture service provider beneficiaries who participated:

31

Proposed Completion Date:

September 30, 2020

Status:

Completed

Date Completed:

November 15, 2020

Accomplishments:

23 vegetable and/or small fruit farmers and 31 agriculture advisors from 9 northeast states applied to the Climate Adaptation Fellowship program. 17 farmers, 15 agricultural advisors, and 8 individuals who consider themselves to be both farmers and agricultural advisors from 9 northeast states were accepted as Fellows. Participants who are agricultural advisors are currently employed in university-based Extension programs, private consultancies, non-profit organizations, and/or NRCS. Information collected through the applications allows the project team to assess baseline participant information: knowledge about climate change and its effects on northeast agriculture, management and outreach skills, and goals related to adaptation management and outreach. 

Milestone #3 (click to expand/collapse)
What beneficiaries do and learn:

30 Fellows attend a 2-day workshop in Maine, and learn about climate change, its effects on agriculture in the northeast, adaptation management strategies, and climate communication best practices. Fellows also learn from each other by sharing their professional experiences. Project cooperators work with 15 pairs of Fellows (30 Fellows total) to develop a one-year work plan that includes 3 climate adaptation activities and 3 outreach activities.

Proposed number of farmer beneficiaries who will participate:

15

Proposed number of agriculture service provider beneficiaries who will participate:

15

Actual number of farmer beneficiaries who participated:

17

Actual number of agriculture service provider beneficiaries who participated:

23

Proposed Completion Date:

January 30, 2021

Status:

Completed

Date Completed:

January 15, 2021

Accomplishments:

The workshop was held virtually due to COVID-19. Dates for the workshop were January 11-15th, 2021. The workshop included 40 participants, 9 members of the CAF education team, and 4 outside guest presenters. Presentations and interactive sessions were organized around five themes: (1) climate change science, (2) observations and localized impacts, (3) trends and tools, (4) mitigation, and (5) communication and integration. Each pair or team of fellows was paired with a member of the education team, who helped them to develop a farm-risk assessment and adaptation/outreach work plan. Focal topics of these work plans included erosion control, heat management, mitigation, soil health and management, tillage reduction, cover cropping, and water management. Fellows learned from each other both during the workshop, and throughout the year through engaging in a supplementary workshop on soil moisture monitoring, several virtual networking sessions, and an active listserv. The original curriculum from which we developed this program is available on the Climate Adaptation Fellowship website: https://www.adaptationfellows.net/vegetable-small-fruit

Milestone #4 (click to expand/collapse)
What beneficiaries do and learn:

Collectively, 30 Fellows apply their knowledge about climate change and adaptation in order to complete climate risk assessments of 15 farms, 30 financial analyses of climate management strategies, 15 farm-specific climate adaptation plans, and 5-10 demonstrations or field trials. Fellows use a standardized project report form to formalize their reflections on the projects, and demonstrate specific learning, skills acquisition, and actions.

Proposed number of farmer beneficiaries who will participate:

15

Proposed number of agriculture service provider beneficiaries who will participate:

15

Actual number of farmer beneficiaries who participated:

16

Actual number of agriculture service provider beneficiaries who participated:

21

Proposed Completion Date:

March 31, 2022

Status:

Completed

Date Completed:

June 30, 2022

Accomplishments:

At the end of the program, 26 fellows submitted 13 final reports. This represents the work of 12 farmers-advisor pairs, and one report submitted by a single agricultural advisor. In these reports, Fellows demonstrated their knowledge about climate change and adaptation. They did this through describing the specific climate risks faced by the farmer, identifying adaptation practices that would address these risks while also helping the farmer meet their management goals, and prioritizing specific practices.

Most reports included a financial analysis, and all included a farm-specific climate adaptation plan. Though we anticipated that each pair of fellows would complete two financial analyses, in practice most pairs produced only one. While this was fewer financial analysis than we originally anticipated, but the exercise still accomplished its intended goal. Additionally, seven pairs of fellows conducted on-farm trials or demonstrations, on topics including: (a) spraying kaolin clay to reduce temperature during pollination periods in cucurbits; (b) exploring the effects of mulching to conserve soil moisture; (c) using soil moisture sensors to time irrigation; (d) tracking nitrate release rates in cover cropped no-till vegetable production systems; (e) comparing no-till and conventional strawberry yields. It should be noted that on-farm trials and demonstrations were not required; those who completed them went above and beyond CAF program requirements at their own expense.

The following is an example of how a risk assessment, adaptation plan, and economic analysis tied together for one pair of Fellows. This pair identified erosion and soil lost from increasingly heavy seasonal rain events as a major risk. They sought to refine the farms cover crop no-till system to reduce erosion, as well as drought concerns. Additional benefits of the effort would include increasing insect habitat and improving soil health. They prioritized a project to monitor and evaluate their current system (with tweaks), including tracking soil nitrate after cover crop termination, and tracking the costs of equipment fabrication and labor associated with cover crops. They conducted a cost benefit analysis that showed an increase in net income of $530 with the new system, as well as social and ecological benefits.

A summary of CAF Fellows and their projects can be viewed here.

NOTE: 7 of the individuals counted as agricultural advisors in the above tally reported that they also were commercial farmers.

Milestone #5 (click to expand/collapse)
What beneficiaries do and learn:

Collectively, 30 Fellows complete 30 climate-adaptation focused outreach activities. Activities may include newsletter articles, blog posts, twilight meetings, fact sheets, and/or presentations. Report forms capture the number of secondary beneficiaries who engage with Fellows. Simultaneously, 30 Fellows will consult with members of the project team about their climate adaptation strategies twice between January 2021 and January 2022.

Proposed number of farmer beneficiaries who will participate:

15

Proposed number of agriculture service provider beneficiaries who will participate:

15

Actual number of farmer beneficiaries who participated:

16

Actual number of agriculture service provider beneficiaries who participated:

21

Proposed Completion Date:

June 30, 2022

Status:

Completed

Date Completed:

June 30, 2022

Accomplishments:

Fellows completed climate-focused outreach at a much higher rate than we anticipated. We used a standardized form to ask Fellows to report on the type of outreach activity they completed, and how many non-Fellow farmers and agricultural advisors their efforts reached. Based on these reports (which we know are incomplete and do not capture the ongoing efforts the Fellows are engaged in related to climate outreach), we have documented 82 separate outreach activities including 2 one-on-one consultations; 4 curricula, fact sheets or other educational tools; 7 on-farm demonstrations; 1 online training; 22 published press articles or newsletters; 1 tour; 34 webinars, talks, or presentations, 6 workshops or field days, and 5 "other'' outreach activities. Fellows estimated that these efforts reached a total of 2,800 farmers and 200 agricultural advisors. It should be noted that these large numbers were skewed by a few outreach efforts that reached large mailing lists. The mean number of farmers reached for each outreach activity was 94; the mean number of agricultural advisors reached was 12. Outreach activities were targeted towards both audiences equally: 39 outreach activities reached farmers, while 40 reached agricultural advisors.

Examples of the topics addressed through Fellows's outreach included:

  • Testimony to ME state legislature in support of LD 437 "An Act to Establish Maine Healthy Soils Program"
  • Presentation about their adaptation project as part of a panel at the New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference 2021
  • A presentation at NOFA's farm beginning program on whole farm planning, including planning for climate-based threats.
  • Presentation at MOFGA's Farmer to Farmer Conference: Presented on transferred mulch system and our assessment process.

We also asked Fellows to categorize their outreach activities using predetermined categories. Together, the Fellows reported 53 outreach activities that focused on "climate change adaptation", 22 focused on "climate change mitigation", 25 focused on "climate change communication", 9 focused on "climate science", and 14 that focused on "planning tools and resources". Note that outreach efforts could be classified using 1 or 2 of the categories listed above.

Lastly, the Fellows consulted with members of the CAF "education team" several times over the course of the program. All Fellows had at least one virtual or in-person consultation with their education team point-of-contact, and many had more frequent meetings as they developed their adaptation plans and conducted their outreach activities. In some cases, the education team member assigned to a pair of Fellows was able to do a site visit - though this was rare due to COVID-19 concerns. In addition, the program coordinator (PI-Schattman) held 3-virtual networking sessions where Fellows connected informally with members of the leadership and education teams, as well as with one another.

Milestone #6 (click to expand/collapse)
What beneficiaries do and learn:

30 Fellows attend a second 2-day workshop in New Jersey to reflect on their work, learn from one another, and address any problems in completing their plans. Project collaborators or outside subject matter experts deliver additional presentations or provide resources targeted to specific gaps in Fellows’ knowledge and skills, identified through conversations with Fellows prior to the workshop.

Proposed number of farmer beneficiaries who will participate:

15

Proposed number of agriculture service provider beneficiaries who will participate:

15

Actual number of farmer beneficiaries who participated:

16

Actual number of agriculture service provider beneficiaries who participated:

21

Proposed Completion Date:

January 07, 2022

Status:

Completed

Date Completed:

January 07, 2022

Accomplishments:

The workshop was held virtually due to COVID-19. Dates for the workshop were January 5-7th, 2022. The workshop included 37 participants (Fellows), 8 members of the CAF education team, and 3 outside guest presenters, and 1 member of the advisory committee. 

The 3-day virtual workshop was organized to maximize the amount of time Fellows could learn from one another, supplemented with talks by outside guests. Each pair of Fellows gave a lighting talk to share their risk assessment, adaptation plan, and any additional CAF-related activities from the past year. We also facilitated interactive sessions, including:

  • An activity where Fellows wrote "future headlines about agriculture in the Northeast 50-years from now", to initiate discussion about what type of food system the group would like to see.
  • A "digital fieldtrip" where Fellows submitted photos that show a farm-related climate risk, adaptation, or communication approach that they find compelling.
  • A "message box" activity to hone Fellows' climate communication skills.

Guest speakers included: Sara Bay Nawa ("Soil health benchmarking: What is it, and how can we use it to be more climate adaptive?"), Andrew Carpenter ("Agriculture and the global carbon cycle"), and Sandra Guzman ("Making sense of soil moisture data and practical implementation of sensors in the field").

Milestone #7 (click to expand/collapse)
What beneficiaries do and learn:

30 Fellows demonstrate a change in knowledge about climate change and its effects, 15 farmer fellows have implemented at least one climate adaptation management practice on their farm, 15 AA fellows have integrated climate change into one of their technical service programs, and 30 Fellows report sharing their new knowledge and experiences with 150 secondary beneficiaries (farmers not enrolled in CAF).

Proposed number of farmer beneficiaries who will participate:

15

Proposed number of agriculture service provider beneficiaries who will participate:

15

Actual number of farmer beneficiaries who participated:

16

Actual number of agriculture service provider beneficiaries who participated:

21

Proposed Completion Date:

July 31, 2022

Status:

Completed

Date Completed:

July 31, 2022

Accomplishments:

The initial Fellows application to the CAF program (which Fellows filled out in fall 2020) included questions about applicants' knowledge about climate change and its effects. Specifically, we asked Fellows to rate their own level of knowledge about climate science, climate impacts on agriculture, climate-related decision support tools, climate mitigation, and climate communication. Fellows were asked to rate their level of knowledge on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being unknowledgeable and 5 being very knowledgeable. These questions were repeated on pre- and post-workshop evaluations completed by Fellows in Jan 2022 and Jan 2023, meaning we asked them to conduct this self-assessment at four points-in-time throughout the program. In addition, we asked Fellows to rate their level of knowledge about climate science on their application to the program, giving us five points in time to observe changes in this domain.

The results of these self-assessments show that Fellows believed themselves to be highly knowledgeable at the beginning of the first workshop (across all five knowledge domains), but that by the end of the first workshop Fellows reported lower levels of knowledge on average. This depressed level of self-reported knowledge was consistent through the beginning of the second workshop (in January 2022) but reported level of knowledge rebounded to by the end of this second workshop. Detailed average ratings are reported below:

  1. Knowledge about climate change science: Fellows came into the CAF program with the perception that they were highly knowledgeable about climate change science, rating their level of knowledge at 4 (average) out of 5 at the point they applied to the program, and in the pre-workshop knowledge assessment in 2021. The mean knowledge rating dipped by the end of the first workshop, and stayed below 4 until after the second workshop, when the mean knowledge score rose to 4.32.
  2. Knowledge about climate impacts in agriculture: Fellows assessed their knowledge of climate impacts on agriculture highly (mean score of 4.5) on the pre-workshop questionnaire in January 2021. By the end that workshop, the average self-reported level of knowledge in this area had dropped to 3.8. It was lower still at the beginning of the 2022 workshop but rebounded to an average of 4.7 by the end of the 2022 workshop.
  3. Knowledge about decision support tools:  Examples of decision support tools include the NEWA network, or the Cornell Climate Smart Farming tools. Fellows reported a high mean level of knowledge about these tools (4 out of 5) in the 2021 pre-workshop questionnaire, dropping to a mean of 3.3 at the end of this workshop and at the beginning of the 2022 workshop. This self-assessment improved by the end of the 2022 workshop, as Fellows reported an average level of knowledge of 4.4.
  4.  Knowledge about on-farm climate change mitigation options: On average, Fellows ranked their knowledge of climate change mitigation highly at the beginning of the 2021 workshop (mean = 4.3), but this self-assessment dropped to 3.7 by the end of the 2021 workshop and to 3.5 by the beginning of the 2022 workshop. By the end of the 2023 workshop, Fellows again reported a high degree of knowledge about climate change mitigation; the mean self-assessment score in this knowledge area was 4.5.
  5. Knowledge about climate change communication: Finally, Fellows ranked themselves highly knowledgeable about climate change communication at the beginning of the 2021 workshop (mean = 4.2), but this self-assessment dropped to 3.2 by the end of the 2021 workshop and to 3.1 by the beginning of the 2022 workshop. By the end of the 2023 workshop, the mean rating in this knowledge area was 4.3.

Fourteen Farmer Fellows reported that, based on their participation in CAF, they did something different on their farm in 2022. An abbreviated list of the reported activities included:

  • "(I) Changed irrigation practices, reduced and better-timed watering events."
  •  "(I) Developed a new cropping system to reduce tillage and grow with high residue."
  • "I've never done a trial before, and I trialed three different mulching techniques with soil moisture sensors. I was also motivating to change the timing of my cover cropping to increase the amount of cover crop that I went into the winter with."
  • "So many things! Left fields out of production to prevent erosion, cover cropped more, pursued no-till and interseeding trials, and installed solar panels on our farm, and applied for CSP funds for hedgerow and pollinator meadows."
  • "We piloted biochar and soil moisture monitoring in collaboration with UNH Extension and NRCS."

Meanwhile, fifteen Farmer Fellows reported that they had plans to change something on their farm in the coming year (2023), because of their participation in CAF. Many Fellows listed more than one thing that they planned to change. For example:

  • "Continuing all of the above and pursuing agroforestry and integrating more perennials into our annual systems."
  • "Developing a new well, adding some kind of zone tillage/broad forking/dibbling to make no-till strawberry planting for efficient/easier"
  • "First we will write a Climate Emergency Response plan. We will continue with our soil moisture monitoring practices. We will implement our pollinator habitat plan."
  • "More thoughtful selection of cover crops and continual focus on minimizing tillage."

Twelve AA Fellows reported that CAF caused them to alter their outreach programming in 2022. Specifically, they reported:

  • "(I) spoke to different audiences about research results related to climate change adaptation strategies."
  • "I did more outreach than I would have otherwise and spent more time with my farmer partner, which improved the quality of outreach that was organized."
  • "We published two articles in my program's newsletter. Searching the newsletter archives, I realized we had only put out one article previously that was specifically focused on climate change. The topic was just on my mind a lot and I did a lot of reading, both of the resources provided through the fellowship and other papers and presentations. Because I was thinking and talking about it, my colleagues and I all tended to have more of a lens of climate change on all of the outreach we did this year."

Fourteen AA Fellows reported that, because of their participation in CAF, they planned to alter their outreach programming in 2023. For example, they said:

  • "(I plan to add) climate-related risks to business planning workshops, more information on on-farm practices, and providing further resources to farmers that were identified and shared throughout the fellowship."
  • "Awareness of climate change will likely impact everything we're working on, including variety trials and pest management recommendations. We're also looking at new projects, specifically related to water availability and soil moisture. I think we'll be using soil moisture sensors more routinely in our work with growers."
  • "All of my work around soil health will include more communication about climate risk and adaptation. Also, I now feel confident in working with farmers to assess their climate risk and start developing a concrete adaptation plan."

Outreach conducted by Fellows is captured in the milestone above.

Milestone #8 (click to expand/collapse)
What beneficiaries do and learn:

14 Fellows demonstrate a change in knowledge about specific climate change and potential adaptation and/or mitigation strategies after completing farm visits with farmers actively engaged in these topics (either part of the CAF program or otherwise). 7 farmer fellows identify how this change in knowledge will or will not lead to practices changes on their own farms; 7 AA fellows identify how this change in knowledge will or will not lead to specific changes in their outreach or technical service programs.

Proposed number of farmer beneficiaries who will participate:

7

Proposed number of agriculture service provider beneficiaries who will participate:

7

Actual number of farmer beneficiaries who participated:

12

Actual number of agriculture service provider beneficiaries who participated:

5

Proposed Completion Date:

September 30, 2022

Status:

In Progress

Accomplishments:

Fellows were offered funds to offset travel costs for farm visits, or for other educational opportunities. Participants engaged in learning opportunities like attending the Rodale Institutes Organic Field Day and completing online courses in ecological restoration. One farmer reported learning about how coulters can be used to effectively manage cover-crop mulch, which he plans to use to improve soil health and manage both excessive and deficient precipitation. He indicated that "We are continuing to investigate other coulters that might help with planting into cover-crop mulch. We will definitely use coulters when planting into leaf mulch." Another farmer indicated that lessons learned through site visits would "allow me to efficiently apply fertilizer" in new, no-till zones of his farm. One AA Fellow reported that knowledge gained through these opportunities "allowed me to expand my knowledge of ecological restoration, site engineering and native plants in the Northeast."

 

Milestone Activities and Participation Summary

Educational activities and events conducted by the project team:

2 Consultations
4 Curricula, factsheets or educational tools
7 On-farm demonstrations
4 Online trainings
22 Published press articles, newsletters
1 Tours
34 Webinars / talks / presentations
6 Workshop field days
5 Other educational activities: See milestones and learning outcome sections

Participants in the project’s educational activities:

8 Extension
1 NRCS
3 Researchers
5 Nonprofit
4 Ag service providers (other or unspecified)
16 Farmers/ranchers
7 Others

Learning Outcomes

21 Agricultural service providers reported changes in knowledge, skills and/or attitudes as a result of their participation.
16 Farmers reported changes in knowledge, attitudes, skills and/or awareness as a result of their participation
21 Ag service providers intend to use knowledge, attitudes, skills and/or awareness learned through this project in their educational activities and services for farmers
Key areas in which the service providers (and farmers if indicated above) reported a change in knowledge, attitudes, skills and/or awareness::

In addition to those learning outcomes listed under Milestone 8, we used a pre- and post-workshop evaluation in January 2022 to assess the following:

Confidence: 12 AA Fellows agreed or strongly agreed that their confidence in incorporating climate change issues into their programing has increased since the beginning of the CAF program. Two AA Fellows disagreed with this statement, indicating that their confidence did not improve after participating in the program. Among Farmer Fellows, 13 strongly or somewhat agreed that their confidence in addressing climate change on their farm had increased; one Fellow disagreed with this statement, and two didn't agree or disagree. Overall, participating in the program enhanced Fellows' confidence incorporating climate change into their professional decision making.

Professional goals: We asked AA Fellows if their goals have changed based on their participation in CAF. Several AA Fellows reported an intention to integrate climate change into their outreach services to a greater degree. Once AA reported: "I was doing a lot of research and a little Extension work related to climate adaptation before the CAF program but maybe the CAF program has motivated me about the urgency about getting research results out there." Another stated: "My goals have changed in that I now have a stronger framework for my work on climate adaptation, and so I'm creating programs with more structured assessments and plans." Those who reported that their goals had NOT changed indicated that participating in the program helped them to refine their goals, and that they feel more informed than they did prior to participating in CAF.

We also asked Farmer Fellows if participating in CAF changed their farm management goals. Several reported that their goals had changed. For example, one Farmer Fellow wrote: "We will view the practices on our farm more through the lens of climate adaptation than before. We've always thought about soil and crop health, but now we'll really think about the longer-term future of our farm, the resilience in the face of extreme weather events, and ways in which we can actually help mitigate climate change, even in some small way, as opposed to just adapt to it." Another noted that " It has become more obvious that we need to do more work on the economic side of climate mitigation. This is a big nut to crack. The climate mitigation conversation can't always be geared towards "saving" the farm money. We need to start investigating how climate adaptation strategies can actually generate more income for farmers, beyond "risk" reduction savings." Several Farmer Fellows indicated that their goals had NOT changed, but (as one farmer stated): "...methods used to achieve goals have been reconsidered and adapted." Another stated: "Our goals have not changed, but how we manage towards them has based on changes within systems and timelines."

Performance Target Outcomes

Performance Target Outcomes - Service Providers

Target #1

Target: number of service providers who will take action to educate/advise farmers:

30

Target: actions the service providers will take:

30 Fellows develop 15 individualized farm adaptation plans (risk assessments, adaptation plans, economic analyses) and 75 outreach products (newsletter articles, blog posts, fact sheets, or presentations) that reach an additional 150 farmers. Fifteen Fellows integrate climate change information into new/ongoing programming, assisting an additional 150 farmers.

Target: number of farmers the service providers will educate/advise:

300

Verified: number of service providers who reported taking actions to educate/advice farmers:

37

Verified: number of farmers the service providers reported educating/advising through their actions:

2800

Verified: amount of production these farmers manage:

not reported

Activities for farmers conducted by service providers:
  • 4 Curricula, factsheets and other educational tools
  • 2 Consultations
  • 7 On-farm demonstrations
  • 1 Online trainings
  • 22 Published press articles/newsletters
  • 1 Tours
  • 34 Webinars/talks/presentations
  • 6 Workshops/field days
  • 18 The primary activity Fellows engaged in was the creation of the risk assessment, adaptation plan, and economic analysis (described in Milestone #4)

    Other outreach activities: Testimony to state legislature, monthly meetings with municipal officials and regional planning councils, board meetings with industry organizations, small group discussion sessions, using QR codes on products for sale at farmers markets and grocery stores that links to website explaining farm practices.
12 Total number of agricultural service provider participants who used knowledge and skills learned through this project (or incorporated project materials) in their educational activities, services, information products and/or tools for farmers
2,800 Farmers reached through participant's programs
Performance target outcome for service providers narrative:

Fellows submitted their final reports, including the combined risk assessment/adaptation plan/economic assessment using Brightspace, an online learning platform hosted by the University of Maine. The reports were shared among education team members and will be analyzed in detail by Sara Delaney after submission of this report (as part of Ms. Delaney's doctoral dissertation project).

Fellows were asked to submit their outreach activities using a google form, which allowed us to standardize submissions and categorize topic areas. Fellows were also asked to describe their outreach activities in their final reports. The primary barrier we faced was encouraging people to submit their information. We are confident that the outreach activities described in this grant report under-count the actual outreach that happened as a result of CAF. We collected examples of outreach (photos of field days, newsletter articles, etc.) and stored these in a shared Google Folder. 

Performance Target Outcomes - Farmers

Target #1

Target: number of farmers who will make a change/adopt of practice:

15

Target: the change or adoption the farmers will make:

See Milestone #8

Target: total size/scale of farmers these farmers manage:

not reported

Verified: number of farmers who made a change/adopted a practice:

14
Verified: size/scale of farms these farmers manage:

not reported
Performance target outcome for farmers narrative:

Behavior change was verified for Farmer Fellows enrolled in CAF, as opposed to the farmers that CAF participants conducted outreach with. See Milestone #8 for further details.

Additional Project Outcomes

2 Grants applied for that built upon this project
1 Grant received that built upon this project
$15,000.00 Dollar amount of grant received that built upon this project
10 New working collaborations
Additional Outcomes Narrative:

Sara Delaney is a graduate student working with PI-Schattman. Ms. Delaney's doctoral dissertation will use the CAF cohort to explore the efficacy of peer-to-peer learning. Specifically, she'll use a mixed methods approach that incorporates qualitative and social network analysis. This project is funded through a SARE Graduate Student Grant (subaward number GNE21-253-35383).

In addition, our team has applied to USDA NIFA for funding to expand the CAF program. If selected for funding, we will expand our partnerships and hold three new Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Fellowship (CAMF) programs in the Northeast and Midwest. 

Success stories:

Overall, participants found the CAF program to be valuable. As stated earlier, we asked Fellows if participating in the program had changed any of their professional goals. Responses showed that the experience causes many participants to shift their perspectives on farming in a changing climate. As one farmer noted: "We are a diversified, organic, no-till, regenerative farm so we are practicing many of the methods we discussed in CAF. I think we are under-prepared for the wide variety of severe weather events that will likely take place with increasing frequency in the coming decade. As I mentioned, we will develop a comprehensive plan for all the possible contingencies." This statement encapsulates a sentiment echoed by many other farmer participants. In addition, AA Fellows discussed integrating climate change more holistically into the services that they provide to farmers. As one AA stated: "I feel like climate conversations are more central to my work and a goal is to express that more clearly." Some AAs continue to work together as a mini-cohort, supporting each other to respond to farmer needs and putting on "CAF-lite" workshops and adaptation planning seminars. The entire CAF cohort continues to exchange occasional listserv announcements when opportunities to enhance climate learning or adaptation become available in our region.

 

Assessment of Project Approach and Areas of Further Study:

Initial feedback from CAF Fellows was collected in the final workshop evaluation (January 2022). Based on responses to this evaluation, we know that all participants appreciated the chance to learn from one another. Striking a balance between presentations (by outside guests and members of our team) and participant discussion was a challenge, and Fellows indicated that more time for discussion would have been valuable. We also received feedback that conducting the Fellowship virtually was less productive and enjoyable than holding workshops or other events in person. Because of COVID-19, we were unable to physically bring participants together. Future iterations of the program will need to balance the desire to be in person versus the potential public health costs of doing so. 

We asked about Fellows' willingness to stay engaged with our efforts to expand the CAF program. Of the participants who completed CAF, 11 (39%) reported that they would be willing to speak at a future CAF event; 14 (50%) indicated they would review CAF materials prior to a future iteration of the program; 16 (57%) said they would serve as an advisor to the program in the future; 20 (71%) indicated that they would assist with recommending or recruiting future Fellows; 13 (45%) reported they would consider serving as a member of a future CAF education team; 14 (50%) indicated they would consider serving as a mentor to future CAF Fellows; 16 (57%) said they would speak on a CAF alumni panel; and no one indicated that they would not want to be involved in the future. This high level of engagement shows the meaningful impact the program had on participants, and also suggests benefits of cultivating a CAF alumni network.

Lastly, a detailed assessment of this educational approach will be completed under Sara Delaney's dissertation research. Ms. Delaney will follow up with CAF Fellows to see if and how participating in the program changed their approach to farming and outreach. 

 

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.