Building Capacity for Climate Extension

Building Capacity for Climate Extension

Summary

A face-to-face meeting for 18 Climate and Corn-based Cropping Systems CAP (CSCAP) extension educators and extension team members was held in Monmouth, Illinois May 14-15, 2013. The group received training on the Nutrient Tracking Tool which will be used to assess baseline conditions and new practice scenarios for farmers; discussed extension climate and agriculture extension programming; and brainstormed ways to reach new audiences and ideas for new programming. The 2013 CSCAP annual team meeting was held July 30-August 1, 2013 at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. Fifteen extension educators learned from speed science presentations and engaged team scientists from a variety of disciplines in table discussions about how to synthesize and integrate cross-disciplinary sciences. A hands-on field experience at Purdue field research sites created opportunities to gain information from project researchers and graduate students. Dennis Todey and Chad Hart from the U2U team presented the latest versions of the climate data driven decision support tools for farmers. The extension educators gave feedback based on their experience using the tools. Their suggestions included improvements for usability, adding additional data sets to enhance information gained from the tools, and display and design improvements to make data displays more meaningful. The extension team experimented with social media and created a project blog that was developed in conjunction with the members of the U2U team. The joint blog, AgriClimate Connection www.agriclimateconnection.org publishes timely articles by project researchers, graduate students, and extension educators. The 2013 webinar series used as a professional development opportunity to build extension educators’ capacity to program at the intersection of climate and agriculture included presentations by the U2U project team presenting two decision support tools; a growing degree day tool and the ag climate view, a climate data portal in the development stages. The U2U team gave the extension educators a set of questions and exercises to guide them through the features of each tool. They then completed a survey and the results were summarized by the U2U team. The extension educator team was asked to give feedback on the revised U2U decision support tools. Their suggestions will fine-tune the tools before they are officially released. Laura Edwards presented a weather outlook and climate information update for the team during the November webinar and Dr. Eileen Kladivko presented cover crop management information in December. Iowa extension educators partnered with the Iowa Learning Farms and Iowa State University Extension to co-sponsor two events to address cover crops, one practice that is being evaluated by the CSCAP research team as an adaptive and mitigative practice. The first event, a Cover Crop Workshop, addressed the following objectives: build knowledge of cover crop species that are grown in Iowa including recent research data, soil and water benefits, and management techniques to provide extension specialists and educators with the tools and resources to work with farmers to establish cover crop demonstrations in their areas. Nearly 50 extension specialists, NRCS and IDALS staff and farmers attended. As a result of this meeting, the extension field agronomists and engineers requested a follow-up meeting to discuss cover crops in Iowa in greater detail, visit cover crop plots near Ames, and to discuss needs for additional resources and events to evaluate and increase the use of cover crops in Iowa. Approximately 20 ISU Extension field and campus staff attended this event.

Objectives/Performance Targets

1. Convene the Climate Extension Educator team yearly to learn from the multidisciplinary team of agronomists, agricultural engineers, climate scientists, economists, sociologists, and entomologists, in the 9 state region. 2. Create sessions at the Climate CSCAP annual meeting for extension educators to build relationships with other climate educators. 3. Work as a team to refine and improve extension curricula that increase farmer implementation of climate risk management strategies.

Accomplishments/Milestones

Extension educators in 7 of the 8 CSCAP states (South Dakota, Missouri, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Iowa) incorporated climate and agriculture presentations, information, and discussions into their existing extension programming efforts and reached over 500 farmers, crop consultants, and other extension educators. Cover crop implementation has been gaining momentum among state and federal agencies in many project states. Several extension educators have been able to lend expertise in these programs and encourage use of cover crops as a practice that will allow farmers to be better prepared for changing weather conditions. Throughout the start-up phase of the project, there has been considerable extension educator skepticism of climate science and climate change’s effects on agriculture. The CSCAP leadership has encouraged questions and created opportunities for scientists and extension educators –to learn together with a goal of encouraging open-minded dialogues regarding what is known, what is not known, certainty and uncertainty, and perceptions of risk. Leadership has built trust and support among extension educators by sharing project resources as well as concerns about and strategies for the transfer of climate science and agricultural practices to farmers. Garnering widespread support in the team’s efforts to programmatically strengthen the Land Grant University’s focus on climate education within agriculture represents a significant shift relative to past efforts. This programming emphasis is expected to grow in the future with the CSCAP uniquely able to lead and serve as an example. With the creation of the Midwest Climate Hub, we are beginning to explore how to continue to expand NC region LGU extension capacity to prepare extension to conduct climate and agriculture programming. As the extension team has worked to develop climate training materials and messages that appeal to farmer and stakeholder audiences, the impact of climate on the water cycle has resonated well with extension educators as that relates directly to production through change in rainfall, soil moisture, relative humidity, etc. The team focuses their messaging on the potential risks associated with weather fluctuation and crop production risk management strategies rather than “big picture” climate issues. Identification of these topic-based outreach plans by the team is definite progress in communicating information outward in a way that can be positively received and implemented. Partnership with the U2U project and opportunities to provide ongoing feedback to the beta versions of two decision support tools has been beneficial to both projects and enables extension educators to integrate the CSCAP science with some practical tools for adaptive management. This direct link with U2U helps ensure farmer decision tools are wellvetted as well as incorporated into Extension plans of work associated with row crops and climate science.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Short term outcomes Extension Educators will: 1. Gain awareness of recent climate science research, implications for agricultural systems and resources to better develop learning opportunities for farmers and other extension stakeholders in each of their states. 2. Build stronger networks and increase communication among faculty and staff involved in the Climate CAP project through attendance at the annual conference. Intermediate outcomes Extension Educators will: 1. Strengthen existing farmer interactions through the exchange of new climate knowledge and risk management strategies. 2. Create new and enhance existing priority extension and outreach programs featuring climate information and agriculture education at each of their institutions. 3. Develop a professional support group network of educators through peer to peer exchanges among the 9 states that will continually improve climate extension programming. Long term outcomes The long term outcome of this project will be that the Upper Midwest LGU Extension system has the capacity to deliver science-based, educational intervention learning opportunities to agricultural sector stakeholders on risk management and adaptation and mitigation strategies under changing climate conditions.

• 2013 Event Photos and Videos

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