Increasing Extension Expertise to Assist Agriculture Adaptation to a Changing Climate

Project Overview

ENC19-183
Project Type: Professional Development Program
Funds awarded in 2019: $89,959.00
Projected End Date: 09/30/2023
Grant Recipient: Purdue Extension
Region: North Central
State: Indiana
Project Coordinator:
Hans Schmitz
Purdue Extension

Commodities

Not commodity specific

Practices

  • Animal Production: feed additives, genetics
  • Crop Production: conservation tillage, cropping systems, crop rotation, fertilizers, irrigation, terraces, water management, water storage
  • Education and Training: decision support system, extension
  • Energy: biodiesel, bioenergy and biofuels, biofuel feedstocks, renewable energy
  • Farm Business Management: business planning, risk management, whole farm planning
  • Natural Resources/Environment: carbon sequestration, grass waterways, soil stabilization
  • Production Systems: agroecosystems
  • Soil Management: soil quality/health
  • Sustainable Communities: community planning, community services, infrastructure analysis

    Abstract:

    The North Central Climate Collaborative (NC3) was formed in 2017 as an internal network of Extension Educators and Specialists with an interest in climate change and agriculture programming. Since that time, the team has held conferences and webinars to increase other educator and partner agency expertise in basic climate change issues and their effects on agriculture.  With representation in all 12 states in the North Central Region, the team now finds that deeper knowledge is needed amongst its membership to more adequately address educator questions and establish themselves as regional content experts.

             The Project was completed in three parts.  The members of the NC3 completed an in-depth questionnaire to assess comfortability and knowledge in climate change and agriculture programming.  Based on results, needs were identified within the community and an agenda created for a three day conference held virtually.  Speakers and activities at this conference targeted knowledge gaps and present new research and findings within the field.  Attendees exhibited greater knowledge as well as hands-on resources and/or lesson plans for programs to present around the region.  Standard evaluations were disseminated.  Eighteen months after the conference, medium-term impact on knowledge gained, programs provided, and use of resources provided were assessed using surveys of attendees.

    Project objectives:

    As a result of this activity, we have at least 24 Extension Educators or Specialists educated, two from each state in the North Central Region, with additional educators participating in the conference from around the United States and self-professing knowledge gained.

    Extension Program Leaders in each state have been recognizing attending educators or specialists as having a specialty in climate change and agriculture programming via survey results from educators.

    Those educators have been programming within their states.  Total producer clientele educated has not been assessed, but NC3 webinars held every other month show a willing for participants to share knowledge gained, in addition to survey results from the Climate 201 workshop.

    The collaboration with the USDA Climate Hubs resulted in a long-term strengthening of the relationship, as evidenced by participant success in obtaining partnership grants.

    Wherein the initial survey/assessment identifies needs, educational materials and hands-on technologies were shared with participants who completed the follow-up survey.

    Updates have been made to the Climate Change and Sustainable Agriculture Resource Handbook (Doll and Pathak, 2015a), as well as the Climate Change and Sustainable Agriculture PowerPoint Curriculum (Doll and Pathak, 2015b).

    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.