1995 Annual Report for ENC95-005
Life After CRP
Summary
AgLand: The Game is a group simulation activity for learning about agricultural land-use issues. It can help local or state planning boards, conservation districts, town councils, students and other groups learn about agricultural land-use issues. In this game, participants will play through 20 years of farming and policy making and experience the economic, environmental and social consequences of their decisions through the two decades.
By taking on the role of farmer or policy maker, participants learn about how the real-world system operates and experience the trade-offs involved in decision making within that system. Following the game, a debriefing provides opportunity for group discussion about problems, events and factors that are responsible for them; the extent to which these occur in real life; changes that could have been made, and real-life, which could avoid or solve the problems; and gaining commitment from the players that they will seek to achieve the necessary changes in the real system. AgLand is a region with farms, rivers, a town, wetlands and wildlife. Farmers make decisions about crops to plant, livestock, conservation practices and participation in government programs. Policy makers can decide to offer incentives, levy taxes, impose regulations or buy land to achieve economic, environmental and social goals. Although farmers and the policy council can influence each other’s success, a significant portion of the success of both depends on two factors over which neither has any control: crop prices and the weather.
Simulation is a powerful method for dealing with complex issues. It is based on system dynamics modeling methodology, developed at MIT, which shows how future decisions are influenced by today’s actions. Simulation can improve analysis and decision-making by: improving the ability of participants to understand consequences of their choices; identifying strengths and weaknesses of options; challenging status quo assumptions help by decision-makers and decision-influencers; providing a non-threatening forum for discussion resolution; helping to develop comprehensive strategies and policies that meet the organization’s or public’s objectives in a variety of scenarios; developing and communicating analyses that include the perspectives of all participants, showing consistencies and inconsistencies among different viewpoints.
In 1997, AgLand was piloted with extension agents, college students, natural resource agency staff, landowners and mixes of participants. The product was presented at the annual Systems Thinking Workshop in Orlando, FL. Based on feedback from these sessions, revisions have been made to the computer model, game board, facilitators manual and other materials. A final version will be available through the Minnesota Extension Service. A website is being created to publicize the product and offer a way for educators to share experiences, tips, suggestions, and get program updates and revisions.
North Central Region SARE 1997 Annual Report.