Expanding Oral Histories and Local Ecological Knowledge Among Nebraska Rural Producers

Commodities

Practices

Producers often emphasize that the local ecological knowledge (LEK) passed down from earlier generations - including drought strategies, soil and pasture care, grazing rotations, and responses to market or policy change - is essential to the long-term success of their operations. However, this knowledge is rarely documented and is acutely at risk during intergenerational transition and periods of instability. At the same time, interest in regenerative agriculture and long-term production durability is growing, with many producers seeking to understand how earlier stewardship practices can inform current approaches to soil health, grazing, and ecological and economic challenges.

"Expanding Oral Histories and Local Ecological Knowledge Among Nebraska Rural Producers" is a 30-month project that builds on the Nebraska Research Initiative (NRI)-funded "Northern Great Plains Rural Producer Oral History and LEK Project" (2024-2025). The NRI pilot project generated 18 oral histories with multi-generational producers in four rural Nebraska counties and established a prototype project website (nebraskaproducers.com) and thematic analysis. The abbreviated project timeline limited opportunities for sustained producer engagement, but enabled the development of preliminary workflows and procedures.

With SARE support, we will expand this work by collecting 32 additional oral histories (50 total) from producers across a broader range of Nebraska regions, family backgrounds, and production systems. The project will be guided by an Advisory Board of producers and other professionals with expertise in agricultural sustainability and economic stability. With Advisory Board input, we will evaluate and refine interview prompts and procedures, recruit and conduct new oral histories, and develop a more robust digital resource designed for producer utility. The oral histories will be analyzed to identify LEK strategies and results will be returned to producer communities through an expanded thematic analysis, producer-facing summaries, a traveling exhibit and documentary film, six forums, and presentations at four farmer/rancher conventions.

Through this project, producers will develop increased awareness of the importance of LEK to long-term stability and an understanding of how to incorporate LEK in decision-making and operations. Producers will be able to use LEK-informed strategies to address ecological and economic challenges, and to assist with generational transitions. This project advances SARE goals by strengthening producer stability and economic viability through the preservation and dissemination of producer-developed strategies, supporting place-based and ecologically sound practices, and enhancing rural quality of life through support for intergenerational transition and new producers advanced through peer-to-peer learning.

The primary objective of this project is to collect via oral histories, analyze, and disseminate local ecological knowledge (LEK) held by multi-generational producers in ways that support improved decision-making, enhance ecological and economic stability, and strengthen rural communities across the North Central Region. The project targets farmers and ranchers in Nebraska and the broader region, particularly those engaged in succession planning, multi-generational operations, or exploring regenerative practices. Additional audiences include new producers who do not have the wisdom of the previous generation to call upon, agricultural educators, Extension professionals, and local organizations who support producer learning and decision-making.

Learning Outcomes

Project activities are designed to increase awareness, understanding, and knowledge in applying LEK-based strategies. Specifically:

• At least 60% of participating producers will report increased awareness of the importance of LEK and intergenerational strategies to enhance long-term productivity.
• At least 60% will report increased understanding of LEK-based strategies for addressing ecological and economic challenges (e.g., place-based and grounded soil conservation methods).
• At least 60% will report improved knowledge of how to evaluate and apply LEK in agricultural decision-making and their own operations.

Action Outcomes

Project activities are expected to lead to measurable changes in decision-making and practice informed by LEK-based strategies. Specifically:

• 30% of participants will report adopting or adapting one LEK-informed management strategy to address ecological and economic challenges.
• 50% will report using LEK to inform farm or ranch decision-making.
• 20% will report drawing on LEK in intergenerational transfer or succession planning discussions.

System-Level Contributions

While system-level change extends beyond the project timeline, these learning and action outcomes contribute to broader shifts in agricultural systems. By increasing the availability of place-based knowledge and strengthening peer learning networks, the project supports more adaptive, locally grounded decision-making. Over time, this is expected to contribute to improved soil and resource management, more economically stable farm operations, and stronger interpersonal connections within rural communities.

Three- to Five-Year Vision of Success

Within three to five years, success will be reflected in sustained use and expansion of the Nebraska Producers website, integration of LEK into Extension programming and agricultural education, and ongoing peer-to-peer knowledge exchange among producers. Producers will report greater confidence in managing ecological and economic uncertainty, and LEK-informed strategies will be more widely incorporated into farm and ranch decision-making, particularly in the areas of regenerative practices and intergenerational transition. The project will also serve as a replicable model for documenting and activating producer knowledge in other regions. Our long-term vision for this project includes securing additional funding to support the development of curricular programming and resources for training producers and rural communities to collect, interpret, and share LEK-focused oral histories.