Progress 04/01/24 to 03/31/25
Outputs
Target Audience:OBJ1 activities, including visioning sessions, will reach our target audience through agency staff, agricultural advisors, and a range of agricultural stakeholders, including producers, landowners, owner-operators, and both small- and large-scale farmers. OBJ2 activities, expert assessment of climate-smart practices and systems, engage agency staff, Extension educators, agricultural advisors, and academic researchers. The tools being developed under OBJ2 will be tailored for use by farmers and agricultural advisors. OBJ3 ensures that content created through the project aligns with the needs of Extension staff and agricultural advisors, supporting long-term relevance, accessibility, and impact Changes/Problems:Personnel changes include: Dr. Madelynn Wuestenberg of Iowa State University replacing Hans Schmitz of Purdue University and Dr. Jessica Rudnick of University of Illinois replacing Duane Friend of University of Illinois. The Project Director is shifting from Dr. Linda Prokopy at Purdue to Dr. Aaron Thompson at Purdue. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has supported multiple undergraduate and graduate student researchers at University of Illinois, Iowa State University, and Purdue University. The project served as the basis for an undergraduate thesis for Olivia Messerges, undergraduate researcher at University of Illinois. Co-I Ford mentored Olivia with her undergraduate thesis project titled "What is Climate Smart Agriculture", an assessment of the climate smart benefits systems and practices frequently deemed "climate smart". Olivia presented her work as part of the University of Illinois' undergraduate research symposium in May 2024, authored an article in the farmdoc daily agriculture publication at the University of Illinois, and submitted an article to the student research journal RURALS based on the results. The project provided an excellent opportunity for Olivia's training and professional development. Olivia has since graduated and started law school at University of Wisconsin where she is focusing on food and agriculture law. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Our team's work was featured at several regional, national, and international conferences, including the North Central SARE Conference, Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Annual Conference, the Rural Sociological Society Annual Meeting, the Midwest Sociological Society Conference, the World Congress on Earth Science and Climate Change, and the International Association for Society and Natural Resources. The audience included producers, Extension professionals, crop consultants, and researchers from non-profit organizations, the private sector, and academia across the Midwest, the US, and internationally. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Under OBJ1, our team will finalize and publish the meta-analysis of peer-reviewed literature, using the results to inform ongoing and future work. We will continue playtesting and facilitating full gameplay of both the large-scale and small-scale farm games with stakeholder groups in Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa. Feedback from these sessions is being used to refine gameplay and improve the activities, while also helping the team better understand information needs that will inform both the content and delivery strategies for the resource portal. Under OBJ2, we are moving forward with portal development and generating content. OBJ3 will continue to play a critical role by connecting OBJ1 activities to stakeholders and using those insights to support and inform the development of portal content under OBJ2. In addition, the OBJ3 team will collaborate with the broader project team to develop a strategy to ensure that both games and portal are effectively promoted and remain accessible to Extension staff and agricultural advisors well beyond the life of the project.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
OBJ1 The goal of OBJ1 is to conduct visioning sessions with farmers and agricultural advisors to develop strategies for defining optimal agricultural systems of the future and to understand stakeholder information needs related to transformative agricultural change. To meet this objective, our team developed two scenario-based activities--one designed for large-scale farmers and the other for small-scale farmers. These activities are part of a broader effort to encourage systems thinking, explore climate-smart agricultural pathways, and identify challenges and opportunities for adoption across farm contexts. In addition to the scenario activities, OBJ1 includes research to better understand attitudes and perspectives toward climate-smart practices in the Midwest. As part of this work, our team is conducting a meta-analysis of peer-reviewed manuscripts that focus on Midwestern farmers' attitudes toward climate-smart agricultural practices. The database has been completed, and the final analysis is underway. Results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal and are expected to provide valuable insight into the trends and drivers influencing farmer decision-making. We are also conducting a series of in-depth interviews with Directors of Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension across the Midwest Climate Hub region. These interviews are focused on understanding opportunities and barriers to collaboration on agricultural programming. To date, eight of the nineteen planned interviews have been completed, and the remaining interviews are expected to be finished by May. Findings will be synthesized and submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. To explore the potential of scenario-based games as educational and engagement tools, our team had developed and play-tested the "AgFutures of Midwest". This game focuses on large-scale farms and engages players in complex decision-making under uncertain weather scenarios. This game was play-tested in two structured sessions during this reporting period. Participant feedback improved the game's ability to promote systems thinking and adaptive management. Stakeholder input continues to shape refinements, and future efforts will focus on classroom integration and broader dissemination. For the small-scale farm game, participants are asked to design a hypothetical farm under 2025 weather conditions then for projected 2050 weather scenarios. This game helps understand the informational needs of small-farms and insight to their decision-making processes when adapting to future conditions. Our team facilitated two pilot run-throughs and one official session with farmer participants. The first pilot, conducted during Purdue's Small Farm Education Field Day, engaged Extension educators and small-scale farmers who provided critical feedback on clarity and engagement. A second pilot was held with University of Illinois Extension staff, provided additional insights that helped refine the activity. Our first full game with farmer participants was hosted in partnership with Purdue Extension's Beginning Farmers Coordinator. This session included nine Indiana producers who engaged in meaningful discussion. Insights from all three sessions continue to guide improvements to the activity and support further analysis to ensure relevance and accessibility for small-scale farmers across the region. OBJ2 The goal of OBJ2 is to develop a resource portal that offers information, curriculum guidance, and exploration tools focused on a range of agricultural practices. OBJ2 works closely with OBJ1 to ensure that content aligns with the identified needs and preferences of agricultural stakeholders. The portal will serve as a central hub for information on agriculture practices and systems, grounded in expert knowledge and scientific literature. To inform portal content, our team hosted six virtual expert panel discussions, each focused on one of the six production systems featured in the portal: corn/soybean, agroforestry, extended rotations, grazed livestock, horticultural food crops, and perennial crops. These panels included 3-7 experts per system and were held between November 18 and December 10, 2024. Each two-hour session included a project overview and open discussion on the system's alignment with the pillars of climate-smart agriculture--mitigation, adaptation, and productivity. Experts shared their assessments and cited peer-reviewed literature, relevant research, and additional experts in the field. These discussions helped clarify the current state of knowledge and informed the structure and substance of the portal content. In parallel, our team developed visual mock-ups and navigation designs for the portal, drawing on input from OBJ1 and OBJ3 and reviewing existing climate-smart agriculture resources. These designs outline the user experience, content organization, and interface layout for the portal. Additionally, we created a detailed database outline specifying shared and unique data fields associated with each system and practice page. The visual and structural components of the portal are complete and ready for implementation once content development is finalized. OBJ3 OBJ3 supports the design, testing, and dissemination of the scenario-based games developed under OBJ1, ensuring they are practical, impactful, and usable by Extension personnel. OBJ3 team members have played a key role in shaping game structure and content to meet the needs of educators and stakeholders beyond the life of the project. Their feedback has been instrumental in adapting the games for different audiences and ensuring they remain grounded in real-world agricultural decision-making. OBJ3 continues to work closely with the rest of the team to ensure the games are effective tools for education, outreach, and engagement.
Publications
- Type:
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2025
Citation:
Messerges, O., and Ford, T.W. What is climate smart agriculture: A standardized framework for assessing the effectiveness of climate smart agriculture systems and practices. RURALS, (in review).
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Messerges, O., and T.W. Ford (2024) What is Climate Smart Agriculture? , 2024 North Central Sustainable Agriculture Climate Conference, July 31, Peoria, IL.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
" Ortiz, E. and J. Arbuckle. What do Corn Belt farmers think about climate change? A meta-analysis review to inform communication strategies. Poster presented at the Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Annual Conference, Syracuse, NY, June 6, 2024.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
" Ortiz, E. and J. Arbuckle. What do Corn Belt farmers think about climate change? A meta-analysis review to inform communication strategies. Poster presented at the Rural Sociological Society Annual Meeting, Madison, WI, July 26, 2024.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Ortiz, E. What Do Corn Belt Farmers Think about Climate Change? A Meta-analysis Review to Inform Communication Strategies. Poster presented at the Midwest Sociological Society 2024 Conference. April 5, 2024.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
" Arbuckle, J.G. and L. Nowatzke. Global warmings Six Americas in agriculture: Exploring farmers attitudes towards climate change and adaptive and mitigative responses. Keynote presentation, World Congress on Earth Science and Climate Change. Barcelona, Spain, March 24, 2025. (55 attendees)
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Shivika, Aggrawal, Prokopy, Linda S, Thompson, Aaron. May 2024. CropCraft: Serious Game Creating IMPACT2 in the US Midwest. OIGP Spring Reception. Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
" Shivika, Aggrawal, Prokopy, Linda S, Thompson, Aaron. May 2024. CropCraft: Serious Game Creating IMPACT2 in the US Midwest. Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Annual Retreat. Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Shivika, Aggrawal, Prokopy, Linda S, Thompson, Aaron. May 2024. CropCraft: Serious Game Creating IMPACT2 in the US Midwest. Diverse Corn Belt Annual Meeting. Davenport, Iowa.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Shivika, Aggrawal, Prokopy, Linda S, Thompson, Aaron. June 2024. CropCraft: Serious Game Creating IMPACT2 in the US Midwest. International Association for Society and Natural Resources (IASNR) Conference. Cairns, Australia
- Type:
Other Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Messerges, O. and T. Ford. "What is Climate Smart Agriculture?" farmdoc daily (14):128, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, July 11, 2024., https://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2024/07/what-is-climate-smart-agriculture.html
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Progress 04/01/23 to 03/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:Although stakeholder engagement will not occur until Y2, the IMPACT2 team has spent Y1 developing activities and tools to use in Y2 stakeholder engagement activities. Activities being developed in OBJ1 (visioning sessions) will reach our target audience through agency staff, agricultural advisors, and a wide range of producers and landowners (non-operating landowners, owner-operators, tenants, small farms, large farms, BIPOC, beginning, urban, diversified, conventional, etc.). Activities being developed in OBJ2 (expert assessment of climate-smart practices and systems) engage with agency staff, extension educators, agricultural advisors, and academic researchers. Tools being developed in OBJ2 will be targeted towards farmers and agricultural advisers. Changes/Problems:We added Dr. Sarah Church, Assistant Professor at Montana State University, to the IMPACT^2 advisory committee. Dr. Church's focus on stakeholder engagement and processes of behavior change across urban and working landscapes brings valuable expertise to IMPACT^2's advisory committee. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training of two graduate students and one undergraduate student How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Midwest Climate Summit, Purdue Small Farms Conference What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?To address OBJ1 in year 2, the IMPACT2 team will conduct 2 visioning sessions in IL, IN, and IA (6 total). Visioning session participants will play a discussion-based serious game that explores the viability of climate smart practices and diversified agricultural system based on future climate scenarios. The activity will also gather info to inform portal development (OBJ2) related to preferences/attitudes towards specific practices and systems as well as the development and implementation of Extension training material related to climate-smart agriculture (OBJ3). To address OBJ2 in year 2 the IMPACT2 team will use information gathered in OBJ1 to inform the development of a portal that serves as a clearing house of information for climate-smart agricultural practices and resources. In addition to incorporating information gleaned from visioning sessions conducted in OBJ1, OBJ2 will also convene a number of expert panels to further explore the state of science around climate smart practices and systems as well as understand where information gaps still remain. To address OBJ3 in year 2 the IMPACT2 team will continue engaging with and informing activities conducted in OBJ1 and OBJ2 through the lens of curriculum development and implantation.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In our first year, the IMPACT2 team has made considerable progress establishing a foundation for project success. Progress includes administrative accomplishments, team building, as well as collaboration with our advisory committee and other projects. IMPACT2 has hired a project manager, recruited 2 graduate students, 2 staff, and established project infrastructure enabling multi-institution and interdisciplinary data sharing, communication, and research. We convened a kick-off meeting in May '23 and established sub-teams to work on specific project objectives. Both full-team and sub-teams meet monthly (virtual) to discuss progress, updates, and needs. Monthly all-team and sub-team meetings are essential, as our objectives are interrelated and depend on inputs and outputs from each objective. In preparation for stakeholder engagement, we have created an informative one-pager for a non-technical audience and developed IMPACT2 branding that includes a logo and presentation templates. We also developed a website to introduce the project, house IMPACT2 products and resources, as well as connect stakeholders to additional resources during project life and beyond. In addition to establishing internal structure and processes, we have engaged with our Advisory Committee and made essential connections with several other projects that have similar focus and objectives. These key connections are important to ensuring IMPACT2 outputs are impactful and complimentary to similar work being done in the region. Objective 1: Convene scenario-based visioning sessions with diverse stakeholders to develop a strategy for defining climate-optimal systems and to understand information needs related to transformative agricultural systems. Coproduction is a cornerstone of this project and OBJ1 addresses coproduction activities in this project. Information gathered from visioning session conducted in OBJ1 will inform portal development (OBJ2) as well as activities and curricula development (OBJ3). To address OBJ1 the IMPACT2 team is developing online and in-person scenario-based visioning activities to be conducted with a wide range of farmers and other agricultural stakeholders. The goal of these activities is to coproduce viable alternative farming futures based on data-informed climate scenarios developed by the IMPACT2 team. These discussion-based activities will engage participants to better understand uncertainly in future decision-making and potential impacts of climate scenarios on agriculture at the farm and landscape scale. To inform activity development, the OBJ1 team has conducted a literature review on scenario planning and serious games in agriculture as well as a meta-analysis of peer-reviewed research related to farmer perspectives on climate change in the Midwest. OBJ1 team is currently piloting two scenario-based visioning activities and plan to conduct activities in Y2. To inform participant recruitment, the IMPACT2 team has compiled a list of organizations working with underserved audiences (minority, women, young, and new farmers) and explored existing farmer demographics from the 2022 ag census. Objective 2: Develop a Climate-Smart Agriculture resource portal that integrates informational resources, curriculum guidance, and exploration tools. To address OBJ2 the IMPACT2 team is planning an engagement activity to solicit information from experts related to climate-smart practices and diversified systems. Specifically, we will ask experts how well specific practices fulfill each of the three pillars of climate-smart agriculture (enhancing resilience, increasing productivity, reducing emissions), and the level of uncertainty (i.e., how well do we know this practice fulfills this pillar). We also want experts to reflect on benefits, pitfalls, ecosystem services, system resilience, and regional applicability of specific practices and agricultural systems. We will also ask the experts to vet our process and identify any important elements missing or misrepresented. This activity informs portal development by identifying critical information resources and highlighting information gaps related to climate-smart ag practices. Objective 3: Build out and implement Extension training materials for Climate-Smart Agriculture The Extension training and curriculum materials developed in OBJ3 are informed by activities conducted in OBJ1 and OBJ2. IMPACT^2 team members focused on OBJ3 tasks are involved in the development of OBJ1 and OBJ2 tasks, ensuring adequate planning and considerations are made to enable the successful implementation of Extension materials related to climate-smart agriculture.
Publications
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Agclimate4u.org
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
"Building Climate-Informed Outreach and Education: Collaborative Approaches in Midwest Agriculture" Midwest Climate Summit, Indianapolis, Indiana. April 2024
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