Progress 07/01/23 to 06/30/24
Outputs
Target Audience:We initiated three Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Fellowship (CAMF) programs in 2024 targeted to three different audiences: (1) Diversified agriculture and agroforestry producers in the Northeast (DAA), (2) row crops in the Midwest (RC), and (3) women and non-binary vegetable producers in the Midwest and Northeast (WNB). 233 people applied to the programs, we accepted 85 "fellows", half of whom are active farmers and the other half work as agricultural advisors (for Extension, federal or state agencies, non-profits, or private consultants). Participants are located in 14 states (figure 1). Figure 1: States represented by CAMF fellows Changes/Problems:At this point, we have not experienced any major changes or problems with the project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The CAMF program is focused on offering meaningful opportunities for professional development related to climate adaptation and mitigation. Topics covered in the opening workshop and supplementary sessions included production-related content (water management or agroforestry practices, for example), as well as trainings in supporting skills, such as climate communication, navigating funding programs, and staying safe in extreme weather events. Importantly, Fellows have participated in learning sessions related to climate science as well as climate adaptation and mitigation. They have received training in the process of creating an adaptation and mitigation plan, as well as ongoing support and guidance as they move through the planning process. Fellows have already begun to use these skills and knowledge in their outreach activities (for outreach examples, see above). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have made the content of all workshops, supplementary training, and resources available to Fellows. We are in the process of conducting a copyright review of all opening workshop materials, and adjusting content to ensure everything included is licensed for non-commercial use. Once the review has been completed, slide decks and teaching notes will be posted on the CAMF website for public use. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we will more actively engage the Educator Teams for each cohort. Each Educator team has 5-7 people on it, and each individual Educator is responsible for supporting 1-3 pairs of Fellows. (The Fellows pairs are one farmer and one advisor). Educators are tasked with contacting their Fellows on a regular basis (we suggest 1x per month during the late fall-winter-early spring) and less frequently during the busy growing season. As an Educator, they are supposed to provide encouragement and accountability for Fellows to finish program requirements in a timely manner (i.e., the climate adaptation/mitigation plan, peer outreach, and general engagement), answer technical questions related to climate adaptation and mitigation, direct them towards resources (information, advise, resources), etc. Program coordinators are responsible for ensuring that Educators fulfill these roles, and convene the Educators on a quarterly basis. We will offer supplementary sessions (open for all Fellows), including integrating climate change into business planning; climate science 201; climate program development for outreach professionals; and more TBD.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Improve applied knowledge of and confidence in climate change impacts in vegetable and small fruit, row crop, and diversified agriculture and agroforestry systems, with programming specifically tailored for women producers and agricultural advisors. We held opening workshops for each of the cohorts in January - March 2024. Each of the workshops were delivered virtually, over Zoom. Total contact time was 18 hours per cohort - the WNB and DAA cohorts met once a week for 9 weeks. The RC cohort met twice a week for 4 weeks. The content of the workshops were similar across cohorts, but not identical. Content was tailored to meet the needs of each sector. The topics included weather and climate basics, climate impacts on agriculture, finding funding for climate adaptation and navigating funding programs, climate adaptation and mitigation on the farm, climate planning and integration of farm plans, climate communication, integration of diversified agriculture and agroforestry (DAA only), emergency/disaster preparedness and program next steps (DAA and WNB only), and barriers and challenges for women and non-binary people in agriculture (WNB only). Presenters were respected scientists, practitioners, and outreach specialists. There were also spotlights on Fellows who's farms or experiences were aligned with workshop topics. Workshop sessions were generally a mix of presentation and discussion, and we prioritized interaction and conversation whenever possible. Presentations were recorded and made available to Fellows, along with supplemental materials and other resources. We collected evaluation data in the form of a pre- and post-workshop survey. Based on our experience running a pilot version of this program in 2021/2022, we anticipated that participant self-reported knowledge in different topic areas would decrease after the first workshop series. We attribute this to participants learning "how much they don't know" about each topic. We did indeed observe this trend across most topics covered in the introductory workshop series, with a few exceptions. For example, participants were asked to rate their level of knowledge about climate mitigation on a 1-5 scale (1 = not knowledgeable, 5 = very knowledgeable). Before the opening workshop, the average knowledge rating for the entire program was 3.43, while after the workshop the average rating was 3.09. However, based on our experience running and evaluating the pilot program, we anticipate that participants' self-reported knowledge in each topic area will improve by the end of the 2-year CAMF program as they gain additional knowledge and confidence. Following the conclusion of the opening workshops, we created several methods by which Fellows could communicate and interact with each other and project leadership, including: (a) a listserv for each cohort. (b) a "digital rolodex": A Google slide document where Fellows, Educators, and program leadership can add a picture of themselves and answer a few questions about themselves. (c) a newsletter (e) networking Zoom sessions for agricultural advisor cohort members and educators. (f) supplementary workshop sessions (offered for all Fellows across all cohorts): Content of these sessions is driven by the interests of the fellows as reporting in the post-workshop surveys they completed in March, 2024. The following sessions have been developed, and delivered since the conclusion of the opening workshop series: May 17, 2024 - Agricultural water management June 20, 2024 - Agroforestry series: Forest farming August 6, 2024 - Climate grief and stress management part 1 August 13, 2024 - Climate grief and stress management part 2 August 20, 2024 - Movement health and wellness and injury prevention August 27, 2024 - Staying safe in extreme weather conditions: air quality and heat stress September 26, 2024 - Agroforestry series: nursery stock availability Objective 2: Support farmers and agricultural advisors ("fellows") to develop individualized adaptation and mitigation plans. To complement the workshop sessions on climate adaptation and mitigation planning, we developed a planning tool that Fellows can use to create a personalized plan for their farm. Working in pairs (one farmer and one advisor) Fellows complete this plan as part of their required program deliverables. The plan includes 7 steps: After working through these steps, farmers have an actionable plan for implementing adaptation and mitigation strategies on their farm. The tool is available in an online version, a downloadable excel sheet, and a printable pdf. It is available on the CAMF website at https://www.adaptationfellows.net/planningtool. Objective 3: Develop outreach and education products that reach agricultural advisors and farmers beyond program participants. The planning tool (above) is available to the general public on the CAMF website. Talks given by our program coordinators and leadership team include: PI Schattman and project manager Kelemen presented at the 2024 Pasa Sustainable Agriculture conference, including a full day "mini-CAMF" for members of the soil health benchmarking project coordinated by PASA and a ½ day "mini-mini CAMF" workshop for general conference attendees. Kelemen was a featured speaker at Farming Forward: A Climate Adaptation Workshop for Farmers, an event hosted by Berkshire Agricultural Ventures, March 16, 2024. PI Schattman presented to the Maine Climate and Agriculture Network at their May 2024 session. Growing Outreach Conference, Aug 22-23, 2024: PI Schattman participated in a panel discussion; the team of program coordinators, along with Schattman, presented in a breakout session As part of the CAMF program, Fellows are asked to complete outreach to their peers (however they define peers). While Fellows are not required to complete this before the end of the program in 2025, several have already made exciting strides in meeting their outreach goals. Examples include: A WNB farmer Fellow created a weekly instagram series related to how climate change is impacting weather in their region and the decisions they must make on the farm as a result A DAA farmer Fellow participated in a library program for parents and toddlers at their farm centered around agroforestry practices (silvopasture and riparian buffer), with lessons on keeping creeks clean, planting trees, and purchasing from local farmers A RC farmer Fellow participated in a farmer panel on direct marketing and local food, and how it relates to climate change and conservation Multiple DAA Fellows worked together to create a farm tour and networking hour on one of their farms; they explained programs and services available through the local conservation district, described the CAMF program, and discussed climate adaptation and mitigation techniques A DAA advisor Fellow wrote an op-ed for a local paper, focused on the importance of farmer peer networks in adapting to climate change A DAA advisor Fellow led a series of farm tours throughout the state of Maine, highlighting conservation practices and concepts on a range of operations Objective 4: Support agricultural advisors to integrate climate change information into current programs and/or develop new programs focused on climate change. We have held two ag advisors networking meetings, which are open to both advisor Fellows and members of the education team. These meetings do not have formal agendas, but serve as open spaces for participants to bring up things they are working on or struggling with related to integrating climate adaptation and mitigation into their support services. These meetings will continue on a semi-regular basis throughout the CAMF program. Objective 5: Develop recommendations for future climate-focused programs targeting partner agencies and organizations, including Extension. We will begin working on this objective later in the project term.
Publications
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