Climate Change and Agricultural Extension

climate change and Agricultural Extension

Building capacity for land grant university extension services to address the agricultural impacts of climate change and adaptive management needs of agricultural stakeholders

Technical Report Series: Findings and Recommendations of the Climate and Corn-Based Cropping Systems Coordinated Agricultural Project

Volume 3 of 5 ACKNOWLEDGeMENTS

This document will be cited as: Wright Morton, L., L.S. Prokopy, J.G. Arbuckle, Jr., C. Ingels, M. Thelen, R. Bellm, D. Bowman, L. Edwards, C. Ellis, R. Higgins, T. Higgins, D. Hudgins, R. Hoorman, J. Neufelder, B. Overstreet, A. Peltier, H. Schmitz, J. Voit, C. Wegehaupt, S. Wohnoutka, R. Wolkowski, L. Abendroth, J. Angel, T. Haigh, C. Hart, J. Klink, C. Knutson, R. Power, D. Todey, and M. Widhalm. 2016. Climate Change and Agricultural Extension; Building Capacity for Land Grant Extension Services to Address the Agricultural Impacts of Climate Change and the Adaptive Management Needs of Agricultural Stakeholders. Technical Report Series: Findings and Recommendations of the Climate and Corn-based Cropping Systems Coordinated Agricultural Project. Vol 3 of 5. CSCAP Publication no. CSCAP-0192-2016.

Design/Copyediting Lynn Laws

March 2016

This document was produced as a part of two USDA-NIFA projects:

The Sustainable Corn CAP project (officially referred to as the Climate and Corn-based Cropping Systems Coordinated Agricultural Project) is a transdisciplinary partnership among 11 institutions: Iowa State University, Lincoln University, Michigan State University, The Ohio State University, Purdue University, South Dakota State University, University of Illinois, University of Minnesota, University of Missouri, University of Wisconsin, USDA Agricultural Research Service – Columbus, Ohio, and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA). (Award No. 2011-68002-30190) http://sustainablecorn.org.

Useful to Usable (U2U): Transforming Climate Variability and Change Information for Cereal Crop Producers is a partnership among Purdue University, Iowa State University, Michigan State University, South Dakota State University, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, University of Missouri, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Wisconsin, Midwestern Regional Climate Center, High Plains Regional Climate Center, and the National Drought Mitigation Center. (USDA-NIFA Award No. 2011-68002-30220) https://www.AgClimate4U. org.

This report is available on the Web at: http://store.extension.iastate.edu/Topic/Crops/Climate-and-Agriculture.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights,1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 800-795-3272 (voice) or 202-720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. climate change and Agricultural extension Building capacity for land grant university extension services to address the agricultural impacts of climate change and adaptive management needs of agricultural stakeholders

Technical Report Series: Findings and Recommendations of the Climate and Corn-Based Cropping Systems Coordinated Agricultural Project

Volume 3 of 5

CONTENTS

iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

5 PART I: Lessons Learned from Sustainable Corn CAP and U2U Social Science Research Key findings from the social science research What do we know about Corn Belt farmers’ and agricultural advisers’ perspectives on climate change? Beliefs, concerns, and perceptions Adaption and mitigation Institutions Recommendations from Social Science Findings Communicating the science Encouraging adaptive management Institutional action

11 PART II: Lessons Learned from Sustainable Corn CAP and U2U Extension and Outreach Educators Talking to farmers and crop advisers about climate change and agriculture Starting the conversation Tips for successful exchanges The setting Word choice The message Extension educator challenges to integrating climate science into extension programming Challenges and barriers Overcoming challenges and barriers

17 PART III: Building North Central Region Extension and Outreach Institutional Capacity Institutional and structural observations, challenges and barriers Extension educator needs identified Institutional support Summary of recommendations for institutional and structural support to initiate and continue climate and agriculture programming Potential roles and responsibilities of an agri-climate coordinator

22 Endnotes 27 Appendix A: Bibliography of Sustainable Corn CAP and U2U social science publications 29 Appendix B: WORKSHEET: Recommendations to build collective capacity to conduct extension programming around climate science and agriculture 31 Appendix C: Sustainable Corn CAP Principal Investigators 32 Appendix D: U2U Principal Investigators

Climate Change and Agricultural Extension s iii climate change and Agricultural extension Building capacity for land grant university extension services to address the agricultural impacts of climate change and adaptive management needs of agricultural stakeholders

Executive Summary Key social science recommendations: 1. Farmers have a great deal of experience with variability in weather and many are confident in their capacity to deal with increasing variability. n this paper we describe lessons learned Engagement strategies that appeal to farmers’ Ifrom 1) social science research and 2) the confidence and capacity to adapt are likely to experiences of a team of university extension attract and increase their interest. and outreach educators. The research and the 2. Successful use of adaptive management tools educators were a part of two USDA-NIFA climate and practices requires science- and experience- projects,1 which were funded to increase Corn based knowledge. Farm advisers reported that Belt agriculture’s capacity to adapt to and to assist they trust “University extension as a source of in mitigating the impacts of climate change. climate information,” suggesting that extension These lessons give us a deeper understanding educators can play a role in changing attitudes of the beliefs and knowledge of agricultural and motivating adaptive management of stakeholders at the intersection of climate and agriculture and natural resources. agriculture. They provide insights into farmers’ 3. Because many farmers do not believe that readiness to learn about climate science and to humans are the primary cause of climate change, engage in adaptive and mitigative agricultural direct outreach (e.g., meetings and workshops) management. to farmers and advisers may be more effective when the message focuses not on climate change, In addition, extension educators’ experiences but instead on agricultural vulnerabilities to in these projects offer a valuable foundation increased weather variability and extreme from which to expand university extension and weather, and adaptive management strategies. outreach capacities within states and across the 4. Conversations about soil health and region to address nitrogen management, build erosion control are ways to introduce adaptive and improve soil resources, manage flooding, management strategies that can provide field, handle drought and water resource limitations, farm, and watershed level benefits. These topics improve crop productivity, and manage the interest all farmers, including the sixty percent variety of challenges and opportunities associated of north central region farmers who are either with the impacts of climate change on corn-based uncertain or do not agree with the science on agricultural systems. climate change.

iv Extension and outreach educators a need for more research and meta-analysis that identified needs that would help synthesizes and translates vast and complicated them be more effective in their research results into information that extension and outreach educators can use to educate programming: agricultural stakeholders.

1. Timely receipt of university climate and agricultural science, in accessible language that Institutional observations and can be shared with extension educator audiences. suggested action items to increase 2. Opportunities for formal and informal the effectiveness and relevance of science and knowledge exchanges among NCR LGU extension and outreach university scientists and Extension and Outreach programs: educators. 3. Opportunities to communicate with and 1. Commitment to climate change adaptation build relationships with state and university and mitigation in agriculture must be strongly climatologists. signaled at all levels of the LGU extension system. 4. Opportunities and/or mechanisms to involve USDA is providing a consistent message that extension and outreach educators in defining the nation must act to adapt to climate change research questions that make science more useful and reduce emissions of heat-trapping gases. to stakeholders. Extension should match that message. 5. Increased communication among field staff 2. Purposefully and systematically work to and state specialists. ensure that extension and outreach educators are 6. More audience-specific tools, products, consistently exposed to locally-relevant science educational materials, media, and on-line on climate change and agriculture. resources. 3. Generate science that answers critical 7. Effective ways to incorporate climate questions for agriculture, and put the science in materials into agricultural programming. usable formats and language that enhances the ability of extension and outreach educators to Institutional support: convey the science. 4. Strengthen internal partnerships. University Land grant university (LGU) extension services scientists should be proactive in sharing the reach a wide variety of stakeholders with science with extension and other university staff, diverse needs. These stakeholders often have who have outreach responsibilities, in a timely differing and sometimes conflicting priorities and accessible way. that make extension and outreach programming 5. Identify a state climate coordinator to a challenge. Extension, in general, has not yet facilitate exchanges within and outside of the developed a coordinated effort to identify priority university by linking individuals and programs. investments at the intersection of climate and agriculture at state and regional levels. There is sss

Climate Change and Agricultural Extension s v The North Central region land grant universities have a unique opportunity to leverage the initial capacity building begun by these two projects, to build out a robust, regionally coordinated extension program.

1 climate change and Agricultural extension

Building capacity for land grant university extension services to address the agricultural impacts of climate change and adaptive management needs of agricultural stakeholders

Introduction

he United States Department of Agriculture- inform engagement with farmers and agricultural TNational Institute for Food and Agriculture advisors. (USDA NIFA) funded two climate and agriculture grants (2011-2016), Sustainable Corn Scientific findings have been reported in Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP)2 and 163 refereed journal articles, 213 extension Useful to Usable (U2U),3 to increase Corn Belt publications and 1108 presentations to agriculture’s capacity to adapt to and to assist in stakeholders, resulting in a total audience reach mitigating the impacts of climate change. of 97,477. Many of the instructional videos, facts sheets and other publications can be found at During the last five years, the Sustainable university extension online stores. (See http:// Corn CAP and U2U project have utilized their store.extension.iastate.edu/Topic/Crops/Climate- research-extension investments to expand agro- and-Agriculture.) climate science and to strengthen the research- extension linkages throughout the north central The 50-member interdisciplinary U2U team (NC) region of the United States. developed five climate-based decision support tools, available online at https://mygeohub. The Sustainable Corn CAP multi-disciplinary org/groups/u2u/tools. Based on intensive team of 140 scientists collected measurements stakeholder input, the tools are aimed at helping at 35 field sites, in eight NC states, and entered farmers adapt to changing climate conditions. In all data into a centralized database. Researchers addition, the team produced over 50 journal and analyzed, modeled, and interpreted the data to extension publications, provided the agricultural better understand how drainage, cover crops, community with over 140 training events, and tillage, fertilizers and crop rotations affect water, received national and local recognitions for carbon and nitrogen cycles under variable success in research and extension integration. weather conditions. The work of these complementary projects Concurrent with the field trials, social scientists brought increased understanding of carbon, in the Sustainable Corn CAP and U2U projects nitrogen, and water cycles in corn-based systems gathered data from Corn Belt farmers, crop and responses to management practices under advisers, and climatologists. The data provided different climate scenarios; enhanced the insights about perceptions of risk, vulnerabilities, usability and up-take of climate information; and and opportunities associated with increasingly bolstered extension’s capacity to address agro- variable weather and climate, and were used to climate concerns and support more resilient and

Climate Change and Agricultural Extension s 2 profitable agricultural systems in a changing and current responses to extreme weather and climate. Though the five-year Sustainable variable climate conditions to guide extension of Corn CAP and U2U projects are coming to a scientific findings to stakeholders; and 3) engaged close, many of the principal investigators will a small cohort (~140) of conservation-oriented continue to utilize project databases and develop farmers in learning about climate science and recommendations for field, watershed, and project-related agricultural adaptive management regional decision making. practices.

When these projects started in 2011, few The U2U project developed decision support extension educators across the region provided tools and educational resources that continue programming focused on helping Corn Belt to be refined based on direct feedback gathered farmers identify and implement management from farmers, advisers, the Sustainable Corn strategies in response to extreme weather events, CAP extension and outreach educators, and short-term climate variability, and long-term other experts. climate change. Even fewer were helping farmers identify potential climate mitigation strategies. The capacity-building and knowledge-transfer activities of both projects were uniquely different, For five years, the Sustainable Corn CAP engaged but complementary. They had common goals and partially funded 18 extension educators of integrating agro-climate knowledge into and outreach watershed coordinators, in the extension and outreach plans of work and the NC region, to build capacity for extension and pilot testing of adaptive management tools outreach efforts that address climate change and strategies with farmers to help them better and its impacts on corn production systems. respond to current and projected climate changes The integration of social, climate, hydrological across the region. These efforts complemented and agronomic sciences 1) increased educators’ existing extension endeavors and strengthened knowledge about climate science and applications the reputation of Extension as a leader in to agriculture; 2) involved educators in the programming focused on climate resilient assessment of farmers’ awareness, knowledge, agriculture.

3 FIGURE 1 | Percent of Increase in Amounts of Very Heavy Precipitation events from 1958 to 2012. Figure obtained online Feb. 29, 2016, from the U.S. Global Change Research Program: nca2014.globalchange. gov./report/our-changing- climate/heavy-downpours- increasing#tab2-images.

While these two USDA projects were term- lessons give us a deeper understanding of limited grants, the need for agro-climate the beliefs and knowledge of agricultural extension and outreach grows. The United States stakeholders at the intersection of climate Third National Climate Assessment (2014)4 and agriculture. They provide insights into and supporting reports5 not only document stakeholder readiness to learn about climate that climate disruptions to agriculture have science and engage in adaptive management. been increasing over the past 50 years, but also Knowing and understanding the current capacity project a rising incidence of weather extremes. of educators and stakeholders to act on the The map above (Figure 1), for example, shows science and their own knowledge can improve large increases in heavy precipitation events have adaptive management responses. occurred in the Northeast, Midwest, and Great Plains. Heavy downpours have frequently led Lessons learned from social science findings to runoff that exceeded the capacity of storm are presented first, followed by extension and drains and levees, caused flooding events and outreach educators’ self-assessment of the accelerated erosion. Extreme weather events challenges of talking about climate science and will increasingly impact crop and livestock agriculture with stakeholders, how to frame productivity and substantive degradation of educational messages, and tips on moving their soil and water resources. The NC region land agricultural audiences to adaptive management grant universities have a unique opportunity to solutions. This paper identifies structural and to leverage the initial capacity building begun institutional challenges of developing learning by these two projects, to build out a robust, environments and the iterative exchange of regionally coordinated extension program. agriculture and climate knowledge. Lastly, recommendations for extension and outreach In this paper we document the lessons learned efforts that address adaptive management from 1) the social science of these projects and solutions for agriculture in the NC region are 2) the experiences of Extension and outreach offered. educators involved with these projects. These sss

Climate Change and Agricultural Extension s 4 PART 1 Lessons Learned from Sustainable Corn CAP and U2U SOCIAL SCIENCE

key message of the U.S. Third National and/or mitigation) and by whom? Do farmers AClimate Assessment report6 is that climate think they should change the way they farm? change poses threats to agriculture and will Who influences farmers in their management require adaptation and mitigation by farmers. decisions? Do they think that universities, farm However, very little research about farmers’ and groups, and government agencies should help? agricultural advisers’ perspectives on climate What types of climate information are farmers change had been conducted prior to 2011. The using to make decisions? social scientists in the Sustainable Corn CAP and U2U projects recognized that transfer of Specifically, data were gathered using quantitative university science and effective interventions and qualitative research methods including a required deeper understanding of current spring 2012 mail survey of 4,778 farmers from agricultural practices, beliefs and attitudes across the Corn Belt,7 159 in-depth interviews about climate change, and the willingness and with farmers from 9 states, longitudinal on- capacities of stakeholders to change behaviors. To line surveys of advisers in 20128 (n=2087) and obtain insights into their perceptions regarding 20139 (n=864), 12 focus groups (July 2012 – these topics, the scientists conducted surveys, Dec 2013), 57 in-depth interviews with public interviews, focus groups, and an analysis of media and private advisers, and an archival analysis messages in agricultural trade publications. of media messages in 1000 articles from news outlets and ag-related trade publications (April The social scientists asked a number of basic 1, 2012-March 31, 2014). The Corn Belt farmer research questions: What do farmers and survey sampled larger-scale farmers (at least their advisers believe about climate change? 80 acres of corn and $100,000 in gross farm Are they concerned about increasing weather income), in 22 HUC 6 watersheds representing variability? What climate impacts are of most about 80 percent of farmland in the NC region. concern and present significant risks to the farm Descriptive data and maps of the region are enterprise? Do they support action (adaptation published in two farmer statistical atlases, which

5 can be found at: http://store.extension.iastate. believe that climate change is occurring and due edu/Topic/Crops/Climate-and-Agriculture. A substantially to human activity, compared to bibliography of published findings from this between 80-90 percent for the latter groups.19 research to-date is listed in Appendix A. 7. Climate change beliefs can shift over time. Surveys of Iowa farmers found that between Key findings from the Social Science 2011 and 2013, 48 percent changed belief Research position, with 31 percent moving toward belief in anthropogenic climate change, and 17 percent (Endnotes indicate references in which specific toward uncertainty or non-belief in climate findings are published.) change. However, agricultural advisers showed What do we know about Corn Belt farmers’ no significant change in climate change belief between the times they were surveyed in 2012 and agricultural advisers’ perspectives on and 2013.20 climate change? Adaptation and Mitigation Beliefs, concerns and perceptions 8. Most 1. Most farmers (66 percent) believe that climate farmer survey change is occurring. About 8 percent attribute respondents (66 climate change primarily to human activity, 33 percent) agree that percent to both human and natural causes, and farmers in general 25 percent to mostly natural causes.10 should take Colo, 2. Many farmers and advisers are concerned additional steps to Iowa about the predicted impacts of climate change. protect land from March Half or more are concerned or very concerned increased weather about drought, heat, pests, disease, and extreme variability.21 2013 precipitation.11 12 13 9. Climate 3. Climate change beliefs are related to perceived change beliefs are risks.14 Farmers who believe climate change is related to support happening and due at least in part to human for adaptation activity are more concerned about impacts and and mitigation. are much more supportive of both adaptation Farmers who and mitigation actions. For example, two-thirds believe climate change is happening and of farmers who believe that climate change is due at least in part to human activity are happening and due primarily to human activity more concerned about impacts and are more indicate they are concerned or very concerned supportive of both adaptation and mitigation about longer dry periods or drought in the actions. For example, 80 percent of farmers who future, compared to 47 percent of farmers who believe that climate change is occurring and do not believe that climate change is occurring.15 due mostly to human activity agree that farmers 4. Beliefs, perceived risks, confidence, attitudes, should take additional action to protect their land and current practices vary widely across the NC from increased weather variability, compared to region.16 45 percent of farmers who do not believe that 5. Climate change beliefs vary by group.17 climate change is occurring. The correlation is Farmers, crop advisers and extension educators’ stronger for mitigation: 60 percent of farmers beliefs align more closely to one another than to who believe in anthropogenic climate change university scientists and state climatologists.18 support government action to reduce greenhouse 6. Among the former groups, half or fewer gas emissions, compared to 15 percent of farmers

Climate Change and Agricultural Extension s 6 who believe that climate change is due mostly to tile drainage) but which may undermine long- natural causes.22 Most advisers surveyed agree term soil and water resource integrity.29 that farmers will need to change practices to cope with more variable weather and climate Institutions conditions. However, advisers’ willingness and confidence in using climate information in their 16. For Corn Belt agricultural advisers, crop related advice is lacking.23 extension and university scientists are trusted 10. Advisers’ attitudes toward adaptation are sources of information on climate change. 30 31 also closely related to climate change beliefs. 17. Results from a study of Iowa farmers Those advisers who agree that climate change indicates that university scientists are their is at least partly caused by human activities most trusted sources of information on climate report stronger agreement that adaptation is change.32 important.24 18. For general decisions about agricultural 11. Seventy-three percent of extension educators practices and strategies, farmer survey surveyed agree or strongly agree they should help respondents indicate that private sector actors farmers to prepare for the impacts of increased such as seed dealers and agricultural chemical weather variability, while 20 percent are uncertain if they should help.25 12. Many farmers support public and private sector Minnesota action to help them Big Upper Mississippi adapt. For example, 84 Sioux Black Root Upper percent agree that “seed Mississippi Southeastern Maquoketa Rock Lake companies should develop Missouri Iowa Plum Michigan Elkhorn Little Des Loup crop varieties adapted Sioux Moines Upper Western Lower Lake Erie Upper Mississippi Illinois to increased weather Platte Middle Platte Skunk Wapsipinicon Big Missouri variability,” and 62 percent Lower Blue Nishnabotna agree that “university Illinois Wabash Patoka extension should help White farmers to prepare Kaskaskia for increased weather variability.”26 13. Farmers are generally confident in their capacity Map of watersheds represented in the study area to adapt to increased weather variability, but many report uncertainty.27 dealers are most influential.33 34 35 36 14. Farmers are already adapting to increases in 19. Advisers are an untapped resource that warm season precipitation by selectively using can potentially help increase the use of weather a combination of no-till/reduced tillage, cover and climate information in ag-related decision crops, tile drainage and increasing planting to making.37 Agronomic and conservation advisers highly erodible lands based on their geographic show promising interest in and ability to use location and on-farm experiences.28 climate information in their day-to-day advice, 15. Some farmers are taking adaptive actions while financial advisers are less interested.38 that can have positive short-term impacts on 20. Despite the clear importance of financial yields (e.g., increased spring tillage or increased information in best management practice (BMP) 7 decision-making, published cost assessments 5. Outreach strategies should take into account are rare, and those that are available often lack that farmers and advisers, like anyone else, can transparency.39 change their perspectives on things as they 21. Advisers may be more or less inclined to learn from new experiences and information. provide climate information, depending on Extension should continue to incorporate the presence or lack of a) institutional support science-based information on climate change, its and collaboration, b) advisee focus on long- potential impacts, and adaptation and mitigation term climate risk versus short-term risk, and strategies into programming for farmers and c) in the case of advisers who are employed at advisers. for-profit businesses, climate information that 6. Research suggests that extension is a trusted contraindicates a product or program of their source of information to advisers and farmers business.40 about climate change. Thus, extension is uniquely positioned to help the agricultural sector increase Recommendations from Social Science climate adaptive capacity and the resilience of Findings corn-based cropping systems, and to explore agricultural practices which can contribute to Communicating the science mitigating greenhouse gases (GHGs). 7. Farmers are more supportive of adaption to increase resilience than they are of GHG 1. Climate scientists and extension educators mitigation. Therefore, emphasizing the resilience- may be more effective if they tailor their messages enhancing benefits of farm practices that may in ways that reduce threats to individual also have GHG-reducing properties (cover crops, viewpoints and increase dialogue among those reduced tillage, extended rotations, and nitrogen with differing views. management), rather than the climate-change 2. Because many farmers do not believe that mitigative aspects of the practices, is advisable. humans are the primary cause of climate change, 8. Because farmers’ perspectives and direct outreach (e.g., meetings and workshops) to behaviors vary across the Corn Belt region, farmers and advisers may be more effective when align engagement and outreach programs and the message focuses on adapting to increased materials with local conditions and contexts. weather variability, extreme weather, agricultural vulnerability, and related risks. This suggests limiting discussion of the causes of climate change, which are less relevant to changing farm practices and more likely to alienate audiences. 3. Because many farmers and advisers do not currently believe the scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change, over the long term it is important to develop strategies to communicate a) the science of climate change and its current and predicted impacts and b) the relevance and urgency of adaptive and mitigative actions. 4. Similar to other large-scale, diffused problems like non-point source water pollution, focusing on specific actions that farmers and advisers can take will be an important part of communication strategies.

Climate Change and Agricultural Extension s 8 Encouraging adaptive management trade-off decisions in selecting a particular combination of practices that ensure protection 9. Develop strategies to help extension and of their soil and water resources under different private sector advisers better understand the weather conditions. science on climate change and to recognize 14. Conversations about soil health and erosion that farmers need to take adaptive (and control are ways to introduce management mitigative) actions to ensure sustainability of strategies for adaptation. These are themes that agroecosystems. could help the 60 percent of NC region farmers 10. Successful use of adaptive management tools who are either uncertain or do not agree with the and practices require science- and experience- science on climate change to implement adaptive based knowledge. Farmers and advisers trust actions that provide field, farm, and watershed extension, suggesting that extension can play level benefits. a role in changing attitudes and motivating 15. Because most farmers 1) believe that they adaptive management of agricultural and natural should take steps to protect their land and 2) resources. support efforts by private and public advisers 11. Farmers have a great deal of experience with to help them adapt, this points to opportunities variability in weather and many are confident in for advisers to increase efforts to promote their capacity to deal with increased variability. appropriate adaptive (and mitigative) actions. Engagement strategies that appeal to confidence and capacity to adapt are likely to increase Institutional Action stakeholder interest. 12. Encourage farmers to use and experiment 16. Capitalize on extension’s role as a trusted with a combination of practices and customize provider of climate change information. Integrate management to their own field and farm information about climate change impacts and conditions, observing how different weather the need for adaptation into programming for patterns affect soil loss, water drainage, and both farmers and advisers. Extension is uniquely productivity. positioned to help the agricultural sector to 13. Encourage cropping practices that reduce improve resilience and adaptive capacity and to soil erosion and enhance productivity. More address GHG mitigation. timely and accurate local weather/climate 17. Broaden the conversations related to information would help farmers make better climate change, mitigation, and adaptation to management decisions. Decision support tools include business and agricultural advisers (e.g., can help farmers improve their management agricultural retailers, custom operators, financial

9 advisers). Understand the roles that different agriculture, and natural resource disciplines is types of advisers play in agricultural decision necessary to make climate information usable. making and engage each appropriately. 21. Empower agricultural advisers to include 18. Ensure extension faculty and staff across climate change adaptation information into the program areas and at all organizational levels operational, tactical, and strategic advice they incorporate adaptation and mitigation into provide, as appropriate. existing programming. These programs are 22. Consider how climate change education already designed to address farmer and adviser might fit into professional development decision-making needs and, therefore, provide trainings and continuing education credits for excellent communication pathways. agricultural professionals and advisers. Improve 19. Extension administration should the knowledge, support and collaboration that communicate to field staff the urgency of advisers have access to in this area. understanding climate science and the range of 23. Engage the financial advice sector to adaptive actions that can increase the resilience improve the quality of climate-smart financial of agricultural systems. information for BMP decision-making. 20. Continue adapting climate information 24. Work with Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) to address farmer and farm adviser decision- boards to include climate science and adaption making. While substantial progress has been in each state’s performance objectives and in the made in this area, more bridging among climate, international performance objectives. sss

Agricultural Extension for the 21st Century s10 PART 2 Lessons Learned from Sustainable Corn CAP and U2U EXTENSION AND OUTREACH

he Sustainable Corn CAP extension and outreach educators and social scientists met with the TU2U social scientists and outreach team in May 2015. The goal of the meeting was to self-reflect and summarize what they had learned about the transfer of climate science, agricultural practices, the facilitation of stakeholder learning, and adaptive management of corn-based cropping systems. Prompts for this discussion are in Appendix B. Thirty-four people participated in this three-hour conversation. Key lessons learned are summarized below. Talking with farmers and crop advisers about climate change and agriculture is occurring, only 40 percent implicate human activity. One-third of farmers are uncertain Starting the conversation whether it is happening or not. Farmers are more willing to investigate and evaluate solutions to There is great variation in farmer and agricultural challenges caused by variable weather, than to adviser views and understanding about climate discuss causes of climate change or mitigation change and its impacts on agriculture. Knowing activities. The setting, language and message your audience is critical to how and where an an educator uses to convey climate science and educator starts the conversation. Although two- adaptive management information needs to be thirds of farmers believe that climate change carefully chosen. 11 The Sustainable Corn CAP extension educators. Back row from left: Todd Higgins, Lincoln University; Charles Ellis, University One-on-one exchanges allow the educator to of Missouri; Brian Overstreet, Purdue personalize the climate science conversation to the farmer’s or crop adviser’s understanding, University; Marilyn Thelen, Michigan State thereby increasing the comfort level to discuss University; Deana Hudgins, The Ohio State climate (which they may be reluctant to do in a group setting). This is also an opportunity to University; Laura Edwards, South Dakota build a relationship that “permits” the educator State University; and Richard Wolkowski, to bring in climate science that may not be easily University of Wisconsin. Front row from accepted otherwise. left: Hans Schmitz, Purdue University; Jon Group events Neufelder, Purdue University; Chad Ingels, Small groups are opportunities to have conversations about weather variability. Group Iowa State University; and Catherine size and diversity influence how climate science Wegehaupt, Heron Lake Watershed District is presented and received, and the kind of (MN). Extension educators not shown: exchanges that occur. Robert Bellm, Dennis Bowman, Russ Higgins 1. Group dynamics imply leadership. Someone and Angie Peltier, University of Illinois; formally or informally directs the initial activities Richard Hoormann, University of Missouri; and discussion—once one person starts the conversation, others build on or challenge the Kerry Netzke and Shawn Wohnoutka, ideas presented, with some people remaining Redwood-Cotton Rivers Control Area (MN); silent and not contributing. 2. Farmer peer-to-peer led groups can mobilize Jan Voit, Heron Lake Watershed District farmers in their watershed or local area to try (MN). something new or re-affirm the status quo (i.e., what we’re currently doing is enough). 3. One person in the group can take the conversation to a negative or political place unless others censure and shut it down. The Tips for successful exchanges educator needs to have a plan to re-direct the group’s conversation back to the science. The Setting 4. Trust is necessary among farmers in the group How the conversation begins is affected by the for knowledge exchanges to occur with low risk setting in which educators talk with farmers to members. about climate change. Sustainable Corn and U2U 5. Each group has different dynamics. Crop educators used a variety of settings to encourage advisers seem more likely to ask questions and learning and information exchange: on-farm engage the science presented. Large groups seem visits, small local groups that meet regularly (i.e., less engaged and less likely to ask questions. watershed groups or neighbor groups), small 6. An offer of Certified Crop Adviser groups for hands-on skill development with tools Continuing Education Credits encourages and data, field days, winter meetings, webinars, advisers to attend meetings that link soil, water, and conferences. weather, and climate. 7. Group meetings offer an opportunity to One-on-one demonstrate U2U and other decision-making In one-on-one situations, educators must first tools to attract and engage audiences. There establish their credentials and build trust. is strong interest in technology. These tools

Climate Change and Agricultural Extension s 12 and products provide opportunities to weave “long-term weather patterns,” and “extreme climate science and agriculture into management weather events” and their local impacts are conversations and formulate adjustments to on- less controversial than the topic of climate farm decisions. change. 8. Webinar presentations provide limited c. Invite stakeholders to discuss past weather opportunities for exchange between presenter and climate differences they have observed and audiences. Question and answer over the course of their farming career and opportunities are presented but audiences seldom impacts on their farm enterprise. This is an engage. especially good “ice breaker” in group settings if at least one person in the audience has been Word choice farming 30 or more years. d. Defuse any tension that arises about Extension educators found the words they used climate change by acknowledging that to start the conversation and frame their message the phrases “climate change” and “global Terms like “increasing made a difference in listener receptivity and warming” have become politicized. Then weather variability” and openness to learning. They advise: avoid engaging in discussions about political positions and personalities which could “extreme weather” are 1. Engage stakeholders by talking about the local polarize the exchange and close down less controversial than weather. discussion and exchange. the topic of climate a. Begin by discussing current or recent 2. Once focused on the weather, move the weather and transition to long-term weather discussion to how precipitation and temperature change. (climate) events and patterns (last month, last impact different aspects of their operation and year, and historical weather, such as the last 30 crop management decisions. Ask how particular years). weather events affected their farm enterprise b. Terms like “increasing weather variability,” (e.g., drought caused plants to not germinate; saturated soil delayed planting; flooding eroded soil from productive fields making them less productive; or how frost, planting and harvest date timing affected yields) and what they did in response. 3. In group discussions, encourage exchanges among peers regarding observations of weather and climate patterns and how they adapted (changed their practices and management) because of the local climate and weather conditions. Peer-to-peer learning can accelerate uptake of information and motivation to try something new. 4. Situate local climate and weather conditions within a regional personal sense of control. Perceptions of lack and global climate context. It is important to of control can be barriers to action. Focus on recognize that different geographies world- how to adapt/take action/do something about wide and within US regions experience climate the weather and climate conditions that are differently. Farmers know this because they affecting them. The U2U tools and products participate in global markets. Variable global help stakeholders explore their options and find climate (e.g., drought in California or Brazil) solutions that fit their own situation [e.g. growing directly affects the prices of seed, production degree days (GDD) tool; Split N tool]. inputs, and grain and whether they make a profit 8. There are three kinds of climate change or lose money. discussions: science (extension’s responsibility to However, these convey), assessments of current “probabilities” “distant” events and “scenarios” of potential climate trend are viewed as outcomes on agriculture, and policy (not well Terms like “increasing something out received by farm or crop advisers). Knowing weather variability” and of their control. when and with whom to use each is important to Local extreme effective education. “extreme weather” are weather events 9. When talking about climate science, weather less controversial than that affect their and climate data, and historical trends, it can the topic of climate production be helpful to talk about how data are generated are more likely without bias by thousands of volunteers and change. to grab their weather stations. attention and 10. Climate science can be introduced by linking motivate them stakeholder perceptions of weather and climate to act and adapt to long-term data, and can be inserted into when they perceive they can manage or reduce discussions to confirm perceptions and correct their exposure to risk through their management misperceptions. practices. 11. Utilize key moments in seasons to convey 5. Discussions of extreme weather patterns and real-time information and link to science-based their challenges build awareness and problem adaptive strategies. identification. This creates a “readiness” in 12. Be selective about using “buzz” words stakeholders to discuss solutions. Farmers are such as “sustainability,” “resilience,” “adaptive problem solvers and once they have identified management,” and “stewardship,” based on what the problem they are ready to explore options to you know about your audience. solve it. Once the problem is identified, educators can transition into talking about how to prepare The message and adapt to more extreme and variable weather in the future. How the message is framed can influence how 6. Talk about trends over time, such as the receptive stakeholders are to climate science and relationship between weather patterns and soil to discussing adjustments to current management health, and what they might do about reducing as a response to changing conditions. erosion and increasing soil carbon. 7. Focus on solutions. Farmers can get frustrated 1. Frame the message around adapting to if you don’t quickly take the discussion to the increasingly variable and extreme weather and level of solutions. Many people find global related threats to agriculture. problems, such as climate change, remote 2. Embed the message within the context of and difficult to connect to their own lives and common agricultural issues, to emphasize the decisions. Behavior change is facilitated by a influence of variable weather and climate to

Climate Change and Agricultural Extension s 14 agroecosystem impacts (e.g., productivity, off- events to these issues and point out how they can farm nitrogen and phosphorus losses, water be addressed at the local level through on-farm quality, soil erosion, soil health). and watershed-level solutions. 3. Link changing longer-term weather and climate conditions to the need for risk Extension educator challenges to management strategies. integrating climate science into 4. Help stakeholders identify current and local agricultural adaptive strategies that address extension programming increasing extreme weather events and a variable climate. Challenges and barriers 5. Talk about how changing and variable weather presents new opportunities for new There are a number of challenges and barriers markets, new crops, and new management that can make it difficult for extension and strategies. outreach educators to integrate climate science 6. Convey how university science can inform into agricultural programming. These include:

1. Local norms associated with agricultural practices are generally focused on short-term rather than long-term outcomes. Therefore, the concern about long-term weather patterns (climate) may not seem relevant to a stakeholder concerned about the current season. 2. Stakeholders are faced with competing messages about climate change and its impacts from media, local and national organizations and agencies, family, friends, and acquaintances. 3. University science associated with climate may be viewed as a “liberal” institution “opinion” rather than science. 4. Stakeholder discomfort and distrust of regulatory and legislative activities reduces willingness to talk about climate change. adaptive management options in response to 5. High levels of confidence that technology will extreme weather events, and variable climate “save us” can deter a stakeholder’s willingness to conditions. consider new management strategies. 7. Deliver the science at an action-specific level. 6. University specialists utilize a variety of For example, explain how nitrogen efficiency and scientific sources which can lead to differing off-field impacts are affected by too much or too interpretations of scientific facts. They also little precipitation. Then invite the audience to may differ in beliefs and comfort levels about explore possible management options. climate science, which sends mixed messages 8. Help stakeholders identify something they to extension and outreach educators and their can do. Presenting a problem without solutions audiences. can leave audiences feeling helpless and unable to 7. University specialists sometimes lack act. understanding of local audiences and use 9. Some stakeholders fear increased regulation language and messages that do not well convey due to community-scale problems, such as water the known science about climate and weather quality. Help them connect extreme weather conditions. 15 8. Extreme weather problems (e.g., flooding, Use them as success stories. Encourage peer-to- saturated soils, drought, and extreme heat) are peer learning that utilizes science. (Barrier 12, 13) well known and easily identified; but effective 3. Partner with experts. Connect with state solutions are less known and complex. climatologists, Regional Climate Center 9. In the north central region, local climate climatologists, extension climatologists (where observations can differ from global climate available), university faculty and agencies trends. Although overall temperature has such as National Oceanic and Atmospheric increased globally during the past century, Administration (NOAA) to increase professional average daytime maximum temperatures climate science knowledge and to provide a during Midwest summers have not increased resource for stakeholders to ask questions beyond appreciably.41 The global message sometimes extension and outreach educator expertise. confounds the message NC region extension Continue to strengthen connections among and outreach educators are giving to their local extension climatologists, educators, and crop and audiences. livestock specialists. (Barrier 2, 5, 6, 8, 11) 10. Extension and outreach educators have a 4. Sustain current relationships and be variety of specialties that are often not related to purposeful in expanding relationships with cropping systems and climate variability impacts. farmers and advisers to increase trust in 11. Extension and outreach educators, advisers Extension. (Barrier 2, 3, 9) and farmers lack understanding of how to 5. Use examples of recent extreme weather interpret and give meaning to probability and events and impacts at field, farm, and watershed synthesis derived from climate models. levels to get farmer and advisers attention. 12. Climate science resources for extension and (Barrier 1, 2, 7). outreach programming are limited. Extension 6. Offer farmers and advisers hands-on educators need more research findings tailored to resources and tools (e.g., U2U tools, GDD, farm decision-making to be able to give science- Sustainable Corn CAP research). (Barrier 7, 10) based recommendations. 7. Leverage existing Extension, Natural 13. Some stakeholders perceive recommended Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Soil and best management practices (BMPs) for resilient Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), and other cropping systems are not practical for their conservation organizations to expand outreach. management system or locale. (Barrier 10) 8. Increase funding for field-level research and Overcoming challenges and barriers demonstrations that address climate-resilient cropping systems and improve the transfer of Overcoming the barriers listed above will require knowledge to extension and outreach educators purposeful and specific programmatic planning for use in recommendations. (Barrier, 6, 10, 12) to help reduce their impact and influence on 9. Demonstrate adaptive management strategies: stakeholders. Strategies for addressing these cover crops, controlled drainage, erosion control barriers are: practices, tillage comparisons, and rainfall simulator, using field days and videos. (Barrier 1, 1. Develop a regional capacity and 6, 7, 12) communication strategy that prioritizes and 10. Focus on young and next generation farmers integrates opportunities for impact. (Barrier 6, 7, who are tech savvy and often open to new 10, 11, 12) solutions. (Barrier 1, 3, 4, 12, 13) 2. Build a core group of farmers and service 11. Establish adaption demonstration sites at provider leaders interested in learning and state agricultural research stations. (Barrier 1, 2, experimenting with strategies to provide 4, 7, 12, 13) stakeholder support to extension programming. sss Climate Change and Agricultural Extension s16 Part 3 Building North Central Region Extension and Outreach Institutional Capacity

Institutional and structural resources program responsibilities. But some NC region and challenges land grant universities (LGUs) are proactively conducting needs assessments and crafting Current climate extension and outreach strategies. programming across the north central (NC) region varies by state and institution. The NC In 2012 and 2013, the USDA-funded Great Lakes Cooperative Extension Association and the Regional Water Program and their partners NC Regional Association of State Agricultural conducted a needs assessment, surveying Experiment Station Directors have created extension educators, from LGUs and National an online directory of these climate-related Sea Grant College Programs, in six states in the activities. See www.nc-climate.org. NC region. They measured extension educators’ knowledge, confidence and perceived barriers to Beyond extension specialists supported by providing climate change adaptation education USDA-NIFA grants – the Sustainable Corn for stakeholders. The study revealed a high level CAP and U2U projects – only a few states of need to increase educators’ knowledge about have extension specialists with explicit climate climate change. This study also found a much

17 higher capacity to do climate change adaptation with those more focused on crops and livestock. education among Sea Grant educators, and In addition, the Network provides seed funding recommended that LGUs learn from Sea Grants for building LGU extension capacity to address going forward. Another of the group’s activities climate adaptation and mitigation needs. Seed was to create climate change educational core funding can be used to increase competitiveness competencies for outreach professionals (not for larger grants, deliver programs, or provide specific to agriculture). professional development for university specialists and educators. The University of Wisconsin established the University of Wisconsin-Extension Climate There are potential partner institutions in the Change Task Force in 2014. They conducted an region (NOAA, Regional Climate Centers (RCC), assessment last year across all four extension Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessment program areas and found relevance to many Program (GLISA), USDA Midwest and Northern existing programming topics. Further, a Climate Hubs, Sustainable Agriculture Research surprisingly high percentage of educators were & Education (SARE), National Drought already doing climate change education in some Mitigation Center (NDMC), DOI Climate form or thought Extension should be doing Science Centers, NCR Water Network, National climate change education. Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), state monitoring networks which provide The NC region has a number of agencies and weather data, and local watershed groups that organizations with missions and expertise perform water, weather, and/or climate outreach associated with different aspects of climate and functions. However, many of these do not have agricultural sciences that could serve as resources agronomic and/or social sciences expertise linked and partners with LGU extension and outreach to their climate science outreach missions. efforts. Extension educator needs identified Every state has a state climatologist. In the Corn Belt, nearly all of them are associated with Extension and outreach educators and scientists land grant universities, while a few are in state are partners in assuring university-generated agriculture (IA) or natural resources departments science is extended to non-scientific audiences. (MN). Many of them may already be involved If extension and outreach educators are to with extension programs at some level. Some are disseminate university science, how can we best more versed in linking climate to agriculture than ensure that they know about and understand others, but they are a critical resource with access university-generated climate science? Extension to historical climate data, an awareness of trends and outreach educators are often responsible for and current conditions across their state, and an multiple geographic areas and subject matters. understanding of seasonal forecasts. This suggests a need for local weather and climate information. How might we make the structure The NC Region Water Network addresses more fluid to facilitate the science-to-educator many water-related issues that are associated transfer? with changing climate conditions. (See http:// northcentralwater.org/.) Climate change and Extension and outreach educators in the adaptation is a priority issue for the network Sustainable Corn CAP and U2U projects and is associated with agriculture’s influence on identified a number of needs that would help water resources such as nutrient and manure them be more effective in their programming: management, and soil health. The Network can help connect climate researchers and educators 1. Timely receipt of university climate and

Climate Change and Agricultural Extension s18 agricultural science, in accessible language that Institutional observations and suggested can be shared with extension educator clients/ action items to increase NC region LGU audiences. extension relevance and effectiveness are: 2. Opportunities for formal and informal science and knowledge exchanges among 1. Commitment to climate change adaptation university scientists and extension and outreach and mitigation in agriculture must be educators. strongly signaled at all levels of the extension 3. Opportunities to communicate with and organization. USDA is providing a consistent build relationships with state and university message that the nation must act to adapt to climatologists. climate change and reduce emissions of heat- 4. Opportunities and/or mechanisms to involve trapping gases. Extension programs should match extension and outreach educators in defining the that message. research questions that make science more useful 2. Purposefully and systematically work to to stakeholders. ensure that extension and outreach educators are 5. Increased communication among field staff consistently exposed to locally-relevant science and state specialists. on climate change and agriculture. 6. More audience-specific tools, products, 3. Generate science that answers critical educational materials, media, and on-line questions for agriculture, and put the science in resources. usable formats and language that enhance the 7. Effective ways of incorporating climate ability of extension and outreach educators to materials into agricultural production convey the science. programming. 4. Strengthen partnerships. University scientists should be proactive in sharing the science Institutional support with extension and other university personnel with outreach responsibilities in a timely and Extension serves a wide variety of stakeholders accessible way. with different needs. These stakeholders often have differing and sometimes conflicting Summary of recommendations for priorities that make extension and outreach institutional and structural support programming a challenge. Extension, in general, has not yet developed a coordinated effort to to initiate and continue climate and identify priority investments at the intersection agriculture programming of climate and agriculture at state and regional levels. There is The training, experiences and lessons learned by a need for more extension and outreach educators participating translational in the USDA-NIFA Sustainable Corn and Extension and outreach research U2U projects over the last five years provide a and meta- strong foundation and a unique opportunity educators and scientists analysis that for LGUs in the region to build and strengthen are partners in assuring synthesizes vast institutional capacity to provide extension university-generated research results programming at the intersection of climate and into useful agriculture. Climate science and our agricultural science is extended to information stakeholders and partners tell us the need for non-scientific audiences. that extension this programming will continue. Institutional and outreach support that addresses the needs of extension and educators can outreach educators and trains and supports new use. and current educators is needed to leverage this opportunity. 19 1. Establish core leadership groups. At state and agricultural advisers can maximize impact and multi-state (NC region) levels, create core groups be a strategic allocation of land grant university consisting of scientists and educators responsible resources. for leading climate and agriculture exchanges and programming for stakeholders. Potential roles and responsibilities of 2. Identify other program areas needing to an agri-climate coordinator integrate climate education. Extreme weather and an increasingly variable climate will have The intent of identifying faculty and staff differential effects on most of Extension’s with agri-climate coordination roles and stakeholders. This report only addresses what responsibilities is to increase communication has been learned from work with corn-based and coordination exchanges and access cropping systems in agriculture. Climate to content within Extension and among education and outreach will also need to be integrated into community development, 4-H and youth and family programming. 3. Designate an agri-climate coordinator for each state. LGU investments in an agri- climate coordinator (e.g., state specialist position) in each NC state can help incorporate climate variability and climate change information into programming and serve to increase tools and resources. 4. Increase and improve communication between land grant university researchers (with and without extension appointments) and extension educators. Land grant university researchers need to do a better job communicating climate-related scientific findings to extension educators. Similarly, extension and outreach educators need to communicate to researchers what they are hearing from farmers, agricultural advisers, and agriculture and conservation agencies and organizations — those with a stake in research results. Extension educators can help ensure that research is both meeting user needs and is communicated effectively. 5. Continue to cultivate relationships with universities, agencies, and stakeholders. The agricultural advisers. Extension administration, goal is for Extension to 1) help stakeholders faculty, and field staff must continue to cultivate to better understand current and predicted relationships with agricultural advisers and agricultural impacts of extreme weather events expand programs that emphasize agricultural and variable climate, and 2) provide information advisers as recipients of university research and alternatives for adapting and minimizing and tools. Given that farmers and agricultural impacts in response to changing conditions. An advisers trust Extension, and given that the agri-climate coordinator would link individuals, number of extension personnel is decreasing outreach programs, and research in ways that in many states, strengthening programming to

Climate Change and Agricultural Extension s 20 facilitate exchanges associated with climate, communication, thus building a cohort of weather and agriculture. This would include expertise and a support network. tracking the science within the university 6. Explicitly build relationships with the NOAA and across the region, and nationally linking Regional Climate Centers (RCC) to leverage departments, curricula and programs. It could resources within the region. include relationships with Natural Resources Conservation Service, state departments of Content agriculture and the environment, US Army Corps of Engineers, National Oceanic and 1. Develop and/or identify web-based resources Atmospheric Administration, U. S. or a regional for use by educators and stakeholders. Environmental Protection Agency office, 2. Increase extension and outreach educators’ private natural resource organizations, and familiarity with and access to climate data and agribusinesses. tools; and describe how they could be used in Extension ANR programming. Roles associated with communication, 3. Encourage and identify institutional content and coordination might include: incentives for extension faculty and staff to synthesize and interpret data for extension and Communication outreach educator use. 4. Develop program delivery metrics for 1. Facilitate exchanges with the USDA regional extension and outreach climate programming. climate hubs and LGUs. 5. Monitor, assess and evaluate data and 2. Facilitate exchanges between university decisions support tool needs of extension researchers and extension educators. educators, crop advisers and farmers. 3. Work with media including social media to sss distribute and collect information appropriate to the NC region with special attention to the differences between regional and international trends. Coordination

1. Identify funding opportunities and potential teams to seek out funding. 2. Initiate and support regional meetings of extension and outreach educators. 3. Connect with public and private partners and stakeholders. 4. Proactively collaborate with state climatologists to ensure/increase agricultural capacity for analyzing and interpreting data and information exchange. 5. Work closely with the NC Region Water Network to develop and provide a regional short course for extension and outreach educators designed to include basic climate science and climate change adaption, management and

21 End notes

Executive Summary

1. The Sustainable Corn CAP project (officially referred to as the Climate and Corn-based Cropping Systems Coordinated Agricultural Project) is a transdisciplinary partnership among 11 institutions: Iowa State University, Lincoln University, Michigan State University, The Ohio State University, Purdue University, South Dakota State University, University of Illinois, University of Minnesota, University of Missouri, University of Wisconsin, USDA Agricultural Research Service – Columbus, Ohio, and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA). (Award No. 2011-68002- 30190) http://sustainablecorn.org.

2. The Sustainable Corn CAP project (officially referred to as the Climate and Corn-based Cropping Systems Coordinated Agricultural Project) is a transdisciplinary partnership among 11 institutions: Iowa State University, Lincoln University, Michigan State University, The Ohio State University, Purdue University, South Dakota State University, University of Illinois, University of Minnesota, University of Missouri, University of Wisconsin, USDA Agricultural Research Service – Columbus, Ohio, and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA). (Award No. 2011-68002- 30190) http://sustainablecorn.org.

3. Useful to Usable (U2U): Transforming Climate Variability and Change Information for Cereal Crop

Climate Change and Agricultural Extension s 22 Producers is a partnership among Purdue G. Arbuckle Jr., L.W. Morton, L.S. Prokopy, University, Iowa State University, Michigan T. Haigh, T. Knoot, C. Knutson, A.S. Mase, J. State University, South Dakota State University, McGuire, J. Tyndall, and M. Widhalm. 2013. University of Illinois, University of Michigan, Farmer Perspectives on Agriculture and Weather University of Missouri, University of Nebraska- Variability in the Corn Belt: A Statistical Atlas Lincoln, University of Wisconsin, Midwestern Volume 1. CSCAP 0153-2013. Ames, IA. 115 Regional Climate Center, High Plains Regional pp. http://store.extension.iastate.edu/Product/ Climate Center, and the National Drought Farmer-Perspectives-on-Agriculture-and- Mitigation Center. (USDA-NIFA Award No. Weather-Variability-in-the-Corn-Belt-A- 2011-68002-30220) https://www.AgClimate4U. Statistical-Atlas-Volume-1. org. 8. For methodology see Prokopy, L.S., T. Haigh, 4. Melillo, J.M., T.C. Richmond, and G.W. A.S. Mase, J. Angel, C. Hart, C. Knutson, M.C. Yohe, Eds. Highlights of Climate Change Lemos, Y.J. Lo, J. McGuire, L.W. Morton, J. Impacts in the United States: The Third National Perron, D. Todey, and M. Widhalm. 2013. Climate Assessment. 2012. U.S. Global Change Agricultural Advisors: A Receptive Audience Research Program. Washington, D.C.: United for Weather and Climate Information? Weather, States Government Printing Office, ISBN Climate, and Society 5:162-167. 9780160924033, 148 pp. https://bookstore.gpo. gov/. 9. For methodology see Carlton, J.S., A.S. Mase, C.L. Knutson, M.C. Lemos, T. Haigh, D.P. Todey, 5. Walthall, C.L., J. Hatfield, P. Backlund, L. and L.S. Prokopy. In Review. The Effects of Lengnick, E. Marshall, M. Walsh, S. Adkins, Extreme Drought on Climate Change Beliefs, M. Aillery, E.A. Ainsworth, C. Ammann, C.J. Risk Perceptions, and Adaptation Attitudes. Anderson, I. Bartomeus, L.H. Baumgard, F. Climatic Change. Booker, B. Bradley, D.M. Blumenthal, J. Bunce, K. Burkey, S.M. Dabney, J.A. Delgado, J. Dukes, 10. Arbuckle, J.G. Jr., L.S. Prokopy, T. Haigh, A. Funk, K. Garrett, M. Glenn, D.A. Grantz, J. Hobbs, T. Knoot, C. Knutson, A. Loy, A.S. D. Goodrich, S. Hu, R.C. Izaurralde, R.A.C. Mase, J. McGuire, L.W. Morton, J. Tyndall, Jones, S-H. Kim, A.D.B. Leaky, K. Lewers, T.L. M. Widhalm. 2013. Climate Change Beliefs, Mader, A. McClung, J. Morgan, D.J. Muth, M. Concerns, and Attitudes toward Adaptation and Nearing, D.M. Oosterhuis, D. Ort, C. Parmesan, Mitigation among Farmers in the Midwestern W.T. Pettigrew, W. Polley, R. Rader, C. Rice, United States. Climatic Change 117:943–950. M. Rivington, E. Rosskopf, W.A. Salas, L.E. Sollenberger, R. Srygley, C. Stöckle, E.S. Takle, D. 11. Ibid. Timlin, J.W. White, R. Winfree, L.W. Morton, and L.H. Ziska. 2012. Climate Change and Agriculture 12. Carlton et al. The Effects of Extreme Drought. in the United States: Effects and Adaptation. (In Review). USDA Technical Bulletin No. 1935. Washington, DC. 186 pp. 13. Mase, A.S., H. Cho, and L.S. Prokopy. 2015. Enhancing the Social Amplification of Part 1 Risk Framework (SARF) by Exploring Trust, the Availability Heuristic, and Agricultural 6. Melillo et. al. “Highlights of Climate Change Advisors' Belief in Climate Change. Journal of Impacts in the U.S.” Environmental Psychology 41: 166-176.

7. For methodology see Loy, A., J. Hobbs, J. 14. Carlton et al. The Effects of Extreme Drought. (In Review). 23 15. Arbuckle et al. Climate Change Beliefs, Agricultural Stakeholders in the United States. Concerns, and Attitudes toward Adaptation and Climatic Change 130:261–272. Mitigation among Farmers. 26. Loy et al. Farmer Perspectives on Agriculture 16. Melillo et al. Highlights of Climate Change and Weather Variability in the Corn Belt. Impacts in the U.S. 27. Arbuckle, J.G. Jr., J. Hobbs, A. Loy, L.W. 17. Mase et al. Enhancing the Social Morton, L.S. Prokopy, and J. Tyndall. 2014. Amplification of Risk Framework. Understanding Corn Belt Farmer Perspectives on Climate Change to Inform Engagement Strategies 18. Prokopy, L.S., L.W. Morton, J.G. Arbuckle, for Adaptation and Mitigation. Journal of Soil and A.S. Mase, and A. Wilke. 2015. Agricultural Water Conservation 69(6):505-516. Stakeholder Views on Climate Change: Implications for Conducting Research and 28. Morton, L.W., J. Hobbs, J.G. Arbuckle, and A. Outreach. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Loy. 2015. Upper Midwest Climate Variations: Society 96:181-190. Farmer Responses to Excess Water Risks. Journal of Environmental Quality 44:810–822. 19. Arbuckle, J.G. Jr. and P. Lasley. 2013. Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll: 2013 Summary Report. 29. Roesch-McNally, G. In Review. What would Extension Report PM3061. Ames, IA: Iowa State farmers do? Adaptation Intentions Under A Corn University Extension. Belt Climate Change Scenario. Agriculture and Human Values. 20. Carlton et al. The Effects of Extreme Drought. (In Review). 30. Prokopy et al. Extension's Role in Disseminating Information about Climate 21. Arbuckle et al. Climate Change Beliefs, Change. Concerns, and Attitudes toward Adaptation and Mitigation among Farmers. 31. Mase, A.S., N.L. Babin, L.S. Prokopy, and K.D. Genskow. 2015. Trust in Sources of Soil 22. Ibid. and Water Quality Information: Implications for Environmental Outreach and Education. Journal 23. Prokopy, L.S., T. Haigh, A.S. Mase, J. Angel, of the American Water Resources Association 51. C. Hart, C. Knutson, M.C. Lemos, Y.J. Lo, J. McGuire, L.W. Morton, J. Perron, D. Todey, and 32. Arbuckle, J.G. Jr., P. Lasley, and J. Ferrell. M. Widhalm. 2013. Agricultural Advisors: A 2011. Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll: 2011 Receptive Audience for Weather and Climate Summary Report. Extension Report PM3016. Information? Weather, Climate, and Society Ames, IA: Iowa State University Extension. 5:162-167. 33. Davidson, E.A., E.C. Suddick, C.W. Rice, and 24. Mase et al. Enhancing the Social L.S. Prokopy. 2015. More Food, Low Pollution Amplification of Risk Framework. (Mo Fo Lo Po): A Grand Challenge for the 21st Century. Journal of Environmental Quality 44(2): 25. Prokopy, L.S., J.S. Carlton, J.G. Arbuckle, 305-311. Jr., T. Haigh, M.C. Lemos, A.S. Mase, N. Babin, M. Dunn, J. Andresen, J. Angel, C. Hart, and R. 34. Loy et al. Farmer Perspectives on Agriculture Power. 2015. Extension's Role in Disseminating and Weather Variability in the Corn Belt. Information about Climate Change to

Climate Change and Agricultural Extension s 24 35. Davidson et al. Mo Fo Lo Po.

36. Church, S.P., T. Haigh, M. Widhalm, L.S. Prokopy, J.G. Arbuckle Jr., J. Hobbs, T. Knoot, C. Knutson, A. Loy, A.S. Mase, J. McGuire, L.W. Morton, and J. Tyndall, 2015. Farmer Perspectives on Agricultural Practices, Information, and Weather Variability in the Corn Belt: A Statistical Atlas Volume 2. CSCAP-0184-2015. West Lafayette, IN. http://store.extension.iastate.edu/ Product/Farmer-Perspectives-on-Agriculture- and-Weather-Variability-in-the-Corn-Belt-A- Statistical-Atlas-Volume-2.

37. Mase, A.S. and L.S. Prokopy. 2014. Unrealized Potential: A Review of Perceptions and Use of Weather and Climate Information in Agricultural Decision Making. Weather, Climate and Society 6 (1): 47-61.

38. Haigh, T., L.W. Morton, M.C. Lemos, C. Knutson, L.S. Prokopy, Y.J. Lo, and J. Angel. 2015. Agricultural Advisors as Climate Information Intermediaries: Exploring Differences in Capacity to Communicate Climate. Weather, Climate, and Society 7(1): 83-93.

39. Tyndall, J. and G. Roesch. 2014. Agricultural Water Quality BMPs: A Standardized Approach to Financial Analysis. Journal of Extension. http:// www.joe.org/joe/2014june/a10.php.

40. Lemos, M.C., Y.J. Lo, C. Kirchhoff, and T. Haigh. 2014. Crop Advisors as Climate Information Brokers: Building the Capacity of US Farmers to Adapt to Climate Change. Climate Risk Management 4, 32-42. Part 2

41. Arritt, R. 2015. Climate change in the Corn Belt. USDA-NIFA Climate and Corn-based Cropping System CAP Technical report no. CSCAP-0193-2016. http://store.extension.iastate. edu/Topic/Crops/Climate-and-Agriculture. sss 25 Find the 2014 Resilient Agriculture report and all of the extension publications of the Sustainable Corn CAP at: http://store.extension.iastate.edu/Topic/Crops/Climate-and-Agriculture

Climate Change and Agricultural Extension s 26 Appendix A: Bibliography of Sustainable Corn CAP and U2U Social Science Publications

Arbuckle, J.G. Jr., L.S. Prokopy, T. Haigh, J. Hobbs, Haigh, T, L.W. Morton, L.S. Prokopy, C. Knutson, T. Knoot, C. Knutson, A. Loy, A.S. Mase, J. M. Lemos, Y.J. Lo, and J. Angel. 2015. McGuire, L.W. Morton, J. Tyndall, and M. Agricultural Advisors as Climate Information Widhalm. 2013. Climate Change Beliefs, Intermediaries: Exploring Differences in Concerns, and Attitudes toward Adaptation Capacity to Communicate Climate. Weather, and Mitigation among Farmers in the Climate and Society 7:1:83-93, doi:10.1175/ Midwestern United States. Climatic Change WCAS-D-12-00036.1. 117(4):943-950, doi:10.1007/s10584-013-0707- 6. Haigh, T., E. Takle, J. Andresen, M. Widhalm, J.S. Carlton, and J. Angel. 2015. Mapping the Arbuckle, J.G. Jr., L.W. Morton, and J. Hobbs, Decision Points and Climate Information Use (2013). Farmer Beliefs and Concerns about of Agricultural Producers across the U.S. Corn Climate Change and Attitudes Towards Belt. Climate Risk Management 7: 20-30. Adaption and Mitigation: Evidence from Iowa. Climatic Change 118:51-563, doi:10.1007/ Lemos, M.C., C. Kirchhoff, and V. Ramparasad. s10584-013-0700-0. 2012. Narrowing the Climate Information Usability Gap. Nature Climate Change Arbuckle, J.G. Jr., J. Hobbs, A. Loy, L.W. Morton, L. 2(11):789–94. Prokopy, and J. Tyndall. 2014. Understanding farmer perspectives on climate change: Lemos, M.C., Y.J. Lo, C.J. Kirchhoff, and T. Haigh. Toward Effective Communication Strategies 2014. Crop Advisors as Climate Information for Adaptation and Mitigation in the Corn Brokers: Building the Capacity of U.S. Belt. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Farmers to Adapt to Climate Change. Climate 69(6):505-516, doi:10.2489/jswc.69.6.505. Risk Management 4-5: 32-42, doi:10.1016/j. crm.2014.08.001. Carlton, J.S., A.S. Mase, C.L. Knutson, M.C. Lemos, T. Haigh, D. Todey, and L.S. Prokopy. In Loy, A., J. Hobbs, J.G. Arbuckle Jr., L.W. Morton, Review. “The Effects of Extreme Drought on L.S. Prokopy, T. Haigh, T. Knoot, C. Knutson, Climate Change Beliefs, Risk Perceptions, and A.S. Mase, J. McGuire, J. Tyndall, and M. Adaptation Attitudes.” Climatic Change. Widhalm. 2013. Farmer Perspectives on Agriculture and Weather Variability in the Corn Church, S.P., T. Haigh, M. Widhalm, L.S. Prokopy, Belt: A Statistical Atlas Volume 1. CSCAP 0153- J.G. Arbuckle Jr., J. Hobbs, T. Knoot, C. 2013. Ames, IA: Cropping Systems Coordinated Knutson, A. Loy, A.S. Mase, J. McGuire, Agricultural Project (CAP): Climate Change, L.W. Morton, and J. Tyndall. 2015. Farmer Mitigation, and Adaptation in Corn-based Perspectives on Agricultural Practices, Cropping Systems. Information, and Weather Variability in the Corn Belt: A Statistical Atlas Volume 2. Mase, A.S. and L.S. Prokopy. 2014. Unrealized CSCAP-0184-2015. West Lafayette, IN. potential: A Review of Perceptions and Use of Weather and Climate Information Davidson, E.A., E.C. Suddick, C.W. Rice, and L.S. in Agricultural Decision Making. Weather, Prokopy. 2015. More Food, Low Pollution (Mo Climate and Society 6(1):47-61. Fo Lo Po): A Grand Challenge for the 21st Century. Journal of Environmental Quality Mase, A.S., H. Cho, and L.S. Prokopy. 2015. 44(2):305-311. Enhancing the Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF) by Exploring Trust, the Availability Heuristic, and Agricultural Advisors' Belief In Climate Change. Journal of Environmental Psychology 41:166-176.

27 McGuire, J., L.W. Morton, and A. Cast. 2012. Prokopy, L.S., L.W. Morton, J.G. Arbuckle Jr., Reconstructing the Good Farmer Identity: A. Wilke, and A. Mase. 2015. Agricultural Shifts in Farmer Identities and Farm Stakeholder Views on Climate Change: Management Practices to Improve Water Implications for Conducting Research Quality. Agriculture and Human Values 1–13, and Outreach. Bulletin of Atmospheric doi:10.1007/s10460-012-9381-y. Meteorological Society, doi:10.1175/ BAMS-D-13-00172.1. McGuire, J., L.W. Morton, A. Cast, and J.G. Arbuckle Jr. 2015. Farmer Identities and Prokopy, L.S., C.E. Hart, R. Massey, M. Widhalm, J. Responses to the Social-Biophysical Andresen, J. Angel, T. Blewett, O.C. Doering, R. Environment. Rural Studies 39:145-155. Elmore, B.M. Gramig, P. Guinan, B.L. Hall, A. Jain, C.L. Knutson, M.C. Lemos, L.W. Morton, Morton, L.W., J. Hobbs, J. Arbuckle Jr., and A. D. Niyogi, R. Power, M.D. Shulski, C.X. Song, Loy. 2015. Upper Midwest Climate Variations: E.S. Takle, and D. Todey. 2015. Improving Farmer Responses to Excess Water Risks. Team Communication for Enhanced Delivery Journal Environmental Quality 44:810-822, of Agro-Climate Decision Support Tools. doi:10.2134/jeq2014.08.0352. Agricultural Systems 138: 31-37, doi:10.1016/j. agsy.2015.05.002. http://www.sciencedirect. Prokopy, L.S., J.S. Carlton, J.G. Arbuckle Jr., T. com/science/article/pii/S0308521X15000621. Haigh, M.C. Lemos, A.S. Mase, N. Babin, M. Dunn, J. Andresen, J. Angel, C. Hart, and R. Prokopy, L.S., J.G. Arbuckle Jr., A.P. Barnes, Power. 2015. Extension's Role in Disseminating V.R. Haden, A. Hogan, M.T. Niles, and Information about Climate Change to J. Tyndall. 2015. Farmers and Climate Agricultural Stakeholders in the United States. Change: A Cross-National Comparison Climatic Change 130(2): 261-272, doi:10.1007/ of Beliefs and Risk Perceptions in High- s10584-015-13399. Income Countries. Environmental Management. http://link.springer.com/ Prokopy, L.S., T. Haigh, A.S. Mase, J. Angel, C. article/10.1007%2Fs00267-015-0504-2. Hart, C. Knutson, M.C. Lemos, Y.J. Lo, J. McGuire, L.W. Morton, J. Perron, D. Todey, and Tyndall, J., J.G. Arbuckle Jr., T. Haigh, C. Knutson, M. Widhalm. 2013. Agricultural Advisors: A L.W. Morton, L.S. Prokopy, and M. Widhalm. Receptive Audience for Weather and Climate 2015. New Atlas Features Corn Belt Farmers' Information? Weather, Climate, and Society Perspectives on Agriculture and Climate. 5:162-167. Journal of Extension 53(1): Tools of the Trade #1TOT9. Prokopy, L.S., D. Towery, and N. Babin. 2014. Adoption of Agricultural Conservation Practices: Wilke, A.K. and L.W. Morton. 2015. Climatologists’ Insights from Research and Practice. FNR- Patterns of Conveying Climate Science to the 488-W. Purdue University. Agricultural Community. Agriculture & Human Values 32(1):99-110, doi:10.1007/s10460-014- Prokopy, L.S., M.C. Lemos, A.S. Mase, and R. 9531-5. Perry-Hill. 2013. Assessing Vulnerabilities and Adaptation Approaches – Useful to Usable Wilke, A.K. and L.W. Morton. 2015. Tools. In Climate Vulnerability: Understanding Communicating Climate Science: and Addressing Threats to Essential Resources. Components for Engaging Agricultural London, UK: Elsevier Inc., Academic Press Audiences. Communication Science, 2013. 2.24. doi:10.1177/1075547015581927. sss

Climate Change and Agricultural Extension s 28 Appendix B: WORKSHEET: Recommendations to build collective capacity to conduct extension programming around climate science and agriculture (page 1 of 2)

May 19-20, 2015 CSCAP-U2U meeting Davenport, IA

I. Lessons learned Outcome. Identify lessons learned from project experiences re: incorporating climate science into agriculture and natural resource Extension programming

Small group discussion. Record ideas

1. What are some of the best ways to talk with farmers about climate change?

2. What kind of situations made it easier to have a climate science conversation?

3. What were some of the situations in which farmers were reluctant to talk about climate change?

4. What were some of the barriers that made it difficult for you to integrate climate science into your extension programming?

5. What has enabled you to overcome some of these barriers?

6. What are some issues you still struggle with?

Report out…Advice to future Extension educators trying to link climate and weather to agricultural decisions. Each group offers…

1. What advice and guidance would you give to Extension educators needing to incorporate climate into their programming?

2. What resources do you think they would need to be successful?

29 APPENDIX B (page 2 of 2)

II. Institutional support for future agriculture and climate science Extension programming. Small group discussion. Record ideas.

1. What does the system need to look like for extension to be successful in including climate science in our programming?

2. What kind of climate extension programming is happening at your institution?

3. Extension educators and scientists are partners in assuring university-generated science is extended to non-scientific audiences. If extension educators are to disseminate university science, how can we best ensure that they know about and understand university-generated science?

4. How supportive do you think your institution is to continuing or expanding this kind of extension programming?

5. What would you need in institutional support to program around climate and agriculture in the future, once CSCAP/U2U project resources are gone?

6. What would be the value of a regional climate extension educators’ network?

Report out. What specific recommendations would you like to make to your institutional and regional extension leadership?

III. Ideas for structuring a document that summarizes our experiences and makes recommendations for North-Central Region climate and agriculture/natural resource programming (whole group)

1. What do you think your Extension administrators would need to know that would help them better support climate and agriculture programming?

2. What format do you think would get their attention?

3. What processes would you recommend for involving them in a regional discussion to develop support for regional Extension programming that incorporates climate science?

Climate Change and Agricultural Extension s 30 Appendix C: Sustainable Corn CAP Principal Investigators

Lois Wright Morton, project director and professor, Catherine L. Kling, distinguished professor, Iowa Iowa State University State University Lori J. Abendroth, project manager, Iowa State Sasha Kravchenko, professor, Michigan State University University Robert Anex, professor, University of Wisconsin Rattan Lal, professor, The Ohio State University J. Gordon Arbuckle, Jr., associate professor, Iowa Joseph G. Lauer, professor, University of Wisconsin State University Kristi Lekies, associate professor, The Ohio State Raymond W. Arritt, professor, Iowa State University University Bruno Basso, professor, Michigan State University Fernando E. Miguez, assistant professor, Iowa State University Jamie Benning, extension program manager, Iowa State University Wade Miller, professor, Iowa State University Laura Bowling, associate professor, Purdue Richard H. Moore, professor, The Ohio State University University; executive director, Environmental Science Network Michael Castellano, associate professor, Iowa State University Daren S. Mueller, assistant professor, Iowa State University Joe P. Colletti, senior associate dean, Ag & Life Sciences; director, Experiment Station, Iowa State Emerson D. Nafziger, professor, University of University Illinois Richard M. Cruse, professor, Iowa State University, Nsalambi Nkongolo, professor, Lincoln University director, Iowa Water Center Matthew O’Neal, associate professor, Iowa State Warren A. Dick, professor, The Ohio State University University Lloyd Owens, research soil scientist, USDA-ARS Norman Fausey, research leader and soil scientist, USDA-ARS, Columbus, Ohio Phillip Owens, associate professor, Purdue University Jane Frankenberger, professor, Purdue University John E. Sawyer, professor, Iowa State University Philip Gassman, associate scientist, Iowa State University Peter Scharf, professor, University of Missouri Aaron J. Gassmann, associate professor, Iowa State Martin Shipitalo, research soil scientist, USDA-ARS University Jeffrey S. Strock, professor, University of Minnesota Matthew Helmers, professor, Iowa State University Dennis Todey, associate professor and state Daryl Herzmann, systems administrator and climatologist, South Dakota State University analyst, Iowa State University John Tyndall, associate professor, Iowa State Chad G. Ingels, extension program specialist, Iowa University State University Maria B. Villamil, assistant professor, University of Eileen J. Kladivko, professor, Purdue University Illinois sss 31 Appendix D: Useful to Usable Principal Investigators

Linda Prokopy, project director and professor, Cody Knutson, research associate professor, Purdue University University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Jim Angel, state climatologist, University of Illinois Maria Carmen Lemos, professor and associate dean for research, University of Michigan Jeff Andresen, professor and state climatologist, Michigan State University Ray Massey, extension professor, University of Missouri Otto Doering, professor, Purdue University Lois Wright Morton, professor, Iowa State Roger Elmore, professor, Iowa State University University

Ben Gramig, associate professor, Purdue University Dev Niyogi, professor and state climatologist, Purdue University Pat Guinan, associate extension professor and state climatologist, University of Missouri Rebecca Power, North Central Region Water Network director, University of Wisconsin Beth Hall, Midwestern Regional Climate Center director, University of Illinois Martha Shulski, Nebraska State Climate Office director, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chad Hart, associate professor and extension economist, Iowa State University Carol Song, senior research scientist, Purdue University Atul Jain, professor, University of Illinois Eugene Takle, professor, Iowa State University Jenna Klink, evaluation specialist, University of Wisconsin Dennis Todey, associate professor and state climatologist, South Dakota State University sss

Photo and Images Unless otherwise noted, all photographs and images in this publication are copyrighted (2016), all rights reserved. All photographs are used courtesy of Iowa State University unless listed below. Cover ...... Corn-field-green-nature-sunset-CC BY 2.0. P. iv ...... Photograph by Charles Wittman P. v ...... Corn-field-green-nature-sunset-CC BY 2.0. transformed P. 1 ...... Corn-field-green-nature-sunset-CC BY 2.0. transformed P. 9 ...... Image courtesy Useful to Usable P. 10, 13 & 17 Photographs by Charles Wittman P. 20 ...... Photograph courtesy Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

Climate Change and Agricultural Extension s 32 The Climate and Corn-based Cropping Systems CAP (Climate & Corn CAP) is a USDA-NIFA supported program, Award No. 2011-68002-30190. It is a transdisciplinary partnership among 11 institutions creating new science and educational opportunities. The Climate & Corn CAP seeks to increase resilience and adaptability of Midwest agriculture to more volatile weather patterns by identifying farmer practices and policies that increase sustainability while meeting crop demand. Useful to Usable (U2U): Transforming Climate Variability and Change Information for Cereal Crop Producers, is a USDA-funded project, Award No. 2011- 68002-30220. The U2U team of over 50 faculty, staff, and students from nine Midwestern universities are working together, and with members of the agricultural community, to develop decision support tools, resource materials, and training methods that lead to more effective decision making and the adoption of climate-resilient practices.

Climate and Corn-based Cropping Systems Coordinated Agricultural Project (Sustainable Corn Project) Project Partners

Useful to Usable (U2): Transforming Climate Variability and Change Information for Cereal Crop Producers Project Partners