Soil, land, and water conservation districts across the Midwest and Northern forests region are beginning to integrate climate change into near and long-term planning. This process will look different for each organization, and the result of this effort will reflect the focus…
Demonstrations
Farming, ranching, and forest management have always been accompanied by challenges associated with weather and climate extremes. Extended droughts, late season freezes, and extreme rainfalls are facts of life across the Nation, with attendant consequences for agricultural production systems.
As the global climate continues to warm, the impacts of weather and climatic extremes on the production of food and fiber will increase. It is therefore imperative that USDA help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners develop strategies to maintain the productivity and profitability necessary to stay on the land. As part of this effort, it is highly useful to provide real-world, first-hand demonstrations of production strategies that are resilient to future climate conditions, including how these strategies can be implemented as well as illustrations of what works and what doesn’t based on producer experiences. Demonstration efforts lead to management strategies that directly improve productivity and profitability, and can be focused on either adaptation or mitigation.
