Adaptation Resources for Agriculture: Responding to Climate Variability and Change in the Midwest and Northeast

Changes in climate and extreme weather are already increasing challenges for agriculture nationally and globally, and many of these impacts will continue into the future. This technical bulletin contains information and resources designed to help agricultural producers, service providers, and educators in the Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States integrate climate change considerations and action-oriented decisions into existing farm and conservation plans. An Adaptation Workbook provides producers a flexible, structured process to identify and assess climate change impacts, challenges, opportunities, and farm-level adaptation tactics and continuously evaluate adaptation actions for improving responses to extreme and uncertain conditions. A synthesis of Adaptation Strategies and Approaches serves as a “menu” of potential responses organized to provide a clear rationale for making decisions by connecting planned actions to broad adaptation concepts. Responses address both short- and long-range timeframes and extend from incremental adjustments of existing practices to major alterations that transform the entire farm operation. Example adaptation tactics—prescriptive actions for agricultural production systems common in the region—for each approach guide producers, service providers, and educators to develop appropriate responses for their farms and location. Four Adaptation Examples demonstrate how these adaptation process resources are used.