The Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Fellowship

The Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Fellowship provides a framework for the integration of climate science and endemic land manger knowledge. This leads to climate science outreach and education materials and tools specifically suited to the needs of vegetable/small fruit producers, dairy farmers, tree fruit producers, and forest managers. By facilitating this program, we hope to raise the level of conversation about climate change within land manager communities, and encourage the broader adoption of climate adaptation practices.

Collaborators: The USDA Northeast Climate Hub, the University of Vermont, the University of Maine, the University of New Hampshire, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Cornell Cooperative Extension, the USDA Northern Forest Climate Hub, Rutgers University, Manomet, the Forest Stewards Guild, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Blackbird Rise Farm, Clovercrest Farm, Middlebranch Farm

Funding: United States Department of Agriculture NIFA (Award #2017-68002-26728), USDA Joint Venture Agreement 14-JV-11232306-103, the Rutgers Climate Institute, University of Vermont Extension, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number ENE20-164-34268

The Northeast Specialty Crop Water Symposium

The Symposium was held on December 18-19th, 2019 in Burlington Vermont. The complete proceedings are now available!

The Symposium had three overarching goals:

• To increase our shared understanding and knowledge about how climate change will affect irrigated/rain fed specialty crops in the Northeast, and how water use efficiency practices can be improved

• To create opportunities for researchers, Extension, and technical service providers working in different specialty crop sectors to learn from one another

• To create opportunities for participants in the Northeast to learn from practitioners from other parts of the U.S.

Collaborators: University of Maine, University of Vermont, the USDA Northeast Climate Hub

Funding: United States Department of Agriculture NIFA (Award #2019-67019-29465)

Farming in the floodplain: Overcoming tradeoffs to achieve good river governance in New England

This module is targeted towards graduate students, and was developed through the Case Studies for Teaching workshop at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC). The goal of this module is to develop a sustainable river governance plan for Massachusetts focused on balancing needs and perspectives on local agriculture, flood resilience, and healthy ecosystems in the context of climate change. Ideally, a river governance plan developed by the students would support local agriculture, increase flood resilience, and promote environmental stewardship.

Collaborators: Rachel Schattman (UMaine) and Benjamin Warner (University of Arizona)