Browse by Topic: Climate Impacts

On Upinngil Farm in Massachusetts they're growing strawberries and grapes and grazing livestock, using grass-based milk sales to provide income stability. High tunnels have provided both season extension and climate control. Farmer Clifford Hatch says, "We are working to manage the risks of this resource in the best possible way."

This informative document explains the ways in which farmers can adapt to climate change, the potential current and future impacts of climate change on their farm, and how adapting will help them.

Visit with the researchers at West Virginia University who are working with McConnell’s Berry Farm to study the impacts of increasing temperatures on blueberry pollination and production.

The emphasis of this webinar will be placed on dairy, beef, small ruminants, and horses and the impacts that extreme heat, cold snaps, weather shifts, droughts, and excessive rain will have on the animal’s health and diet.

This page collects research around reduced tillage topics for vegetables, including living mulch under organic acorn squash and Brussel sprouts, tarps to terminate cover crops, sorghum sudan grass residue as mulch for tomatoes, and more....

A fact sheet on how climate change is impacting agriculture in the Northeast, primarily through increased incidence of drought, warmer winters and colder springs, and extreme rainfall.

Heavy rains are becoming more frequent across the Northeastern United States and increasing soil erosion and nutrient runoff problems. Wetter weather in the spring and fall is reducing the number of days that fields can be worked. Consider planting cover crops to help adapt to these climate trends.

Demonstrates drought projections for the week, as well as historical context from varying time frames, specified for the Northeastern region of the U.S.

Rainfall intensity is increasing in the Northeastern U.S. Stabilizing gullies is one strategy for adapting to this changing climate. This case study evaluates the costs and benefits of restoring gullies at Last Resort Farm.

This checklist helps employers identify their job-related risk factors for heat exposure, assess their preparedness, determine where challenges exist, and develop effective ways to control their heat-related risk and make their workplaces safer.

All farms need a plan for managing energy - these 'best practice' guides help farm businesses understand the opportunities they have to implement various energy management strategies on the farm. This improves resiliency and reduces emissions for farms of any scale.

Farmer-Led Innovations for Reduced Tillage (FLI) cultivates co-learning and innovation among organic vegetable farmers in New England. This site features the trials of a small cohort of innovative farmers trialing reduced tillage practices.

Farmer Pooh Sprague of Edgewater Farm in New Hampshire talks about his reliance on high tunnels, extreme weather as the new normal, and other strategies for protected growing of the farm's key crops. He notes the importance of practices that build the soil's health and resiliency.

Andy Jones, Manager, Intervale Community Farm in Burlington, Vermont talks about farming successfully on the floodplain in the face of climate change. Andy talks about his strategies including managing water, protecting soils, and using high tunnels; the specifics about his seeding rates and timing for cover crops and see the equipment he uses; how he manages extended wet periods and dry periods with different irrigation methods and crop rotations.

This two-page research summary addresses the trade-offs rural communities face when increased flooding damages public and private land, and makes farming more risky. The authors also provide a link for teaching resources on this topic.

This USDA website provides forecasts for heat stress on cattle to inform livestock managers on when preventative action should be taken to protect their animals.

This webinar explores the spectrum of reduced tillage practices at all scales, covering equipment and methods that can improve soil health and save labor. Speakers: Julie Fine, American Farmland Trust; Natalie Lounsbury, University of New Hampshire.

Heat stress in dairy cattle is one of the leading causes of decreased production and fertility in dairy cattle during summer months. These losses are apparent in the decreased amount of milk shipped, increased days open and decreased breedings per conception. Some heat stress is unavoidable, but effects can be minimized if these best management practices are followed.

This recording features a talk by Sara Keleman, who shares current data exploring climate trends and projected impacts on agriculture. At minute 1:10:10 Sara reviews several tools available for monitoring weather and implementing adaptive practices.

Slides from a New York focused presentation on managing flood risk for farmers, including the mechanics and effects of flood damage as well as funding and mitigation resources.

OSHA’s hub for heat safety resources for farmers and workers, including information about employer responsibilities and recommended training materials as well as heat safety resources from multiple federal agencies.

The Heat Safety Tool helps managers plan outdoor work activities based on how hot it feels throughout the day. With a real-time heat index and hourly forecasts specific to your location, it provides occupational safety and health recommendations.

Provides pasture management technical assistance and financial assistance to Vermont farmers to improve water quality and on-farm livestock exclusion from surface waters statewide.

Though heat exposure occurs across industries, farmworkers are more likely to die from heat-related stress. This resource examines state heat illness prevention rules that attempt to address the conditions that put farmworkers at risk.