COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Without a sustained cold snap yet this winter, Ohio again is experiencing an unseasonable season.

And an agricultural researcher says these unconventional weather patterns and other impacts of climate change are threatening the future of the food system.

Soil scientist and educator Laura Lengnick, founder and principal consultant for Cultivating Resilience, explains that growers have experienced reduced yields in recent years because of heavy, flooding rains followed by increased dry spells. She says there are other, more subtle, effects on food production.

"Winters are warming, fruit trees are blooming earlier and then we're losing crops because we have a late freeze that kills the blossoms," she points out.

Lengnick says the good news is the growing interest in sustainable farming practices that can slow down climate change by trapping carbon.

"Midwest farmers are leading this change, actually, in agriculture, and that is really focusing in on building soil health," she states. "For example, no till, cover crops and more diversified cropping systems."

Lengnick will dive deeper into the agricultural solutions to climate change during her keynote address, "Climate Change, Resilience, and the Future of Food," at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association's annual conference on Feb. 14.

Lengnick notes that resilience is not just about bouncing back from climate impacts, but also reducing future risks.

"There's a lot we can learn from resilience thinking about how to change the way that we've organized our food system, so that when these disturbances happen, there's less damage or maybe even no damage so we never need to bounce back," she states.

Lengnick says our food choices also play a role in slowing down and reversing climate change.

"I urge consumers to look for and support products, farmers and products that are using these kinds of sustainable agriculture tools," she stresses. "It's a big shift and it's a way that we all can support a more resilient agriculture and food system."


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Agriculture researchers say if the U.S. wants more farmers to adopt climate-friendly practices, they will need to be offered some proven incentives, and a new grant puts Iowa in the driver's seat to try and find them.

An $80 million federal grant has been awarded to Iowa State University and several partners to help farmers invest in planting cover crops and perennial prairie grass. Project officials say it can then be processed into renewable natural gas.

John Crespi, director of the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development at Iowa State, said in trying to develop more markets for farmers, the effort needs to be expanded for evaluation.

"Those are questions that are harder to answer on a university research farm," Crespi observed. "The idea behind these larger grants is, 'OK, well let's partner with businesses and partner with farmers, and see if we can provide incentives, get them to try things and find out what works.'"

The grant is part of a nearly $3 billion investment announced this month by the Biden administration for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program. While certain practices have caught on, agriculture leaders said there are still barriers to getting more producers to fully embrace climate-minded farming, including overcoming the initial costs.

Crespi stressed most farmers want to make their land more resilient and help the environment, but it's hard for them to look past their bottom line in a job which comes with a lot of risk. His team wants to tackle the dilemma head-on.

"This project is going to be a lot to figure out," Crespi pointed out. "How do we bring costs down, or how do we make this so that there is an income there?"

Roeslein Alternative Energy, one of the partners in the project, estimated fanning out the specific approach nationwide could generate $70 billion in new annual revenue and sequester 250 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Agriculture accounts for nearly 11% of greenhouse-gas emissions in the U.S.

Managed grazing is one of several ways farmers can implement climate-friendly practices, and after a lengthy absence, a key source of federal aid has been restored.

Late this summer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced up to $12 million to be shared by groups providing technical assistance for farmers considering managed grazing.

Laura Paine, outreach coordinator for the University of Wisconsin-Madison-based project Grassland 2.0, said managed grazing primarily relies on pasture forage for livestock.

"It works because it reduces your costs, because the animals are going out and harvesting their own feed and spreading their own manure," Paine explained. "It's very adaptable, and you can use it as much or as little as fits with your system."

Experts pointed out it also protects water quality, improves soil health, and provides good habitat for pollinators and wildlife. The application deadline for funds is Sept. 22. Eligible groups include farm organizations, conservation agencies and tribal governments. Program funding was cut more than a decade ago. Even though it has been restored, the amount is far less than what supporters requested.

Paine emphasized the funding level should serve as a reminder for anyone interested to apply as soon as possible. She noted there will be national competition for the funds, and hopes the process inspires innovation.

"As we shift from generation to generation, we need to always be thinking of, you know, adding some new approaches to reaching audiences, and the farmer population has changed," Paine stressed.

She added there are younger producers coming on board who did not inherit a family operation. Paine, who is also a farmer, used to manage the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative in Wisconsin, and knows the program's effectiveness firsthand.

"Wisconsin has historically had this great combination of state agencies, and educational institutions and nonprofits, working together to provide this combination of technical assistance and education," Paine stated.

The Agriculture Department said project proposals for cooperative agreements should identify and address barriers to getting grazing assistance, to reach more historically underserved producers. Wisconsin's Michael Fields Agricultural Institute led a broad coalition in urging Congress to bring back the program funding.

While it's named the Inflation Reduction Act, legislation in the Senate actually goes a long way toward making agriculture more climate-resilient.

The measure provides roughly $370 billion for energy security and climate-change programs over the next 10 years.

Amalie Lipstreu, policy director for the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, said one key piece is a $3.25 billion investment in the Conservation Stewardship Program, which provides technical and financial support to farmers to implement and maintain applications to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and improve soil health.

"Farmers want to implement practices that improve their farm operations, protect the land and water," Lipstreu explained. "Why wouldn't we want to help them do that? Especially when they're facing more frequent extreme weather events that can be devastating."

The legislation also boosts funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, and expands support for alternative energy on farms. Republicans have taken issue with some tax proposals in the legislation which would pay for the investments. But Democrats plan to pass the bill through the reconciliation process, bypassing a filibuster.

Lipstreu emphasized the impacts of climate change are a growing threat to agriculture in Ohio.

"It's just these extremes of going back and forth between too much rain, too much heat and sun that puts so much stress on the farm, on the crops and then the viability of farmers," Lipstreu outlined.

She contended with the new investments, growers and producers can be a vital part of the national response to the climate crisis.

"Taking concrete action on climate change clearly benefits non-farmers alike," Lipstreu asserted. "The investments in working-lands conservation programming will make farms more resilient, which means that we can all enjoy a more stable and secure food supply."