Farmer-to-Farmer Communication about Conservation Podcast Mini-Series
Peer learning between farmers, sometimes referred to as farmer-to-farmer learning, is a research-informed approach to encouraging farmers to adopt conservation practices, such as cover crops and managed grazing, which are key solutions to improving water quality in agricultural watersheds. Research shows that farmers are often each others’ trusted sources for information about conservation, and peer-to-peer communication is generally considered a “gold standard” way to encourage behavior change.
Even so, it can be uncomfortable for farmers to talk about conservation with their farming peers. There can be a fear around unintentionally coming off as telling someone how to farm, for example.
Knowing some basics about communication theories and approaches can help alleviate such discomfort and create space for friendly conversations that can lead another farmer to try something new.
Over the next few weeks, we will share tidbits to help farmers (and others) have conversations about conservation through a podcast mini-series called Farmer-to-Farmer Communication about Conservation. The series provides insights from researchers and farmers alike.
In this first episode, you’ll get a breakdown of the research on why farmers choose to adopt conservation practices and why they don’t. When communicating with farmers about conservation, understanding potential motivations and barriers can help you anticipate what might spark their interest or what might be standing in their way.
The episode features Linda Prokopy, a professor at Purdue University where she leads the Natural Resources Social Science Lab, and Adam Reimer, an outreach and evaluation scientist with the National Wildlife Federation.
This podcast was originally produced as part of a pilot training program for farmers called Conservation Farmer Network.
