Farmer-to-farmer learning and farmer-led conservation efforts have become well recognized as powerful ways to move the needle on conservation practice adoption. But, as many conservation outreach professionals and already-engaged farmers can attest to, it’s not easy to find farmers who are willing to engage their peers, join farmer-led groups, or step into leadership roles.
A new curriculum called Skills for Building Farmer Networks for Conservation has been launched to help address some of the challenges associated with cultivating farmer networks and leadership for conservation. It is designed to build farmers’ confidence and capacities in key skills they will need to be successful in engaging their peers about conservation practices, regardless of the level of commitment they’re willing to make – from just a neighborly conversation to a formal leadership position within a group.
On Thursday, June 26th, 2025 at 11:30am CT / 12:30pm ET there will be a free, virtual Lunch & Learn to learn more about the curriculum. The event is for conservation and agricultural professionals who would use the curriculum to train local farmers in these skills. Register here for the Lunch & Learn.
The curriculum is based on research about the critical knowledge and skills – i.e., core competencies – farmers need to be successful peer leaders in conservation. The competencies it covers are related to watershed literacy, communication, and relationship building.
With a “plug-and-play” design and discussion-rich format, the curriculum doesn’t require deep knowledge of these topics to deliver a training to farmers based on it. It is free to download and use.
The curriculum is the product of a multi-state collaboration of land grant universities and local partners, including University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, Purdue University, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, and the Tippecanoe County Soil & Water Conservation District. Financial support came from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Register for the Lunch & Learn.
Header photo credit: Jenny Seifert
