Project News

Climate Ready Midwest is a multistate partnership working to increase the impact of climate-smart agriculture across the region. Our goals are lofty with long-term change in mind. We will be updating this blog routinely with updates on project work, events, and news. So, be sure to check this page periodically for the latest project news, or sign up for our project updates to get updates directly in your inbox!
KEEP UP WITH PROJECT UPDATES

16Dec/25

Leaving Bread Crumbs for Continued Climate Engagement at Extension

December 16, 2025Newsagriculture, climate, Climate Ready Midwest, extension, Extension colleagues, Extension Leadership, programming, recommendationsAlli Wenman

Drawing on 3.5 years of work, the project team offers recommendations for Extension colleagues, Extension leadership, and USDA partners on how to sustain climate programming at Extension. We hope these serve as practical guideposts to inform and strengthen Extension’s climate-related efforts in the years ahead.

14Jul/25

A whimsical illustration of a farm with flowering prairie strips and a barn in the background. In the foreground is a text bubble that says Robust integration of climate information into Extension agricultural programming

Charting the Course: A Roadmap for Climate-Ready Programing in Extension

July 14, 2025Newsagriculture, climate, climate-ready, extension, programming, roadmap, theory of changeAlli Wenman

What does it take to make Extension’s ag programming climate-ready? After years of collaboration and insight from across the region, the Climate Ready Midwest Roadmap is here—with five focus areas to guide Extension into a climate-informed future. Whether you’re an educator, leader, or partner, this roadmap shows where you fit in—and where we go next.

21May/25

Climate, Water, and Equity Workshop Fosters New Collaborations

January 29, 2025Newsaction planning, climate, Climate Ready Midwest, extension, medicine wheel, midwest, workshopAlli Wenman

This post was originally posted on the North Central Region Water Network blog. It has been modified and re-posted here. Climate, water, and equity issues are complex topics that can be sensitive to discuss, especially forRead More…

05Nov/24

A map highlighting the Midwest states in the U.S., including Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.

Extension and USDA Climate Hubs Work to Build a Climate-Resilient Midwest

November 5, 2024Newsclimate, Climate Ready Midwest, extension, midwest, Midwest Climate HubAlli Wenman

Three projects operate within the Midwest to build partnerships, relationships, and collaborations for agricultural resilience in the face of climate change. Funding for these projects is intended to foster new ideas and collaboration, especially between Extension and the USDA Climate Hubs, and comes from the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Learn more about these projects and how they compliment each other’s efforts to build a climate-resilient Midwest.

27Jun/24

The Extension Road to Resilience: Insights from the North Central ANR Program Leaders Meeting

June 27, 2024Newsclimate, Climate Ready Midwest, extension, Extension LeadershipAlli Wenman

The Climate Ready Midwest team recently attended the a meeting with Extension program leaders in agriculture and natural resources across the 12-state north central region. The CRM team was invited to share project findings exploring climate programming in Extension and relevant regional and national partnerships and resources.

25Mar/24

Climate and Agriculture Conversations with Extension at Historically Black Land-Grants in the Midwest

March 25, 2024Newsagriculture, climate, extension, HBCUsAlli Wenman

The Climate Ready Midwest team has been busy connecting with Extension colleagues at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the Midwest. Team members traveled to Ohio and Missouri to host workshops with our agricultural educator and specialist counterparts, and their close partners, at both Central State University (CSU) and Lincoln University (LU). Continue reading to learn more about the workshops.

24Jan/24

A hand-drawn image of the globe. On the bottom half, the globe is covered with cars and factories spewing pollution. The sky behind the globe has an unhealthy green pallor. On the top half, young hands are erasing and redrawing the globe filled with greenery, solar panels, and windmills. The sky is blue with clouds.

Integrating NCA5 into Extension Programming: An Interview with Aaron Wilson

January 24, 2024Newsclimate, Climate Ready Midwest, extension, Interview, midwestAlli Wenman

Explore the role of the 5th National Climate Assessment (NCA5) in Extension programming through this interview with the Lead Author for the Midwest Chapter. This post highlights authoritative, timely, and transparent NCA5 materials, including region- and topic-specific chapters and an Art x Climate gallery. And – don’t miss the Midwest Chapter webinar on February 20!

08Dec/23

Two men looking away from the camera standing in an agricultural field. One is pointing to the left, and the other is looking to where the first is pointing. There is a tractor in the background of the image.

Navigating the Climate Challenge: Insights from Extension on Climate in Agricultural Programming

December 8, 2023Newsagriculture, climate, Climate Ready Midwest, extension, midwestAlli Wenman

In the first round of Climate Ready Midwest project data collection, Extension personnel at 1862 institutions weigh in on barriers to integrating climate-informed recommendations into their agricultural programming. Explore some of the main themes that emerged in this blog post.

17Jul/23

Climate Ready Midwest summer intern and project manager share project details with other summer interns and supervisors.

Guest Post: Maggie, Climate Ready Midwest Summer Intern

July 17, 2023NewsClimate Ready Midwest, extensionAlli Wenman

Our team is so excited to invite our summer intern, Maggie, to the Climate Ready Midwest team! We invited Maggie to create a reflective blog post about her involvement in the project. Read on to hear about her and her work!