Need information on climate science and what climate variability means for agriculture and communities? We’re here to help.

The North Central Climate Collaborative (NC3) is made up of Extension professionals from across the region who are working to increase the flow and usability of climate information for Extension, farmers, natural resource managers, and communities. The team is working to increase the adoption of climate-smart practices, improving water management, while maintaining profitability.

Upcoming Webinar:

Integrating Climate into Extension Programming
Monday, December 16th at 1pm CT

Illinois Extension has developed a short on line course for all interested Extension educators and specialists that wish to incorporate climate change into their existing programming.  The course was started in early 2024, and has gone through two cohorts.  Tune into this webinar where Climate Specialist Duane Friend will provide an update on the  course , how it is being received, and talk about its use in other states.

Most Recent Webinars:

How one Educator Presents Climate Change to a Room of Farmers
Monday, October 28th at 1:00PM CT – View the Recording

This webinar featured Monica Jean, Field Crops Educator from Michigan State Extension, who developed a presentation over the last 7 years with contribution from colleagues and industry partners to have a productive conversation with farmers about climate change. Her work is primarily with row crop growers as a cropping system agronomist. She shared several examples of data and slides she uses to inform but not alienate farms.

Guides for Navigating Agricultural Climate Impacts in your State
Monday, August 26th at 1:00 PM CT – View the Recording

The USDA Midwest Climate Hub has been working with state-level partners in the 8 Midwestern states to create bulletins about the impacts of a changing climate (both observed and projected) on agriculture. The intended audience is farmers & those who advise farmers, and the goal of the bulletins is to inform this audience how climate has been/is projected to change, what will be the impacts on agricultural operations in the state, and what can be done to help adapt to/mitigate negative impacts. The bulletins can serve as a starting point between a farmer and their advisor(s) for a conversation on the climate change impacts on their farm and what can be done in response.

This webinar Josh Bendorf, Ag Climatologist & ORISE Fellow with the USDA’s Midwest Climate Hub, discussed the guides and how you can use them in your work.

Indiana Agriculture and Agricultural Water Management in a Changing Climate
Thursday, June 27th at 1pm CT – View the Recording

Laura Bowling (Purdue Agronomy) discusses how projected climate change is expected to affect Indiana’s agricultural productivity and associated environmental quality through a unique hydrologic perspective. Indiana will have warmer temperatures, greater precipitation, increased duration and intensity of extreme heat during the growing season, and a longer frost-free period, but many of the negative impacts come about through asynchronization of historic precipitation, temperature and growing cycles. This webinar discusses potential impacts to annual and perennial crops, livestock soil and water, as well as adaptation measures that may mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on farms.