Expanding Stewardship: Agriculture as Conservation

Abstract

Rapid changes in the agriculture industry over the last century due to the innovations of the Green Revolution have led to a host of environmental impacts from soil degradation to compromised water quality. Farmers, researchers, and industry professionals are developing and implementing solutions to these environmental impacts locally, nationally, and globally, though substantial and complex barriers exist that limit their adoption at higher rates. The Stewardship Network (TSN), a conservation-focused nonprofit organization based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is exploring the possibility of incorporating agricultural lands and stakeholders into its network-building work. This study identifies key considerations for TSN as it considers expanding its mission into agriculture. The social and professional organization of the farming community in Washtenaw County and the available resources for conservation agriculture were assessed through a series of semi-structured interviews with farmers and farmer resource organizations, as well as observations at events and meetings. The farming community in Washtenaw County can be divided along a spectrum from small-scale diversified to large-scale commodity farmers. Underserved farmers largely operate small-scale diversified farms and participate in that community, though they face particular needs and barriers due to a legacy of discrimination. Farmers in Washtenaw County expressed a variety of definitions and perspectives on conservation agriculture, which can also be organized along a spectrum from perceiving conservation as intrinsic to farming to perceiving it as an addition to farming. The farmers on either end of these spectra operate mostly independently, both socially and professionally. These divisions are reiterated at the institutional level, which has implications for resource accessibility. Over 50 farmer resource organizations support farmers in Washtenaw County at the intersection of agriculture and conservation. A network analysis revealed that these organizations can be divided into three communities based on the primary recipients of their resources. Despite the broad array of resources, gaps persist between farmer needs and available resources. These gaps reveal several opportunities for TSN including connecting farmers to research and helping farmers share equipment and labor. Insights from organizations similar to TSN indicate the importance of trust building, the challenge of working with farmers as an environmental organization, and the need to honor existing work in the field. It is important for The Stewardship Network to consider strategic dimensions associated with moving into agriculture, including audience and impact; and organizational dimensions such as staffing and capacity.