We're continuing to gather resources related to agriculture, climate change and communication to support you in developing your storytelling project.
Have a specific request for information or data? Something you'd recommend we include here? Send us an email!
Soil Health, Water, and Climate Change: A Pocket Guide to What You Need to Know
Land Stewardship Project, 2017
Looking to talk about the science of soil and water health and their relationship to climate change? What makes soil healthy? How does healthy soil affect water quality? How does healthy soil help farms become more resilient as the climate changes? This guide offers scientific explanations written in accessible language. Note that this guide was written in 2017, so the research cited is also from that timeframe. We continue to find this guide useful for explaining the relationship between agriculture and climate change.
Available in PDF and mobile version. Learn more about Land Stewardship Project’s soil health work here.
Indigenous Speaker Series: Place-based Indigenous Knowledges & Indigenized Research
Indigenous Speaker Series
Ongoing
This ongoing series amplifies voices of Indigenous people and place-based knowledges through conversations about Indigenous people's cultural and traditional lived experiences. Topics include climate adaptation, food sovereignty, seed rematriation, environmental science and learning, and more. Many of the conversations are available for viewing at the link below.
Available online.
Reporting on farmer demand for federal conservation programs
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, ongoing
The demand from farmers across the country to access support for conservation practices is growing, and we've got the data that illustrates this. Focused on two of the flagship federal conservation programs -- EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) and CSP (Conservation Stewardship Program) -- this ongoing reporting includes state-level data on conservation program spending, top practices funded, and the acceptance rate of EQIP and CSP applications. Looking for a specific number to support your messaging? Reach out to us, we're happy to help.
Available online.
Fifth National Climate Assessment, Chapter 24: Midwest
Fifth National Climate Assessment, Chapter 24: Midwest
U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2023
Check out the key messages in this digitally available report, including how climate change is affecting agriculture in the Midwest, the potential for adaptation, connections to our livelihoods and health, and more. You can take a deeper dive into each topic by clicking Read More . This report gets technical quickly! Reach out to us if there is specific information or data you’re looking for to support your storytelling project. We’re happy to help.
Available online.
P.S. There's a wonderful poem by Ada Limón on the home page for the report.
Minnesota’s Climate Action Framework
Minnesota’s Climate Action Framework
State of Minnesota, 2022 (Note: Minnesota is updating the Climate Action Framework in 2024-2025.)
The state of Minnesota has published a plan for how the state will address and prepare for climate change in the coming years. Particularly for Minnesota-based storytellers, this document gives you a sense of state and tribal governments’ current thinking and priorities. The section on climate-smart working and natural lands outlines high-level steps to store carbon, reduce emissions, and develop resiliency through agriculture and conservation.
Available online.
Climate Action Messaging Insights & Tips
A short compilation of research-based messaging insights and tips
How do we talk about climate change? Climate change and agriculture? Agriculture as climate solution? How can we keep people in the conversation? How can our messages resonate with more people? We pulled together some research-based tips to consider when crafting messaging. Check them out here.
Climate Opinion Fact Sheets
Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, 2024
What do people around you believe about climate change? Since 2008 Yale Program on Climate Change Communication has been surveying the American public’s responses to climate change. Use this tool to easily see data at the state, county or Congressional District level.
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe Guest Talk: Breaking Down Barriers to Acceptance of Climate Change
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe Guest Talk: Breaking Down Barriers to Acceptance of Climate Change
Terra.do
A fast-paced and engaging talk by Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist whose research focuses on understanding the impacts of climate change on people and the planet. In about an hour, Hayhoe shares how it is possible to overcome the deep political, ideological, socio-economic, and religious divides that prevent real action to address climate change by connecting to foundations of shared values and concerns.
Available online.
Reframing Farming: Strategies for expanding thinking about agriculture
FrameWorks Institute, in partnership with the Farming and Food Narrative Project, 2022
How might pitting the big categories of conventional and sustainable agriculture against each other backfire in conversation? Why does leading with interconnection help when talking about changing farming practices? This report builds on two prior studies that looked at how the public thinks about farming and “good” farming practices and how farming is talked about in the media. About 20 pages, the report includes tips on things to avoid and things that work when communicating about how farming connects to social issues in our communities.
Available online.
Some past participants built skill in video storytelling. Below are some technical resources they used.
Equipment
Tip: Rent or borrow before you buy. And remember, a recent smart phone could be the only video camera you need for this project (you will need a microphone).
Equipment rental
Equipment advice
If you're going to invest, a best video cameras for beginners video
Microphone + wind shield recommendation: RODE VideoMic GO Camera-Mount Shotgun Microphone Kit with DeadCat GO Windshield (around $115)
Production (shooting video) & Post-Production (editing your video)
For anyone who needs more instruction on file format for shooting video, here is a great list of video file formats for different types of cameras
Have a specific request for information or data? Something you'd recommend we include here? Send us an email!