Webinar #8: Climate Adaptation in Minnesota: Resources and Tools, September 24, 2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiq2rvzs3ck

Changes to our climate and weather patterns can create feelings of uncertainty, stress, and more - but preparing for these changes and engaging in long term planning can build stronger, more resilient communities and farms.

September 24, 2025

Webinar Topic: Climate Adaptation in Minnesota: Resources and Tools

Webinar Hosts: Burke Murphy,  MNWiC State Coordinator

Noreen Thomas, MNWiC Northwest Region Coordinator

Maddy Bartsch, MNWiC Southeast Region Coordinator

Conservation Professionals: Katie Black, Extension Educator with the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership

Katie specializes in understanding and helping farmers adapt to changing weather patterns through presentations, research, and programming. She earned an MS in Applied Plant Science from the University of Minnesota, and worked on educating young people about conservation and food systems prior to grad school. She has learned about agriculture and food systems in places as close as her family's farm in North Dakota and as far away as southern India. 

Lizzy Dawson, State Outreach Coordinator Minnesota NRCS 

Lizzy Dawson is the State Tribal Liaison and Outreach Coordinator for MN NRCS. Her career started as a Pathway Intern in WI and ND and then came on full time after graduating from North Dakota State with a BS in Crop and Weed Science with an emphasis in Agronomy and a MN in Plant Science- Crop Production. 

Now, with over 10 years of experience with the agency she has held a variety of roles in field offices across three states. She is passionate about working with historically underserved and urban/ small scale producers and building relationships with new customers as they begin their journey with our agency.

Links to Resources Shared in the Webinar: 

Ecosystem-Supportive Plant Selection: https://sites.google.com/umn.edu/mgweb/continuing-education/hot-topics/ecosystem-supportive-plants 

MN Field Office Tech Guide with a list of the conservation practices with supporting documentation: https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/#/state/MN/documents/section=4&folder=-3

Field Office Locator to find your local field office: https://www.farmers.gov/working-with-us/service-center-locator 

NRCS Conservation Practices on Cropland: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/minnesota/cropland-minnesota

Farming with Soil Life: A Handbook for Supporting Soil Invertebrates and Soil Health on Farms - SARE: https://www.sare.org/resources/farming-with-soil-life/ 

Building Soils for Better Crops - SARE: https://www.sare.org/resources/building-soils-for-better-crops/ 

Cover Crops for Sustainable Crop Rotations - SARE: https://www.sare.org/resources/cover-crops/?tid=2 

Manage Weeds On Your Farm - SARE: https://www.sare.org/resources/manage-weeds-on-your-farm/ 

Midwest Cover Crop Council Decision Tool: https://midwestcovercrops.org/ 

Crop production | UMN Extension: https://extension.umn.edu/crop-production

The Irrigator’s Pocket Guide – ATTRA: https://attra.ncat.org/publication/irrigators-pocket-guide/ 

Current Map | U.S. Drought Monitor: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap.aspx 

MN Irrigator Program: https://extension.umn.edu/courses-and-events/minnesota-irrigator-program 

Pheasants Forever Precision Ag & Conservation: https://www.pheasantsforever.org/Conservation/Precision-Agriculture.aspx

Practical Farmers of Iowa: https://practicalfarmers.org/ 

Minnesota NRCS YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@minnesotanrcs 

Strip-till Farming with Rotational Grazing, Poultry, and Stacking Slab in Minnesota: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sph0PeKPuwA 

Innovations in Farm Equipment for Growing No-till and Strip-till Corn and Soybeans with Cover Crops - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFA-b7gmELo 

Soil health lesson in a minute: discover the cover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHMCJSxQAgo

Healthy soils resist drought: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh5hpstbknE 

Minnesota NRCS Soil Health Videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHoQsBggWzikPxsqU_ftm1joKXnGfOXLQ&si=nHVT_05YxJ3buo7X

Regional Climate Summaries | UMN Extension: https://climate.umn.edu/regional-climate-summaries

Minnesota CliMAT (Climate Mapping and Analysis Tool): https://climate.umn.edu/MN-CliMAT

Resilient Farm Planner: https://climate.umn.edu/resilient-farm-planner

Develop a heat and air quality safety plan for your farm workers: https://extension.umn.edu/climate-resilience-resources-vegetable-growers-minnesota/heat-and-air-quality-safety-plan

USDA Assessing the Impacts of Climate Change on Midwest Agriculture: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/midwest/topic/assessing-impacts-climate-change-midwest-agriculture

Adaptation Resources for Agriculture: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/adaptation_resources_workbook_ne_mw.pdf

Enhancing Climate Resilience with Whole-Farm Management: https://www.sare.org/publications/climate-risk-management-and-resilience-on-farms-and-ranches/understanding-climate-risk/whole-farm-management-and-climate-resilience/

About Minnesota Women in Conservation

Minnesota Women in Conservation (MNWiC) is a project of Renewing the Countryside in partnership with the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). MNWiC's mission is to engage women in conservation conversations, connecting them with the tools and resources needed to develop their own goals. We facilitate Regional Networks  to help all women of every experience level to learn and to implement practices in their own spaces, both urban and rural.  We are here to nurture land and community. Join us!

Join Minnesota Women in Conservation (MNWiC) for a Welcoming Wednesday Webinar! These interactive Zooms are intended to provide relevant and actionable information about land and water stewardship, while also connecting like-minded women over lunch hour conversations. They recur on the fourth week each month.  

Disclaimer

While the MNWiC project strives to make the information provided to individuals as timely and accurate as possible, we make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the content of our webinars. The information presented is solely the speakers’ expressed views and MNWiC expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in content.