Engaging in Community Science & Practice
from Maine to South Carolina

Farmers are key players in the global strategy to address the climate crisis.

Farmers are key players in the global strategy to address the climate crisis.


So are their customers.

That’s why Pasa Sustainable Agriculture and partners are beginning work to directly support farmers in 6 major watersheds across 15 states and on lands stewarded by tribal nations and Indigenous farmers in the same geographic region.

This program will assist farmers who want to implement climate-smart practices, collect data on the impacts, and open up new markets.

We believe that a deepened understanding of the environmental benefits of regenerative farming practices will empower farmers to educate customers about their role in growing climate-solutions.

Visit climatesmart.org to learn more & apply

go to climatesmart.org

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number NR233A750004G025.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, any reference to specific brands or types of products or services does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for those products or services.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Program details

Goals

Support climate-conscious farmers

We will provide technical assistance and financial support to help farmers across the Northeast and Eastern Seaboard implement regenerative practices such as agroforestry, prescribed grazing, planting cover crops, and reducing tillage.

Measure environmental benefits

Through Pasa's Soil Health Benchmark Study, farmers will engage in community science and help to clearly identify environmental co-benefits of climate-smart practices, by measuring factors like water quality, soil health, and ecosystems resilience.

Grow informed consumer demand

We'll provide marketing strategies to help farmers communicate the benefits of these practices to customers, and develop tools to help climate-conscious consumers find climate-smart farms near them.

 

 

 

We will accomplish these goals by:


empowering farmers with a deepened understanding of the economic and environmental benefits of climate-smart practices

advancing adoption of climate-smart practices on working farms and forest lands

tracing climate-smart carbon benefits through the supply chain, from farm to plate

engaging farmers in community science through our Soil Health and Financial Health Benchmark Studies and peer-to-peer learning cohorts

 

promoting equitable participation of farmers including smallholders, early adopters, and those who have historically been underserved

supporting Indigenous communities to teach traditional climate-smart practices to their peers

helping farmers educate their customers and increase markets for climate-smart commodities

This program will have long-lasting impacts:

  • 1,275+ climate-smart projects will be implemented across the region
  •  farmers will have a regional network for peer-to-peer learning
  •  a learning library of regional Indigenous farming practices will be established
  • partner organizations will have increased capacity to provide technical support
  • farmers will have quantifiable metrics on economic and environmental benefits of climate-smart farming;
  • buyers will have increased access to and support for climate-smart farms.

 

 

 

From Maine to South Carolina

This program aims to serve 2,000 farmers across the Northeast and Eastern Seaboard, so our partnerships will be key.


What's involved for farmers who participate?

  Farmer participants will receive:

  • technical assistance for implementing climate-smart farming practices
  • financial support for plantings and equipment
  • marketing support
  • access to peer-to-peer learning networks
  • insights about your farms soil health, water quality, carbon resilience, and other metrics

Think this program could work for your farm?

Let us know you're interested!

Fill out this Pre-Application Survey providing a few details about your farm and the practices and support you're interested in. It should take about 10–15 minutes.


Take the Pre-Application Survey

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number NR233A750004G025.

Learn more

What are climate-smart farming practices?

Agriculture is one of the largest contributors to global carbon emissions. At the same time, farmers are dealing with many of the most immediate impacts of the changing climate.

Climate-smart agriculture encompasses practices that work to either mitigate climate-change by reducing carbon emissions or to help farms and communities adapt to increasingly extreme weather. These include production strategies like agroforestry, prescribed grazing, planting cover crops, managing nutrient inputs, reducing tillage, and other conservation farming methods demonstrated to improve soil health and climate resilience.

Many of these practices have their roots in Indigenous farming methods.

Which climate-smart practices does this program support?

The following is a list of practices supported by this program. 
The three-digit code after each practice indicates the corresponding Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) practice standard.
Click here to find a comprehensive list of these standards and learn more about each practice. 

  • Alley Cropping (311)
  • Contour Buffer Strips (332)
  • Cover Crop (340)
  • Conservation Cover (327)
  • Conservation Crop Rotation (328)
  • Residue and Tillage Management, No-Till (329)
  • Residue and Tillage Management, Reduced (345)
  • Forest Farming (379)
  • Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment (380)
  • Silvopasture (381)
  • Fence (382)
  • Field Border (386)
  • Riparian Herbaceous Cover (390)
  • Filter Strip (393)
  • Grassed Waterway (412)
  • Hedgerow Planting (422)
  • Mulching (484)
  • Pasture and Hay Planting (512)
  • Livestock Pipeline (516)
  • Prescribed Grazing (528)
  • Range Planting (550)
  • Stripcropping (585)
  • Nutrient Management (590)
  • Vegetative Barrier (601)
  • Herbaceous Wind Barriers (603)
  • Tree/Shrub Establishment (612)
  • Watering Facility (614)
  • Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

 

Explore resources on climate-smart practices on Pasa’s website →

In the news

Can Farming with Trees Save the Food System?


Civil Eats covers a broad range of agroforestry practices, which can pull carbon out of the atmosphere and build farm resilience as the climate changes.

Read the article



Climate Change Prompts Farmers to Adapt Crops & Businesses


Allegheny Front covers how some farmers are shifting their practices to adapt to the changing climate, and work to keep it from getting worse.

Read the article



Majority of Pasa Climate-Smart Funds Will Go Directly to Farmers


Lancaster Farming covers how $55 million awarded to Pasa Sustainable Agriculture by USDA will be used to study and promote the widespread adoption of farming practices that reduce or sequester carbon emissions.

Read the article



We're hiring!

Join a passionate team working to support a diverse group of farmers in growing a healthier planet.


See available positions