C H A L L E N G E S , O P P O RT U N I T I E S , AC T I V I T I E S

CONTINUOUS LIVING COVER

CHALLENGES (CLUSTERED)

• High and rising price of grains• Low and dropping price of coal and CNG• Lack of and/or nascent biomass market(s)• Non operational land owners• Logistics, machinery, volume• Value of CLC• Policy: gov’t programs contradictory• Economic return for annual crop seed• Lack of business interest in developing

perennial grain seed

CHALLENGES (CLUSTERED)

• Lacks institutional support• Current rules effectively eliminate

agroforestry practices from consideration for govt subsidies and cost-share programs• Limited knowledge of agroforestry among

agency personnel• Often relegated to a number of

disconnected, disperse and independent practitioners which limits impact at landscape level

OPPORTUNITIES (CLUSTERED)

• Many (at-scale) projects to teach us lessons• Biomass the potential to provide multiple

benefits• Programs are developing metrics, including

sustainability indices• Farmer learning networks• Business opportunities• Value of cover crops

OPPORTUNITIES (CLUSTERED)

• Improve agroforestry connections to other CLC strategies (and watersheds) through GLBW• Incorporating stewardship into land mgmt

OPPORTUNITIES (CLUSTERED)

• Network producers – roving herds to graze cornstalks, rehabilitate land, manage public grazing lands, remove invasive species• Demonstrate opportunities for young

farmers• Research and reach out to non-operating

landowners• Perennial forage in rotation boosts annual

crop yields and reduces input costs

MOST IMPORTANT CHALLENGES

WINNABLE CHALLENGES

MOST IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITIES

WINNABLE OPPORTUNITIES

CHALLENGES/OPPORTUNITIES

•Cover crops• Non operational land owners• Logistics, machinery, volume• Value of CLC• Policy: gov’t programs contrdictory

• Farmer learning networks• Business opportunities• Value of cover crops

CHALLENGES/OPPORTUNITIES

• Agroforestry• Improve agroforestry connections to other CLC strategies

(and watersheds) through GLBW• a. Annual meeting like this one or different model to

enhance interaction.• b. Start collecting tools in central location for easier

incorporation of agroforestry (i.e., targeting tools for riparian buffers for multiple purposes)

• Lacks institutional support• Current rules effectively eliminate agroforestry practices from

consideration for govt subsidies and cost-share programs• Limited knowledge of agroforestry among agency personnel• Often relegated to a number of disconnected, disperse and

independent practitioners which limits impact at landscape level

CHALLENGES/OPPORTUNITIES

• Bioenergy• High and rising price of grains• Low and dropping price of coal and CNG• Lack of and/or nascent biomass market(s)

• Many (at-scale) projects to teach us lessons• Biomass the potential to provide multiple benefits• Programs are developing metrics, including

sustainability indices

CHALLENGES/OPPORTUNITIES

• Perennial forages and grazing

GOALS/ACTIVITIES

• Cover crops• Long-term research at watershed and plot level to

establish water and soil quality benefits and value of cover crops to producers

• Educational and promotional programs to inform public and landowners on the value of cover crops & to educate farmers, CCAs, and land managers on implementing cover crops

• Logistics and infrastructure for establishing cover crops in corn-soybean rotations

• Working toward government programs that remove barriers to adoptions and provide incentives for cover crop adoption.