As a 2019 NRCS Project Liaison with the Northeast and Southeast USDA Climate Hubs, Chris Miller will be leading a project to assess the impact of sea level rise, coastal flooding and saltwater inundation on agricultural producers in the Eastern and Gulf Coast states.

Two new climate science reports were released last fall and highlight the continuing peril of climate change.

The first new report, Global Warming of 1.5 °C, was produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

But is there anything we can do about it? 

There may be little that individual producers can do to change the climate, but there are ways to adapt quickly to anticipated weather-related risks. So, what are some of the risks? Recent scientific information has strengthened the need to adapt to change.

Research at dairy farms in Vermont shows how management practices can affect water quality, economics, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Agriculture is a common land use for the well-drained and productive soils of Vermont’s Winooski floodplain. Intense rain and flooding events are increasing throughout the Northeast as the climate changes. If not managed, this trend will worsen nutrient loss, runoff, and erosion from farm fields. More nutrient loss and erosion leads to poorer water quality within watersheds.