Ohio farmers are on the front lines, facing unpredictable weather, extreme rainfall, and shifting growing conditions. To help them ad apt, CFAES is advancing climate-smart solutions through farmer-led research and collaboration.
Doug Jackson-Smith, professor and director of CFAES’ Agroecosystem Management Program, believes that real progress in conservation and precision agriculture comes from working directly with farmers, not just presenting them with ready-made solutions.
“Farmers bring a wealth of experiential knowledge that complements scientific research,” Jackson-Smith said. “By engaging them early in the process, we ensure conservation practices are practical, profitable, and scalable.”
One challenge to adopting climate-smart farming is the lack of immediate, on-farm benefits. While practices such as cover-cropping, reduced tillage, and precision nutrient management offer long-term environmental advantages, they don’t always translate to immediate economic gains. Farmers also rely heavily on trusted advisors — other farmers, agricultural retailers, and crop consultants — making peer-driven research key to increasing adoption.
Beyond individual farms, Jackson- Smith emphasizes collaboration in scaling climate-smart practices across Ohio. He highlights the role of agricultural advisors, input suppliers, and policymakers in shaping adoption. While government incentives and crop insurance programs can sometimes discourage innovation, emerging market trends — where consumers pay premiums for sustainably produced food — offer new financial incentives for farmers.
To address these challenges, Jackson- Smith leads From the Ground Up, a farmer-driven research initiative involving groups of farmers in Ohio and Missouri. The project allows producers to test conservation practices on their land, with scientists tracking results. The goal is to develop climate-smart farming methods that enhance sustainability, improve profitability, and build resilience against extreme weather.
“We believe putting farmers in the driver’s seat accelerates innovation and adoption,” Jackson-Smith said. “By scaling these efforts across Ohio and Missouri, we create solutions that work on real farms, not just in research plots.”
Jackson-Smith’s work underscores a shift. Climate resilience in agriculture is not about imposing one-size-fits-all solutions; rather, it’s about equipping farmers with the tools and the knowledge to innovate in ways that make sense for their operations. Through CFAES-led research and farmer-driven innovation, Ohio’s agricultural community is charting a path toward a sustainable future.
Explore how to add the latest advancements to your field by visiting go.osu.edu/efieldsprogram.
Farmers and stakeholders interested in learning more about From the Ground Up can visit ftgup.org for ongoing research and opportunities to get involved.