Climate - Indiana

Weather Variability and Adaptations for Your Land and Operations

The impacts of weather on our daily lives can be significant, especially for those involved in agriculture, forestry, and other forms of land management. As our climate shifts, weather events are becoming more variable and extreme, with overall increases in temperature, precipitation amounts and intensity, and growing season length. The potential impacts of these changes can be far-reaching, including livestock heat stress, delayed planting due to field wetness, crop and forage yield declines, increased risk of erosion and nutrient loss, and increases in weeds, pests, and disease. These sorts of challenges can result in higher production costs and lower yields. Luckily, we have the ability to prepare for and adapt to these changes. It is the goal of USDA-NRCS Indiana to assist farmers and landowners in adapting to climate variability by building resilient systems for your land and operations of all types and sizes, to ensure continued productivity and profitability, in spite of new and evolving challenges.

Featured Resources

• Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment - The Purdue Climate Change Research Center has compiled a series of reports detailing historic climate trends, projected future climate conditions, and the challenges and opportunities that a changing climate may present for various sectors, including agriculture, forestry, urban areas and county level climate summary fact sheets.
• Climate Change Tree Atlas - A useful resource for tree plantings and reforestation projects, to help consider which tree species are more likely to have suitable habitat in Indiana in the future. Selecting future-adapted species may lead to greater success and survivability for tree plantings over the long term. Tree Atlas results for statewide and southern Indiana and useful video for understanding Tree Atlas results.
• NRCS Climate Adaptation Factsheets - A series of factsheets describing how NRCS programs and practices can help landowners and farmers achieve their goals while supporting climate adaptation. Each factsheet offers tangible actions that may be useful for adapting to shifting climate conditions in Indiana. Topics include forests, wetlands, carbon, wildlife, cropland, and grazing livestock.
• Climate Adaptation Case Study: Small Acres Family Farm, southeastern Indiana - This case study offers insights on how a local, grass-fed lamb operation is experiencing, planning for, and responding to climatic variability and change.

Adaptations and Solutions Resources

• Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative - Improving Soil Health on Indiana Cropland
• Case Studies using the Adaptation Workbook
• USDA Building Blocks for Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry (2016) case studies report.
• Adaptation Demonstration Project:  Giesting Family, Private Forest, southeastern Indiana
• Adaptation Demonstration Project:  Forestry Climate Adaptation Demonstrations/case studies 
• USDA Climate Solutions 

Weather and Climate Resources

• Indiana State Climate Office
• NOAA state climate summary for Indiana
• USDA Midwest Climate Hub
• Re-carbonizing Row Crop Farms (Midwest)
• Adaptation Resources for Agriculture: Case Studies using the Adaptation Workbook
• Vulnerability Assessment for southern Indiana forests (central hardwoods region)
• United States Drought Monitor map from the National Drought Mitigation Center (U of Nebraska-Lincoln)
• USDA–NRCS-National Climate Change website.
• National Climate Assessment 2018 with chapters on the Midwest, Agriculture & Rural Communities, Forests and much more.    
• NOAA – Climate.gov
• USDA-Forest Service Climate Change Resource Center (for forestry)
• USEPA – Climate Change
• Climate-Smart Agriculture from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN