Centering Farmer Experiences in Planning and Disaster Relief

By Caro Roszell, Kevin Antoszewski and Sara Kelemen

This June, New England Deputy Director Dr. Alissa White and Soil Health Specialists Sara Kelemen and Kevin Antoszewski traveled to the 2026 Agriculture, Food and Human Values Conference to share new findings on soil health, disaster relief programs, and the role of farmer decision-making in conservation planning.

Designing for Stewardship: Rethinking How Conservation Programs Work for Farmers

Alissa White shared early findings from ongoing research drawing on AFT’s Regional Conservation Partnership Project (RCPP) to explore how program design and delivery shape farmers’ ability to adopt and sustain regenerative practices.

The RCPP initiative supports regenerative agriculture across 25,000 acres in the Connecticut River watershed through financial assistance, technical support, peer learning, and applied research. One of its core components is conservation planning developed in accordance with standards established by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). A conservation plan is a site-specific roadmap that helps farmers address concerns such as soil health, water quality, erosion, and nutrient management while meeting farm goals.

Through surveys and interviews, the team explored how farmers experience and use conservation plans. While nearly 70% of survey respondents reported having a conservation plan, only about half of those who had a plan said they understood it well. Some farmers viewed plans as necessary for accessing funding or meeting regulatory requirements, but less useful for day-to-day management and decision-making. Others described plans as too rigid to reflect the realities of farming.

Instead, early findings suggest that farmers place the greatest value on trusted advisors who can translate program requirements, coordinate follow-through, and align conservation efforts with on-farm realities. Farmers often described these relationships as more valuable than the plan itself. Effective conservation initiatives reduce burdens, respect farmer knowledge, and prioritize flexibility. Most importantly, they invest in the relationships that make conservation programs actionable and practical.

"One of the most important takeaways from this research is that relationships matte," shared Dr. Alissa White. "Farmers consistently valued trusted advisors who could translate program requirements and support conservation on working farms. The findings reinforce that conservation success depends not only on programs and practices, but also on trust, credibility, strong relationships, and the people behind them."

Envisioning Climate Disaster Relief for New England’s Farmers

Sara Kelemen presented research examining data from farmer interviews on climate disaster relief programs across the region. While results are preliminary, findings show that limited or inconsistent state programs, complex federal systems, and insurance tools that do not reflect the realities of diversified farms made the disaster relief landscape feel challenging for many farmers.

Farmers described uneven experiences, with some receiving timely support and others facing administrative hurdles, delayed payments, and limited access to assistance.

As states respond to intensifying weather extremes, they have an opportunity to improve farmer support systems. Farmers envisioned a support landscape in which they have a voice in program design and aid is delivered quickly following disaster events.

“It is encouraging to share these findings as states consider expanding climate disaster relief programs," shared Sara. "The window for building better programs is open right now, and I hope our data helps to improve design and implementation. It also complements recent work by the Northeast Climate Disaster Relief Network, highlighting growing attention to climate resilience in agriculture."

Understanding Drivers of Soil Health on New England Farms

Kevin Antoszewski introduced the New England Soil Health Survey (NESH) dataset, which combines farmer surveys, management histories, climate data, and soil health measurements from approximately 150 farms across four states. Once finalized, the research team intends to publish this dataset.

Early analyses confirm findings from other studies, suggesting that physical measures of soil health are influenced most strongly by site characteristics such as soil texture, slope, and drainage, while biological indicators may be more responsive to management practices.

The research team is also interested in understanding how farmers' planning and decision-making affect soil health outcomes. Future analyses will explore how farmers’ knowledge, confidence, and access to resources shape the connection between planning and soil health.

“It was great to present on our work exploring the ways farmers can move from intention to outcome for soil health,” said Kevin. “There is still a lot of analysis to be done, but the reaction from our peers confirms that we're moving in the right direction. Other researchers were excited to collaborate once the dataset is shared more publicly!”