Join Us

Betty Brennan (IL) is converting tillable land to pasture for rotational grazing

Are you a Climate Land Leader?

You’re eligible to join Climate Land Leaders if you:

Own or manage farm or forest lands in the Midwest;

Want to use your lands to create climate resiliency;

Are willing to implement conservation goals;

Share and learn with other land stewards.

Rozina Kanchwala stewards Illinois cropland with her family

As a Climate Land Leader, you’ll join others on a journey to:

  • Take steps to improve soil health on working lands
  • Reduce synthetic chemical use/external inputs
  • Increase diversity of plants and animals
  • Increase perennials
  • Take steps to restore the land’s hydrology
  • Enhance community vitality and equity
  • Deepen your relationship with the land
  • Practice self-care to maintain your well-being for the long-term
  • Move to protect your regenerative land practices after you’re gone
Paul Mairet (MN) is building a hazelnut operation on former cropland

Through participation you’ll gain:

  • A community of like-minded land stewards who will support and inspire you
  • Access to synthesized and practical information most relevant to your needs
  • Knowledge from perennial agriculture experts
  • Nudges by the Climate Land Leaders staff to help you set goals and stay on track
  • An enhanced sense of commitment, community and resolve to address the climate crisis
Landowners like Becky Lourey (left) and Joe Luetmer (right) benefit from the perspectives of Climate Land Leaders who make a living farming, like Hannah Bernhardt (middle) of Medicine Creek Farm (MN)

Ways to participate include:

  • Sharing your conservation goals with fellow Climate Land Leaders
  • Learning from fellow Climate Land Leaders also making changes
  • Serving as an advisor to other Climate Land Leaders
  • Conducting soil testing and participating in on-farm research and demonstration
  • Sharing publicly your story about land transformation, if you choose
  • Donations to the organization are encouraged, but there is no fee for participation
Dan Guenthner and Margaret Pennings (WI) are sharing how changing weather patterns and extremes caused by climate change are affecting what and how they grow as vegetable farmers

Topics you’ll learn about include:

  • Putting climate change in context
  • Primers on soil health and water quality
  • Setting your goals and how you’ll get there
  • Tapping into helpful sources for technical assistance
  • Working with your farming tenant for change
  • Accessing government programs that support conservation
  • Holding grief – and hope – about climate change
  • And much more….
Jackie Armstrong (IA) and Meg Nielsen (MN and WI) visiting restored pollinator habitat on a fellow Climate Land Leader’s farm

Are you already part of other groups addressing the climate crisis? The more connections Climate Land Leaders have, the better. You’ll bring what you learn to the Climate Land Leaders cohort; you’ll bring your new Climate Land Leaders’ knowledge back to your other groups.