Peer-to-Peer Networks and Agricultural Conservation

Persistent harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the western Lake Erie basin (WLEB), caused by excessive phosphorus in agricultural runoff, negatively affect both human and ecological well-being. To combat increased phosphorous levels from agricultural land, the goal of reducing total phosphorus loading by 40% from 2008 levels is believed critical to substantially reduce the frequency and severity of HABs. To effectively manage nutrient loss in agriculture and achieve phosphorus reduction targets, widespread implementation of agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) in the WLEB is crucial.The United States primarily relies on incentive and outreach programs to encourage farmers to voluntarily adopt BMPs. However, despite decades of effort to increase farmers’ use of conservation practices, adoption rates remain low and relatively static. Several researchers have recommended farmer-led peer learning as an alternative to traditional, hierarchical outreach programs. In such approaches, farmers deliver outreach to engage other farmers in adopting various conservation practices. Previous studies have examined the role of peer learning networks in promoting conservation actions. Generally, these studies find that the benefits of farmer-led networks include the opportunity for direct interaction and learning from those who have actual experience with conservation practices, building relationships with other farmers, the ability to observe other farmers’ outcomes with the practices, and building confidence in the practices they are already using.However, prior research on the effectiveness of farmer-led peer learning has focused largely on informal learning networks for women agricultural landowners, or formalized farmer networks (e.g., where the farmers doing the engagement have formal roles and the interactions are structured by traditional partners). These studies also tend to focus on the effect of peer learning after a singular event (e.g., one day meeting, one personal visit). No prior studies have examined the role of informal peer-to-peer learning networks over time, or focused on male operators who are interested in conservation practices as the target of the informal network. The study reported here fills this gap by examining the effectiveness of a three-year informal peer-led learning network where early adopters provide support to potential middle adopters in the WLEB to help them transition to doing conservation.Over a period of 3 years, we evaluated a new informal peer learning network started by The Nature Conservancy called “Farmer Advocates for Conservation”. We conducted a total of 5 focus groups with farmer advocates (i.e., individuals trained to lead the peer-to-peer learning program), and 4 focus groups with engaged farmers who advocates identified as potential middle adopters (i.e., farmers who have expressed interest in conservation practices but have not yet fully implemented them). With the focus group data, we captured the benefits of this type of learning over traditional networks, how peer learning can be tailored to different types of farmers, and what types of advocates are most effective. Our results indicate that there are several unique advantages of peer learning relative to traditional networks including: the ability to observe others, the source of the information (peers versus conservation professionals) being more trusted, the information provided being more relevant and accessible, the style of learning (informal versus formal) being preferred, the ability to form one-on-one connections and the enhanced access to farmer networks. Our results also indicate that farmer advocates tailor their approaches for different groups of farmers for greater effectiveness in ways that may not be possible through traditional top-down programs. For example, one-on-one conversations are recommended for small to mid-sized farms. We also identify the characteristics that contribute to the success of advocates, such as being able to speak with other farmers in non-judgmental ways, having the time to engage, having contact details of interested farmers, repeated success with the practice, operating large-scale farms, and sharing the same mindsets with engaged farmers. Finally, our findings indicate that the most likely beneficiaries of this type of learning program are conservation-minded farmers, mid to small-size farms, and new and/or young farmers.We also conducted a post-engagement survey with engaged farmers to measure their satisfaction with their advocate and the extent to which engagement increased their confidence and behavioral intentions, as well as to assess how the aforementioned program outcomes varied by different types of farmers. Overall, we see that the engaged farmers tend to be younger, more educated with larger farms, and have less experience in farming relative to the population of farmers in the region. Further, the survey results indicate that younger farmers tend to exhibit higher levels of satisfaction with their advocate, further emphasizing the benefit of such programs to these groups.Based on our findings, we suggest that informal peer-to-peer learning programs work well for farmers who are conservation-minded and are willing to make changes (try something new). Our results confirm prior research showing that observing other farmers practicing conservation influences farmers' decision-making, farmers trust their peers' advice, and farmers prefer informal interactions. Additionally, when engaging with larger farms, small-scale experimentation is recommended. Our findings point to new insights in informal farmer networks, recommending one-on-one interaction specifically for small to mid-size farms and farmers who may be reluctant to adopt conservation practices. Further, the new insights reveal that while success and respect are important, advocates must also possess additional skills and personality traits to lead informal farmer-to-farmer learning. The findings suggest that it may be difficult for advocates in an informal network to adequately connect with other farmers. As a result, advocates may need additional support in making connections, such as being provided with lists of farmers to contact, or creating informal opportunities for those contacts to be made. Finally, future research should investigate concrete changes among engaged farmers in conservation adoption over time resulting from peer-to-peer learning to further evaluate the effectiveness of an informal farmer network.