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<p class="MsoNormal">Take a look at this interesting paper from Agroforestry Systems (<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;letter-spacing:.05pt">Mattia, C.M., Lovell, S.T. & Davis, A. Agroforest Syst (2016). doi:10.1007/s10457-016-0053-6)
</span>and the corresponding article about farmers decision making related to adopting new practices, specifically transitioning marginal farmland to perennial crops. There is lots of room for extrapolating this information to the discussion about developing
more native seed and plant growers.<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;letter-spacing:.05pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Though researchers do not discuss planting native species for restoration or growing natives as perennial crops, the study does support that young, educated landowners, that value conservation may be best suited to transition to multifunctional
perennial cropping systems. Soil, water quality and pollinators were the highest ranked ecosystem services influencing farming decisions of respondents in the study. Projecting market economics was another important component to transitioning.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10457-016-0053-6">http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10457-016-0053-6</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.seeddaily.com/reports/What_makes_farmers_try_new_practices_999.html">http://www.seeddaily.com/reports/What_makes_farmers_try_new_practices_999.html</a><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:15.0pt;color:#333333;letter-spacing:.1pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Abstract:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;letter-spacing:.05pt">The demand on agriculture to meet food security goals and mitigate environmental impacts requires multifunctional land-use strategies. Considering both farmer motivations
and rural development needs, one option is to transition marginal farmland to perennial crops. In this study, we considered the potential for Multifunctional Perennial Cropping Systems (MPCs) that would simultaneously provide production and ecosystem service
benefits. We examined adoption potential of MPCs on marginal farmland through an agricultural landowner survey in the Upper Sangamon River Watershed in Illinois, USA. We identified adoption preferences among landowners in conjunction with socio-demographic
characteristics that would facilitate targeted implementation. Hierarchical cluster analysis and discriminant analysis identified landowner categories and key factors affecting adoption potential. Landowner age, appreciation for plant diversity, and future
farm management involvement were the strongest predictors of potential MPCs adoption. The landowner categories identified within the survey data, supplemented with focus group discussions, suggested a high adoption potential farmer profile as a young, educated
landowner with known marginal land they would consider converting to MPCs for improved soil and water quality conservation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;letter-spacing:.05pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;letter-spacing:.05pt">Enjoy!</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Magneto">Megan <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Megan Haidet<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Program Specialist<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Division of Plant Systems – Protection<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Institute of Food Production and Sustainability<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Office – 202-401-6617<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Email – Margaret.haidet@nifa.usda.gov<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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