Rooted in Resilience
In 2025, UNH Extension began statewide education efforts to promote agroforestry, which is the integration of trees and shrubs into crop and livestock systems. This climate-smart approach improves land productivity, soil health, and biodiversity. Extension staff from Food & Agriculture, Natural Resources, and 4-H Youth Development are developing workshops, curricula, and hands-on learning opportunities that connect landowners, farmers, teachers, and students with the sustainable land use practice.
This work is part of ADAPT, a $10 million USDA-funded partnership between UNH, the Yale School of the Environment, and Dartmouth. The project, led by UNH College of Life Science and Agriculture, supports research and outreach focused on agroforestry techniques that improve farm resilience and income diversification.
“In the coming years, this work promises to help New Hampshire farmers use their land to sustainably support both their agriculture and natural resources goals,” says Kelly McAdam, UNH Extension’s Food & Agriculture Program Team Leader. “It supports local food systems, the forest products industry, and other rural economies.”