LAND-GRANT INSTITUTIONS (LGIS) SERVE A RANGE OF POPULATIONS AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NORTH CENTRAL REGION OF THE UNITED STATES. THE 24 LGIS IN THE NORTH CENTRAL REGION, WITH ENABLING LEGISLATION PASSED IN 1862 (12 INSTITUTIONS), 1890 (2 INSTITUTIONS), AND 1994 (20 INSTITUTIONS), HAVE COMPLEMENTARY STRENGTHS THAT CAN BE BETTER LEVERAGED TO ADDRESS CRITICAL RESEARCH AND OUTREACH NEEDS AT THE INTERSECTION OF CLIMATE, WATER, AGRICULTURE, AND EQUITY. HOWEVER, LGIS HAVE A DEEPLY DISSONANT HISTORY WHEN IT COMES TO SERVING RURAL COMMUNITIES AND TRIBAL NATIONS. WHILE LGIS WERE ORIGINALLY ENABLED IN 1862 IN PART TO SERVE WORKING CLASS PEOPLE AND THEIR PURSUITS, THOSE PURSUITS INCLUDED THE TAKING OF LAND THAT BELONGED TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST BLACK FARMERS AND RANCHERS THAT CONTINUES TO THE PRESENT DAY (STEIN 2020).FOR LGIS TO BE EFFECTIVE IN OUR RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION MISSIONS, WE MUST DO A BETTER JOB OF UNDERSTANDING THE STRENGTHS AND CONSTRAINTS OF OUR RESPECTIVE INSTITUTIONS AND DO MORE TO AMPLIFY THE VOICES OF COLLEAGUES AT THE 1890 AND 1994 INSTITUTIONS. WE MUST CREATE A MORE EQUITABLE RESOURCE LANDSCAPE TO ENSURE THAT CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE DOES NOT PERPETUATE SYSTEMIC RACISM AND GREATER VULNERABILITY FOR BLACK AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES. TO ATTAIN A SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT AGRICULTURE THAT PROVIDES THE NECESSARY RANGE OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES - FOOD, FIBER, CLEAN WATER IN A TIMELY FASHION, VIBRANT COMMUNITIES AND FARM ENTERPRISES THAT ARE ECONOMICALLY VIABLE ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF NORTH CENTRAL ECOREGIONS AND CULTURES - WE NEED TO DO MORE TO BUILD AWARENESS AND RELATIONSHIPS AMONG LGIS AND FOCUS OUR RESEARCH, EDUCATION, EXTENSION EFFORTS ON OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE GREATEST COLLECTIVE IMPACT.IN SUPPORT OF THESE GOALS, OUR PROJECT TEAM WILL HOST AN IN-PERSON WORKSHOP (JULY 11-12) AND ASSOCIATED CONFERENCE (JULY 12-14) IN DULUTH, MINNESOTA.OUR PRIMARY AUDIENCES FOR THIS WORKSHOP ARE COLLEAGUES FROM 1994, 1890, AND 1862 LGIS WORKING BROADLY ON CLIMATE, WATER, AND AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS. THE CONFERENCE THAT IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWS THIS WORKSHOP - CLIMATE INTERSECTIONS: TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE, WATER, AND THE LAND (JULY 12-14) - HAS A BROADER AUDIENCE THAT INCLUDES LGIS AND USERS OF LGI RESEARCH, HIGHER EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION EDUCATION, INCLUDING CONSERVATION DISTRICT STAFF, FARMERS, AGRICULTURAL ADVISORS, MUNICIPALITIES, AND TRIBAL GOVERNMENT STAFF. WE WILL SHARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS RESULTING FROM THE WORKSHOP DURING A CONFERENCE PLENARY SESSION AND HOLD A SYMPOSIA SESSION DURING THE CONFERENCE WHICH FOCUSES ON REVIEWING THE WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS IN MORE DEPTH, GATHERING FEEDBACK FROM CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS, AND SOLICITING PARTNER SUPPORT AND COLLABORATION FOR DEVELOPING AND CARRYING OUT AN ACTION PLAN FOR THE HIGHEST PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COME OUT OF THE WORKSHOP.OUR SHORT-TERM OBJECTIVES ARE TO: 1) INCREASE KNOWLEDGE AND TRUST RELATED TO RESEARCH, EDUCATION, EXTENSION, AND CULTURAL CONTEXT AMONG A GROU,P OF 70 1862, 1890, AND 1994 LGI PROFESSIONALS WORKING ON CLIMATE AND WATER RELATED ISSUES IN THE NORTH CENTRAL REGION. 2) DRAFT ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE COLLABORATIONS AMONG LGIS IN WAYS THAT WILL ULTIMATELY INCREASE OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE CLIMATE AND WATER PROGRAMMING TO HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES WITH A FOCUS ON BLACK AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES.WE EXPECT THE WORKSHOP TO INCREASE KNOWLEDGE AND TRUST AMONG PARTICIPANTS AND LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR CONTINUED TRUST-BUILDING AND EXPANDED CROSS-INSTITUTION COLLABORATION AND ACTION. OUR WORKSHOP AND FOLLOW-UP BY OUR COMMITTED PROJECT TEAM WILL 1) INCREASE COLLABORATIONS AMONG 1994, 1890, AND 1862 LGI PROFESSIONALS WORKING ON CLIMATE AND WATER- RELATED ISSUES, INCLUDING COLLABORATIONS THAT LEAD TO MORE NIFA-FUNDED PROJECTS LED BY 1994 AND 1890 INSTITUTIONS, AND 2) INCREASE FOOD AND WATER SAFETY AND SECURITY IN THE NORTH CENTRAL REGION.