Lauren Asprooth
Research Scientist
1535 Observatory Drive
I am a broadly trained social scientist focusing on the most impactful ways to support a transition to regenerative, diversified agriculture and resilient, localized food systems in the Upper Midwestern U.S. I use a range of quantitative (e.g., primary and secondary survey data) and qualitative (e.g., interviews, focus groups) methods and analyses to understand key levers of change. To this end, my research has focused on the roles of farmer networks and learning preferences and increasingly focuses on the role of broader, structural factors including markets, infrastructure, public investments, and local, state, and federal policy tools. I work in transdisciplinary teams of academics, non-governmental and farmer-focused organizations, and private sector professionals to ensure the research I lead is participatory, applied, and policy relevant.
Asprooth, L., Arbuckle, J., Traldi, R., Usher, E., Church, S., Floress, K., Awashra, I., Pivaral, K., Thompson, A., Margenot, A., Woodings, F., Maynard, E., Torres, A., & Prokopy, L. To Diversify or Not to Diversify: A Preliminary Report on Farmers’ Perspectives on Diversification in the U.S. Midwest. Accepted, Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems.
Asprooth, L.,* Stedden, C.,* Hammond, E., Okur, A., & Silva, E. Assessing knowledge levels and learning preferences among organic grain farmers and professionals; The experience of the University of Wisconsin OGRAIN program. Accepted, Journal of Extension. *Co-lead authors
Asprooth, L., Krome, M., Hartman, A., McFarland, A., Galt, R., & Prokopy, L. Our daily bread in the Heartland: Understanding and leveraging diversification to small grains in corn and soybean systems. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224561.2025.2451000
Traldi, R., Asprooth, L., M. Usher, E., Floress, K., Arbuckle, J. G., Baskerville, M., Church, S. P., Genskow, K., Harden, S., Maynard, E. T., Thompson, A. W., Torres, A. P., & Prokopy, L. S. (2024). “Safer to plant corn and beans”? Navigating the challenges and opportunities of agricultural diversification in the U.S. Corn Belt. Agriculture and Human Values, 41(4), 1687–1706. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-024-10570-7
Pesci, S., Durant, J., Manser, G., Galt, R., Asprooth, L., & Pinzón, N. (2024). Online tools helped direct market farmers during the COVID-19 pandemic, but resources are needed for equitable adoption. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 13(3), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.133.020
Asprooth, L., Norton, M., & Galt, R. (2023). The adoption of conservation practices in the Corn Belt: The role of one formal farmer network, Practical Farmers of Iowa. Agriculture and Human Values, 40(4), 1559–1580. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-023-10451-5
Asprooth, L., Norton, M., & Galt, R. (2023). Transforming the Corn Belt: A recipe for collaborative, farmer-driven research and diffusion of innovation. Journal of Rural Studies, 103, 103133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2023.103133
Durant, J. L., Asprooth, L., Galt, R. E., Schmulevich, S. P., Manser, G. M., & Pinzón, N. (2023). Farm resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of California direct market farmers. Agricultural Systems, 204, 103532. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2022.103532
Pesci, S., Galt, R. E., Durant, J. L., Manser, G. M., Asprooth, L., & Pinzón, N. (2023). A digital divide in direct market farmers’ online sales and marketing: Early pandemic evidence from California. Journal of Rural Studies, 101, 103038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2023.103038
Galt, R. E., & Asprooth, L. (2021). The effects of agrochemicals on humans. In Handbook on the Human Impact of Agriculture. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781839101748.00028
Ignaciuk, A., Ilicic, J., Asprooth, L., Sitko, N., Bernard, A., Tubiello, F., & Mueller, M. (2021). Progress towards sustainable agriculture: Drivers of change, FAO Agricultural Development Economics Technical Study No. 13. FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb7896en
Tubiello, F., Wanner, N., Asprooth, L., Muller, M., Ignaciuk, A., Khan, A., Rosero-Moncayo, J., 2021. Measuring progress towards sustainable agriculture, FAO Statistics Working Paper 21-24. FAO, Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb4549en