Healthy Soils Program
HEALTHY SOILS BLOCK
GRANT PILOT PROGRAM
In 2023, the Siskiyou Economic Development Council (SEDC) was awarded $5 million from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to administer their Healthy Soils Block Grant Pilot Program (HSP).
This program gives funding directly to Siskiyou County agriculture producers to implement healthy soils practices on their operations. With emergency drought regulations still in effect in Siskiyou, this program is especially timely in mitigating effects from potential early season curtailments. Healthy, resilient, and sustainable soil practices are the foundation of successful land stewardship, and we are so excited to work with you and your operation in this important endeavor!
The HSP program provides agricultural operations in Siskiyou County up to $200,000 for practices that improve soil health, sequester carbon, and lower atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions. A list of CDFA’s eligible practices can be found here. We will be offering direct funding and technical assistance from early 2024 to summer 2027.
LEARN MORE
Let us know your interest in the HSP by filling out our intake form. Then, keep an eye on your inbox for additional application information.
OUR GOAL IS TO IMPROVE SOIL HEALTH, ENHANCE WATER RETENTION, REDUCE SYNTHETIC INPUTS AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, AND SEQUESTER CARBON ON SISKIYOU COUNTY’S WORKING LANDSCAPES.
More information about
the healthy soils program
Since 2017, CDFA has provided individual operations funding to implement healthy soils practices through a direct grant opportunity process. This is the first time CDFA has administered the block grant. As a block grant recipient (BGR), SEDC is able to focus on Siskiyou’s farmers and ranchers to ensure successful and impactful soil improvements in our region.
SEDC has partnered with the Shasta Valley Resource Conservation District (SVRCD) as our Technical Assistance Provider (TAP). They will provide no-cost technical assistance to farmers and ranchers with everything from application assistance to project design and implementation of on-farm projects.
HSP is a competitive grant program and prioritizes assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (SDFRs) as defined by the 2017 Farmer Equity Act, operations serving and benefitting priority populations, and farms and ranches that total 500 acres or less.
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
Individuals or entities that either own or control the agricultural land where Healthy Soils eligible practices will be implemented through on-farm projects. These individuals or entities may be referred to as farmers, ranchers, agricultural operations, or farm lessees.
California Farmers/Ranchers
California Agricultural Operations
Nonprofit organizations working as agriculture operations
Federally-and California-Recognized Native American Indian Tribes
Row, vineyard, field and tree crops, greenhouse operations producing food crops or flowers, rangeland, and pastures
INELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:
University and research farms (see CDFA’s Demonstration Grant Program)
Cannabis cultivation operations
Projects that use potted plants and plant growth media other than soil
Previously awarded and or/implemented practices on the same proposed project sites
APPLICATION PRIORITIZATION
This SEDC HSP Block Grant will prioritize Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (SDFRs), Spanish-speaking growers, female owned and operated farms, small (less than 500 acres) farms, as well as priority populations.
Under no circumstances, short of exhausting funds, will any eligible applicant be denied access to HSP services or funding consideration based on their operational status or social identity.
The final project scoring process will be carried out by the Independent Project Selection Committee who are made up of local professionals in the field.
The Farmer Equity Act of 2017 defines “Socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher” to mean a farmer or rancher who is a member of a socially disadvantaged group. “Socially disadvantaged group” means a group whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities. These groups include all of the following: (1) African Americans (2) Native American Indians (3) Alaskan Natives (4) Hispanics (5) Asian Americans (6) Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.
TENATIVE PROGRAM TIMELINE
January-March 2024 – HSP Grant applications open for agricultural operations
Starting April 2024 – Applications will be ranked and submitted to CDFA approved for funding on a quarterly basis (while funds last).
Summer 2024 – Approved projects can begin implementation
Fall 2027 – This round of SEDC’s HSP Block Grant funding ends
VIEW THE COMPLETE GUIDE OF ELIGIBLE PRACTICES AND PAYMENT RATE EXAMPLES
QUESTIONS? REACH OUT!
Gillies Robertson, Emma Morris, Mallory Pappas
Healthy Soils Program Supervisors
(530)-680-7118
Led by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), the Healthy Soils Program stems from the California Healthy Soils Initiative, a collaboration of state agencies and departments to promote the development of healthy soils on California’s farmlands and ranchlands.
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