CDFA ANNOUNCES AWARDS FOR CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

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SACRAMENTO, September 21, 2023 – CDFA’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI) is pleased to announce $3.7 million in grants to 24 organizations for technical assistance in climate-smart ag programs.    

Awarded organizations support producers that apply to or implement funding from CDFA’s Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP), the Healthy Soils Incentive Program (HSP), or the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) in the upcoming year, with an emphasis on Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (SDFRs) as defined by the Farmer Equity Act of 2018. This focus is critical to CDFA’s goal of ensuring that programs are accessible for all farmers, including those that have historically been underserved by CDFA grant programs.  

This year’s program encourages technical assistance providers to provide bilingual support through an increased maximum award for translation and interpretation as well as supporting training opportunities for organizations to build expertise in climate smart agriculture. 

“Technical assistance, which includes one-on-one application support in languages other than English, are critical elements of addressing equity in CDFA grant programs,” said CDFA Farm Equity Advisor Thea Rittenhouse. “Funding local trusted organizations to help farmers and ranchers apply to CDFA programs was a key recommendation in our Farmer Equity Report, and OEFI continues to build and strengthen the elements of equity throughout its programs.”

To view a list of the awarded organizations, visit the Climate Smart Agriculture Technical Assistance webpage at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/technical/.  

“This is absolutely essential work at we adapt to a changing climate,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “These grants build upon our previous investments in technical assistance and help us attain our goal of reaching every farmer and every acre in California with encouragement and support for at least one climate-smart practice!”

Once grant agreements are executed, CDFA will post the lists of technical assistance providers and their contact information on the, AMMP, HSP and SWEEP webpages so that producers can identify technical assistance available in their area. 

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