CDFA ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE PLANNING GRANTS PROGRAM

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SACRAMENTO, July 29, 2022 – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is now accepting grant applications for the Conservation Agriculture Planning Grants Program (CAPGP) administered by its Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI).

The application period will close on October 23, 2022, at 5 p.m. PT.

Detailed information, including application processes and requirements informational webinars to review program guidelines can be found on the program website at www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/planning.

CAPGP is a new program which will fund the development of plans that will help farmers and ranchers identify actions for climate change mitigation and adaption, further environmental stewardship on farms and ranches, and ensure agricultural food security for the future.

CAPGP will fund the development of plans, not the implementation of plans. Eligible applicants include farmers who partner with qualified experts; tribes; and organizations (including Resource Conservation Districts, Universities, Non-profits, agricultural cooperatives, and groundwater sustainability agencies). Applicants may request up to $250,000 to prepare conservation agriculture plans in the following categories:

• Agricultural Energy Design
• Carbon Farming
• Comprehensive Nutrient Management
• Fish and Wildlife Habitat
• Grazing Management
• Irrigation Water Management
• Nutrient Management
• Organic Transition
• Pollinator Habitat
• Pest Management
• Soil Health Management

The program was established by the Budget Act of 2021 (Senate Bill 170, Skinner) which appropriated $17 million to CDFA. Of the funding appropriated in 2021, $7 million will fund organic transition support for farmers and ranchers. That appropriation is funding a $1 million partnership between CDFA and the University of California Organic Institute to provide technical assistance to farmers and ranchers related to organic transition. The remaining $6 million funds the CAPGP solicitation to plan organic transition, including Organic Systems Plans.

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