CDFA - Healthy Soils Week - April 6

California’s Healthy Soils Week

Healthy soils are the foundation of resilient farms, thriving ecosystems, and strong rural communities.

Since 2018, CDFA’s Healthy Soils Program has helped farmers and ranchers implement practices that build organic carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve water retention, and strengthen biodiversity across California’s working lands. From compost and cover crops to hedgerows and reduced tillage, these practices create measurable climate benefits while improving crop nutrition, soil structure, and long-term productivity.

But California’s Healthy Soils Week is about more than a single program.

It’s a statewide movement to highlight how climate-smart agriculture supports both environmental sustainability and producers’ economic resilience. For many operations, soil health practices serve are the foundation of long-term land stewardship and adaptation in the face of climate challenges. For many communities, soil health practices support wellbeing through cleaner air and water.

Throughout the week, partners and stakeholders host events that demonstrate how they are advancing soil health in their own regions. By sharing these efforts across our platforms, we amplify the collective impact of farmers, ranchers, researchers, and partners working toward a more sustainable future for agriculture. Healthy Soils Week celebrates the idea that building resilience starts from the ground up and that lasting change happens when we work together.

Why Healthy Soils?

Healthy soil is quite literally the foundation of sustainable food, water, air and biodiversity. Restoring and preserving healthy soil results in:

Improved plant health and yields
Increased water infiltration and retention
Sequestered carbon and reduced greenhouse gases (GHGs)
Reduced sediment erosion and dust
Improved water and air quality
Improved biological diversity and wildlife habitat

CDFA TV

Secretary Karen Ross kicks off Healthy Soils Week 2024

Join the California Department of Food and Agriculture in celebrating Healthy Soils Week! Healthy soils support the sustainable production of nutritious food and fiber. (5:46)

Events

Additional Informational Resources from our Partners

NRCS

Through voluntary conservation programs, NRCS helps producers, soil and water conservation districts, and other partners protect and conserve natural resources on private lands throughout the United States. With approximately 2,300 Service Centers in communities nationwide, NRCS and other USDA employees work side-by-side with producers in every State and territory.

NRCS Cropland In-Field Soil Health Assessment Overview: This diagnostic tool helps conservation planners determine if sol health resource concerns exist.

NRCS Cropland In-Field Soil Health Assessment Overview, Part 1 (17:58)
NRCS Cropland In-Field Soil Health Assessment Overview, Part 2 (16:35)

NRCS Rainfall Simulator Demo

The Rainfall Simulator provides a demonstration of how practices such as no-till farming, cover crops, and prescribed grazing benefit soil health and improve the water cycle on cropland and rangeland. Presented by Dr. Zahangir Kabir, NRCS Regional Soil Health Specialist. (10:29)

American Farmland Trust

American Farmland Trust is documenting economic and environmental benefits of soil health practices with farmer profiles, case studies, webinars, and on-farm soil analysis trials with almonds, mixed crops, wine grapes, and wheat.

Soil Health Farmer Profiles

American Farmland Trust's case studies in English and Spanish document how growers boosted their bottom line, increased their biodiversity, and reduced their water usage (in some cases by 40 percent) with various soil health practices.

Soil Health Bottom Line

To understand how soil health improves California producers' economic and environmental impacts, AFT offers case studies, farmer profiles, quantification tools, and other resources in its Soil Health Bottom Line program. Learn about the multi-year, in-field trials and how that information is shared with the agricultural community.
Learn More about the Soil Health Bottom Line.

Sustainable Conservation

Sustainable Conservation drives collaborative solutions to meet the water needs of California's environment, people, and economy for current and future generations – with particular focus on advancing sustainable groundwater management and accelerating the stewardship of natural and working lands and waterways.

Solutions in our Soils Webinar Series: This series brought together experts from across California for four rich and far-reaching conversations that covered what soil health means and why it's so important for increasing drought resilience, improving water quality, boosting biodiversity, and nourishing healthy farmlands and communities.

Cover Cropping in the SGMA Era

This collaboratively developed report offers a comprehensive overview of water impacts of cover cropping, the policy implications of those impacts, and recommendations for California's water managers. ulti-benefit practice can improve SGMA outcomes in water-scarce regions and the barriers that might hinder this potential.

Collaborative Solutions for California's Climate-Resilient Agriculture: Harnessing the Water-Related Benefits of Soil

This report looks at the relationship between healthy soils and water, and the barriers to soil health practices in California.

Healthy Soils Videos

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Healthy Soils Week