Healthy Soils Program Block Grant

About the Healthy Soils Program Block Grant

Through the Block Grant model, CDFA's Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS), partners with regional organizations to administer local grant programs that support farmers and ranchers implementing healthy soils practices.

Block Grant Recipients work directly with producers in their region by providing outreach, technical assistance, and support throughout project implementation. These organizations manage the local application process, recommend projects for funding to CDFA, establish agreements with producers who carry out soil-health practices on their operations, and manage funded on-farm projects.

By working through trusted regional partners, the Block Grant model helps ensure funding reaches producers along with locally informed support and technical expertise, thus expanding the adoption of soil-building practices across California.

Important Terminology:

• Block Grant Recipient (BGR) is a regional or specialized organization that receives funding from CDFA to administer a Healthy Soils Program block grant and support producers within their service area.
• On-Farm Grant Beneficiary is the producer. Farmers and ranchers receive funding through their regional Block Grant Recipient to implement approved healthy soils practices on their operations.

On this page:

• Block Grants vs. Incentive Grants
• Block Grant Recipients
  • Overview of the Block Grant Recipient Role
  • Eligibility Requirements
  • Technical Assistance Providers (TAPs)
  • How to Apply
  • Tribal Set-Aside Opportunity
  • When Block Grant Recipients Can Apply (Timeline)
• On-Farm Grant Beneficiary (Producers)
  • Who Is Eligible
  • How to Seek Funding
  • Technical Assistance for Producers
  • When Producers Can Apply (Timeline)

Block Grants vs. Incentive Grants

Block Grant Recipients

Overview of the Block Grant Recipient Role

Block Grant Recipients are responsible for:

• Managing a Healthy Soils Block Grant
• Conducting outreach to farmers and ranchers in their service area
• Selecting and recommending on-farm projects for funding
• Establishing agreements with funded producers (Grant Beneficiaries)
• Supporting project implementation
• Conduct verification and process reimbursements to grant beneficiaries

Block Grant Recipients also coordinate technical assistance to help producers develop, design, and implement eligible management practices.

Eligibility Requirements

Lead Applicant

The following organizations are eligible to apply as a Lead Applicant:

• Public agencies
• Local agencies
• 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations
• Special districts
• Joint Powers Authorities
• Public utilities and locally owned utilities
• Mutual water companies
• California Native American Tribes

Technical Assistance Providers (TAPs)

Block Grant Recipients may serve as the Technical Assistance Provider Lead Organization if they are eligible under the Canella Environmental Farming Act.

Eligible entities include:

• Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs)
• University of California Cooperative Extension
• California public colleges and universities
• Nonprofit organizations
• Groundwater Sustainability Agencies
• Irrigation districts

Lead Applicants that are not eligible to serve as the TAP Lead Organization may partner with an eligible entity to provide technical assistance.

Tribal Set-Aside Opportunity

CDFA's Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS) is committed to supporting projects led by California Native American Tribes.

A tribal set-aside of up to $4 million will be available for Tribal governments and nonprofit organizations affiliated with a Tribal government. OARS will develop details of a Block Grant tailored to Tribes through a tribal consultation process, and a separate solicitation will be released in early 2027

Tribes remain eligible to apply through the standard Healthy Soils Block Grant solicitation.

How to Apply

Organizations interested in administering a Healthy Soils Program Block grant may apply to become a Block Grant Recipient (BGR).

The Lead Applicant is the organization that applies for and, if awarded, receives funding from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). As Block Grant Recipients, they enter into an agreement with CDFA to administer a local grant program and distribute funding to producers who implement eligible soil health practices on their operations.

When Block Grant Recipients Can Apply

Estimated Block Grant Solicitation Timeline*:

• Concept Proposal Opens: April 2026
• Full Proposal Notification: June 2026
• Full Proposal Close: August 2026
• Award Notification: September 2026
• Award Execution: January 2027

*All estimates are subject to change.

Block Grant Application Assistance

Webinar Information

HSP and SWEEP will offer joint informational webinars to guide prospective Block Grant Recipients through the Concept Proposal application process and address applicant questions.

Registration is required.

Question and Answer Process

In addition to informational webinars, OARS will offer a question-and-answer process. General questions may be submitted to cdfa.HSP_Tech@cdfa.ca.gov and responses will be standardized and posted to the website according to the timeline below:

• April 17th, 2026
• May 1st, 2026

The last day to submit questions is April 27th, 2026.

Technical Assistance for Block Grant Applicants

OARS is working with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources to support Block Grant applicants through technical assistance. Community Education Specialists (CESs) across California can help develop projects that benefit disadvantaged communities (DACs) and vulnerable populations.

Need help? Reach out to the CES team at climatesmartag@ucdavis.edu.

UC ANR will be hosting weekly office hours from April 9 through May 14, 2026, between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Registration is not required. During these sessions, the UC ANR team will be available to answer applicants’ questions and provide clarification about the block grant process. You can join the weekly Zoom meeting using the following link:
Zoom Link For Weekly Office Hours

Producers (On-Farm Grant Beneficiaries)

Who Is Eligible

• Individual Farmers and Ranchers
  • Individuals who are 18 years or older and actively engaged in agricultural production, including those operating as:
    • Sole proprietors
    • Single-member LLCs
    • Lessees managing agricultural land
• Agricultural Businesses and Entities
  • Businesses or shared property entities engaged in agricultural production that are registered with the California Secretary of State, including:
    • Trusts
    • Estates
    • Partnerships
    • Limited Liability Companies (LLCs)
    • Corporations, including nonprofit (public benefit) corporations
• California Native American Tribes
  • Federally recognized Tribes
  • Tribes listed on the California Tribal Consultation List maintained by the Native American Heritage Commission

Ineligible Applicants

The following individuals or entities are not eligible to receive funding for an HSP on-farm project:

• University farms
• Employees of the individual or entity that owns or leases the land where the project would occur
• Individuals or entities that don't meet the eligibility requirements listed above.

Individuals with a conflict of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Employees of the Block Grant Recipient (BGR) or its contractors or subrecipients
• Members of the BGR Board or other governing body
• Immediate family members (parents, spouses, or children) of individuals involved in funding or award decisions

How to Seek Funding

For Producers: Applying for an On-Farm Grant

Farmers and ranchers seeking funding for Healthy Soils practices will apply through an awarded Block Grant Recipient in their region.

1. Identify a Block Grant Recipient (BGR)

   Starting January 2027, a list of Block Grant Recipients and their contact information will be available on this webpage.

   When selecting a Block Grant Recipient, consider:

   • The counties or regions they serve
   • Whether they specialize in certain production systems (such as rangeland grazing, orchards, or specialty crops)
   • Whether they prioritize funding to specific Healthy Soils practices.
2. Request Technical Assistance

   Block Grant Recipients provide technical assistance to help producers participate in the Healthy Soils Program.

   Technical assistance may be provided by:

   • Staff from the Block Grant Recipient organization
   • Contractors working with the BGR
   • Partner organizations collaborating with the BGR

   Support may include:

   • One-on-one project development and application assistance
   • A pre-award farm visit
   • Guidance on practice implementation
3. Submit Your Funding Request

   When applications open, Block Grant Recipients will provide producers with instructions and a list of required materials to submit. Applications should be submitted to Block Grant Recipients, not CDFA.

   CDFA's Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS) will assist Block Grant Recipients in reviewing projects to ensure:

   • The producer or organization meets eligibility requirements
   • The proposed project location is eligible for funding

When Producers Can Apply

Producers will not be able to apply for Healthy Soils Program funding until Block Grant Recipients have been selected for award and agreements are executed with CDFA. At this time, execution of Block Grant Recipient agreements is expected in January 2027.

Once Block Grant Recipients are finalized, they will begin administering local grant programs and accepting applications from producers in the regions they serve.

Please note that exact timelines for when individual Block Grant Recipients will open their producer application periods are still to be determined and may vary by organization. Additional information, including a list of awarded Block Grant Recipients and their contact information, will be posted on the Healthy Soils Program webpage as it becomes available.

What Types of Practices Can HSP Fund?

HSP currently supports 28 different practices, offering payments for practices on cropland, orchards and vineyards, and grazing land. Depending on the practice, HSP will provide funding for a one-time implementation or for three years of annual implementation.

Below are some commonly-funded practices with their basic descriptions:

Compost, woodchip mulching, natural materials mulching, and biochar may be supported by certain BGRs on a capped, invoice-based reimbursement basis, or with direct provision of materials and services, instead of a fixed rate payment. You are advised to inquire with your local BGR about how financial support for these practices will be handled. For the full list of practices, their payment options, and implementation requirements see HSP 2026 Practice Guidelines.

On-Farm HSP Project Requirements and Restrictions

• All practices and plantings must be implemented in soil, and soil cannot be in containers.
• Permanent plantings are to be maintained for 10 years, with irrigation if necessary.
• Each practice has standards that a producer must follow and document when implementing the practice. See the HSP 2026 Practice Guidelines.
• Practices should be new to the field on which they are implemented, unless there has recently been a change of ownership or management.
• Some HSP practices are restricted by geography, topography, or are not allowed to overlap with certain others, for technical reasons. Many of these restrictions are built into the RePlan project design tool.