Climate Smart Agriculture
Climate Smart Agriculture
Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) addresses the risk that the agriculture industry faces due to changing climate conditions. It encompasses management practices that increase soil carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve on-farm efficiencies, and promote sustainable land practices. CSA promotes increasing agricultural productivity, building resiliency to climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Climate Smart Agriculture Technical Assistance
In 2018, UCANR and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) developed a joint program to provide technical assistance in applying for and implementing CDFA's Climate Smart Agriculture Incentives Programs, which help agricultural producers build climate change resilience, increase water use efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
How do we provide technical assistance?
UC ANR's team of Community Education Specialists provide technical assistance, outreach, and education to increase the adoption of climate smart agriculture practices targeted at soil health, manure management, and water use efficiency across California.
We provide technical assistance by: supporting growers with project design, application, implementation, monitoring, and verification of CDFA's climate smart agriculture grant programs; assisting with grant applications for other climate smart agriculture programs; and providing translation services and computer access to growers. For more information about the program, please visit https://ciwr.ucanr.edu/Programs/ClimateSmartAg/.
Your Technical Assistance Provider
Bailey Smith-Helman is the Climate Smart Agriculture Community Education Specialist supporting Santa Cruz, Monterey, Santa Clara, and San Benito Counties.
Bailey can provide technical assistance for farmers and ranchers applying to, or implementing CDFA's incentive programs. For more information, email bsmithhelman@ucanr.edu or call (831) 239-9456.
CDFA Climate Smart Agriculture Grants
The University of California Cooperative Extension is pleased to partner with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to provide technical assistance in applying for the Climate Smart Agriculture Incentives Programs.
Check back for more information about grant opening dates, deadlines, and eligibility. This information will be posted when it becomes available.
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The Healthy Soils Incentive Program (HSP) awards up to $100,000 (award cap may increase for 2023) to eligible growers for implementation of conservation agriculture techniques that decrease erosion and greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil health. Eligible projects include compost application, cover crop planting, mulching, and hedgerow planting. Eligible practices are based on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Practice Standards (CPS). Click here for a full list of practices. |
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The State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) encourages farmers to install more efficient irrigation systems that decrease their water consumption as well as their greenhouse gas emissions. You can apply for a SWEEP grant for up to $200,000. Eligible projects could include soil moisture monitoring, drip systems, switching to low pressure irrigation systems, pump retrofits, variable frequency drives, and installation of renewable energy to reduce on-farm water use and energy. |
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The Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) awards funds of up to $750,000 to livestock producers who decrease their methane emissions by changing the way that they manage manure. Eligible projects include pasture-based management, alternative manure treatment and storage (such as compost bedded pack barns), and solid separation or conversion from flush to scrape in conjunction with some form of drying or composting of collected manure. |
Additional Grants and Funding Opportunities
The Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) maintains a database of farmer funding opportunities. You can access this database on CAFF's Farmer Funding Opportunities page and explore grant opportunities.
Find a Climate Smart Agriculture Education Specialist near you!
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