Healthy Soils Week
December 2 – December 6, 2024
Partner Toolkit
California's Healthy Soils Week (December 2–6) and World Soil Day (December 5) continue to spotlight the state's agricultural landscapes and commitment to sustainable farming. This year's theme, "A Circular Economy for Healthy Soils," highlights efforts to enhance soil health in ways that also bolster the food system, climate resilience, and the economy.
In a circular economy, waste materials are repurposed to add value and productivity. In agriculture, this includes using compost from green, food, or agricultural waste, incorporating wood waste into soil to build organic matter, and utilizing mulches like wood chips or nut shells to conserve water. Programs like CDFA's Healthy Soils Program (HSP) incentivize these practices, with over 130,000 acres already funded to improve soil health statewide.
This Healthy Soils Week, CDFA invites everyone to learn about the benefits of a circular economy for soil health and how these practices are shaping a sustainable, climate-smart future for California's communities and farms.
For more details and resources, follow @calclimatesmartag on Instagram, @CDFAClimateNews on X, and CDFA Office of Environmental Farming & Innovation on Facebook, and use #HealthySoilsWeek2024.
Healthy Soils Program by the Numbers
- Funding Impact: $177 million awarded through 1,467 Incentive projects, 72 Demonstration projects, and 14 Block Grant Recipients across the state to date. The number of projects will continue to grow as our block grantees roll out additional projects.
- Environmental Benefits: Projects have sequestered 1.1 million metric tons of CO₂e and counting, equal to removing 240,000 cars from the road for a year.
- Land Coverage: CDFA has funded over 130,000 acres of farmland and ranchland to adopt new healthy soils practices.
- Funding Sources: Supported by the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, the California State General Fund, and Proposition 68 (the 2018 Parks and Water Bond).
- Soil Health Benefits: Improves water infiltration, reduces erosion, enhances nutrient cycling, increases climate resilience of agricultural lands, and supports sustainable farming.
- Technical Assistance: CDFA funds nine organizations to provide technical assistance to farmers and has partnered with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) to maintain a statewide Climate Smart Ag team. Together, these efforts support outreach, grant applications, and project implementation.
PDF overview for Partners
Social Media Posts
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We're excited to join the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) in kicking off Healthy Soils Week! This year's theme, "A Circular Economy for Healthy Soils," is all about turning "waste" into resources that help California's soil thrive.
Why does this matter for California? By improving soil health, we're building a more sustainable California, able to withstand climate challenges, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and ensure a strong future for agriculture and our communities alike.
#HealthySoilsWeek2024 #SustainableAg #SoilHealth #ClimateResilience #WorldSoilsDay
Post 2
This week, our friends at CDFA are celebrating Healthy Soils Week!It's a great time to recognize the important connection between healthy soils and a circular economy. By turning "waste" into resources like compost and mulch, we can nourish our soil, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and support sustainable agriculture.
#HealthySoilsWeek2024 #SustainableAg #SoilHealth #ClimateResilience #WorldSoilsDay
Post 3
Happy World Soil Day!Today, we are joining California's farmers, gardeners, and environmental stewards in celebrating the importance of healthy soils. Healthy soils are the foundation of everything we grow—they support our food, help conserve water, and even mitigate greenhouse gas emissions! With sustainable soil management practices like composting, mulching, and recycling organic materials, we're working toward a more climate-resilient future for all.
Let's keep learning and taking small steps that make a big difference. Together, we can protect our soil, support our food system, and help our planet thrive.
#HealthySoilsWeek2024 #HealthySoilsDay #SustainableAg #SoilHealth #ClimateResilience #WorldSoilsDay
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Tweets
- Happy #HealthySoilsWeek2024! We're joining @CDFAClimateNews and @CDFAClimateNews in celebrating the circular economy for soil health. By turning waste into resources like compost, we're building resilience and sustainability for California's future. #SoilHealth #CircularEconomy #ClimateResilience
- It's #HealthySoilsWeek2024! Healthy soils mean stronger crops, cleaner air, and resilient water systems.Let's make "waste" work for us through composting, mulching, and organic recycling! #SoilHealth #CircularEconomy #ClimateResilience
- Celebrating #WorldSoilDay with @CDFAClimateNews and @CDFAClimateNews during #HealthySoilsWeek2024! Healthy soils are key to a climate-resilient future, capturing carbon and supporting our food systems. Let's dig into soil health!#SoilHealth #ClimateResilience
- Did you know healthy soil practices can mitigate greenhouse gases? From compost to cover crops, soil is at the heart of a sustainable, climate-ready California. #HealthySoilsWeek2024 #SoilHealth #CircularEconomy @CDFAClimateNews @CDFAClimateNews
- This #HealthySoilsWeek2024, we're highlighting the circular economy for soil! By transforming organic waste into resources, we're not just supporting crops—we're creating a more resilient planet.#SoilHealth #ClimateResilience @CDFAClimateNews @CDFAClimateNews
- Thrilled to kick off #HealthySoilsWeek2024 with @CDFAClimateNews and @CDFAClimateNews! Turning waste into resources helps build a healthy ecosystem and ensures our soil can withstand climate challenges. Together, let's grow a sustainable California!#SoilHealth #CircularEconomy
- Healthy soil is the foundation of a strong food system. By recycling organic materials, we're creating a circular economy that keeps California's soil thriving. Join us in celebrating #HealthySoilsWeek2024!#SoilHealth #ClimateResilience @CDFAClimateNews @CDFAClimateNews
- What is soil health all about? It's about creating sustainable solutions that last. Healthy soils sequester carbon, conserve water, and support our communities. This #HealthySoilsWeek2024, let's honor the power of healthy soil! #CircularEconomy #ClimateResilience @CDFAClimateNews @CDFAClimateNews
- California's soil health matters—for agriculture, climate, and our future! This #HealthySoilsWeek2024, join us, @CDFAClimateNews, and @CDFAClimateNews in recognizing the importance of turning waste into resources to build resilient soils.#SoilHealth #CircularEconomy #ClimateResilience
- Healthy soils are vital for sustainable agriculture and climate resilience! This #HealthySoilsWeek2024, we're celebrating the role of compost, cover crops, and more in creating a circular economy that strengthens our communities. #SoilHealth #CircularEconomy @CDFAClimateNews @CDFAClimateNews
Virtual Backgrounds
Additional Resources
- Why We Should Compost — CalRecycle
- Compost and Mulch Use in Agriculture: Organic Materials Management — CalRecycle
- Home Composting — CalRecycle
- Tips to Start at Home Composting — CalRecycle
- A Quick Guide to Backyard Composting — CalRecycle
- Making More Compost Available for Farmers — CalRecycle
- On-Farm Compost Resources — CDFA
- Understanding the Science Behind Climate Smart Agriculture in California – Community Alliance with Family Farmers & University of California, Davis — CAFF
Best Practices for Posting
- Accounts – On Instagram, tag @calclimatesmartag and @cafoodandag. On X (Twitter), tag @CDFAClimateNews and @CDFAnews. On Facebook, tag CDFA Office of Environmental Farming & Innovation and California Department of Food and Agriculture. Lastly, tag California Department of Food and Agriculture on LinkedIn.
- Hashtags – In post copy for Facebook and Instagram, use 3-5 hashtags per post. Include these 3 hashtags (#HealthySoilsWeek2024 #SoilHealth #ClimateResilience #CircularEconomy).
- Emojis – Use no more than 4 related emojis at a time. Emojis can be used as bullet points or as punctuations.
- Length of Copy – Copy on image posts should be kept at a minimum to increase organic performance. Recommended character counts are listed by platform as follows:
- Facebook: 80-100 characters
- Instagram: 125-150 characters
- X (Twitter): 100-280 characters
Partners
CDFA's Healthy Soils Program, launched in 2017, stems from the California Healthy Soils Initiative, a collaboration of state agencies and departments promoting the development of healthy soils on California's farmlands and ranchlands.
CDFA's Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) funds and facilitates research to advance the environmentally safe and agronomically sound use and handling of fertilizing materials.
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has provided leadership in a partnership effort to help America's private landowners and managers conserve their soil, water, air, plants, and other natural resources since 1935. For more information about NRCS in California, please visit the NRCS website.
Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) conducts on-farm research, facilitates farmer-to-farmer learning, and provides technical assistance for a variety of climate smart farming practices. Check out the latest case study on cover crops in orchards.
The California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating youth throughout California about the importance of agriculture in their daily lives.
CalRecycle's mission is to protect the environment and preserve natural resources by promoting and supporting the highest levels of waste reduction, recycling, and reuse.
The Department of Water Resources manages California's water resources, systems, and infrastructure, including the State Water Project (SWP), in a responsible, sustainable way.
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, economic and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at the UCANR website.
The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) facilitates meaningful connections among sustainable agriculture producers, renewable energy experts, innovators, researchers, and industry professionals. Learn more at the NCAT website.
Sustainable Conservation advances the collaborative stewardship of California's land, air, and water for the benefit of nature and people. The organization launched its Solutions in Our Soil program in 2023 to explore how improving the state's soil health can address community, agricultural, and environmental water challenges.
Infographics
Healthier Soils, Healthier Water
Enlarge or print this infographic highlighting the connection between soil and water.
Illustration: SayoStudio.
Healthier Soils, The Compost-Carbon-Climate Connection
Enlarge or print this infographic explaining the connection between compost, carbon and the climate.
Compost for Healthy Soil
Enlarge or print this infographic explaining why compost for healthy soil.