Please visit the websites below for detailed information
The CDFA Healthy Soils Program opened in 2017 as part of an inter-Agency effort, to assist farmers and ranchers financially as they incorporated new sustainable agricultural practices into their systems. The Program has found increasing support over the years, as farmers’ experiences and scientific studies have underlined the importance of soil health and its usefulness as a framework for adoption of sustainable practices.
Our Incentive Grants support recurring on-farm practices for three years, and certain long-term plantings or one-time biomass applications. 27 practices are funded, with the most popular including compost application, cover cropping, hedgerow planting, and biomass mulching. The Incentives support farmers through a fixed-rate, per-acre reimbursement system. Recently, some regional organizations have been working with us to develop and support local Incentive projects under the Block Grant Pilot.
Our Demonstration Grants showcase healthy soils practices for outreach to producers, while measuring benefits, or addressing targeted healthy soils research gaps.
All funded projects build organic carbon below- or above- ground while reducing land-based GHG emissions. The Program is generally supported by Cap-and-Trade funding. By also providing physical soil protection and habitat, these projects increase the resilience of California’s farms and surrounding ecosystems to current and upcoming climate challenges.
Our Incentive Grants have become considerably easier to apply to over the years; at any time, you can try the online RePlan tool here, which produces the project plan that is at the heart of any Incentive application.
For assistance with an ongoing project, or for other questions, please contact us at cdfa.hsp_tech@cdfa.ca.gov, or consult your local HSP Technical Assistance Provider, using this list. You can also contact your local Community Education Specialist for a broad range of questions, using this regional guide.
Solicitation
The Program currently has no open direct solicitations. Any upcoming solicitation will be announced several months in advance on this webpage.
Some Block Grant organizations may open small solicitations in 2025. To contact your local Block Grant organization, use this list.
The most recent solicitations were open during:
- Block Grant Pilot: April 19, 2023 – June 19, 2023
- Demonstration Grants: June 29, 2023 – August 28, 2023
- Incentive Grants: January 22, 2024 – February 9, 2024
Soil Health Benefits in California
Crop Nutrition
Retain, cycle and provide more nutrients. This is a result of increased, nutrient-rich organic matter, the ability of that organic matter to retain nutrients which could otherwise leach out, and more rapid nutrient cycling with higher microbial activity. This is a long-term gain which may not appear in the first year, but increases over time. It helps gradually reduce the need for [synthetic] [chemical] [and mined] inputs.
Soil Structure
Build stronger aggregates, with improved, more stable soil structure. This is accomplished by organic matter additions, greater root presence, or reduced- and no-till practices. Well-structured soils provide ample channels for water and air movement, enhance soil organism activities, allow crop roots to explore for more water and nutrients, and provide workable soils year-round.
Water Infiltration and Storage
With improved structure, allow water to infiltrate more quickly while also retaining more moisture, conserving water resources. This is especially crucial in California. Practices like mulching can also directly decrease evaporative losses
Soil Erosion
By improving soil structure, or covering the soil physically, help prevent soil erosion from rain or wind, safeguarding fertile topsoil and eliminating sediment runoff into water systems.
Biodiversity
Provide a range of habitats and food for wildlife, beneficial species, and pollinators. Increased biodiversity can be seen both above- and belowground. As soil ecosystems thrive over time, the surrounding agricultural and natural ecosystems become more resilient and diverse. The effects of increased soil microbial diversity have become an important area of research, underlying many other benefits.
Pollinator Habitat
Support a wide range of pollinators – not just the productive assistance of European honeybees, but Californian bees, butterflies, and birds. All of these will be more resilient and render greater services with increased, diverse food supplies.
Pest Control
Reduce the need for pest and disease control with increased and more diverse insect and microbial life. Over time, some pesticides and fungicides are believed to have impaired soils’ biological activity. While the benefits of particular plants for pest management are well understood now, healthy soils with diverse below-ground communities have also been found to help control insect pests, as well as fungal and microbial diseases, like rusts.
Carbon Sequestration
Store carbon in the soil as both labile (cycling) and resistant organic matter, by adopting practices that increase living roots, reduce soil disturbance, or add organic matter directly to the soil. In recent years, researchers have recognized that most stable organic matter in soils consists of dead microbial tissues, reaffirming the practical importance of higher biological activity, and thus of soil health. In addition, tree and herbaceous plantings directly sequester atmospheric carbon into above-ground biomass.
Greenhouse Gases
Reduce emissions of GHGs like nitrous oxide and methane, or increase their consumption within the soil. This is accomplished by improving drainage, in-field nutrient cycling, and soil organic matter. Over time, reduced nitrogen fertilization needs will result in lowered nitrous oxide emissions. And after all, nitrous oxide is the most significant GHG emitted by cropped soils in California.
Human and animal nutrition
Increase the quality of food and fodder. Compared to the 1950s when testing began, the depletion of nutrients in agricultural soils has contributed to decreased nutrient contents in fruits and vegetables, although this effect is also due to breeding foods for other characteristics, like size and sweetness. Likewise, healthier pasture soils increase animal productivity.
Types of Projects Being Funded
Soil Management Practices | Herbaceous Cover Planting Practice |
---|---|
Compost Application (USDA NRCS CPS 336) | Conservation Cover (USDA NRCS CPS 327) |
Conservation Crop Rotation (USDA NRCS CPS 328) | Contour Buffer Strips (USDA NRCS CPS 332) |
Cover Crop (USDA NRCS CPS 340) | Field Border (USDA NRCS CPS 386) |
Mulching (USDA NRCS CPS 484) | Filter Strip (USDA NRCS CPS 393) |
Nutrient Management (USDA NRCS CPS 590) (15% reduction in fertilizer application only) | Pasture and Hay Planting (Previous: Forage and Biomass Planting) (USDA NRCS 512) |
Residue and Tillage Management – No-Till (USDA NRCS CPS 329) | Grassed Waterway (USDA NRCS CPS 412) |
Residue and Tillage Management - Reduced Till (USDA NRCS CPS 345) | Herbaceous Wind Barrier (USDA NRCS CPS 603) |
Whole orchard Recycling (USDA NRCS CPS 336) | Range Planting (USDA NRCS CPS 550) |
Prescribed Grazing (USDA NRCS CPS 528) | Riparian Herbaceous Cover (USDA NRCS CPS 390) |
Silvopasture (USDA NRCS CPS 381) | Strip Cropping (USDA NRCS CPS 585) |
Woody Planting Practices | Research Demonstration Grants Only |
---|---|
Alley Cropping (USDA NRCS CPS 311) | Anaerobic Digestate Application: Application of solids generated from anaerobic digestion of organic materials. |
Hedgerow Planting (USDA NRCS CPS 422) | Microbial Inoculation with Compost Tea: Application of diluted compost steeped or brewed in water with aeration/stirring (i.e. compost tea). |
Forest Farming (Previous: Multi-story Cropping) (USDA NRCS CPS 379) | Mycorrhizal Application: Incorporating soil with fungi that form a symbiotic relationship with roots of crop plants. |
Riparian Forest Buffer (USDA NRCS CPS 391) | Nutrient Management (CPS 590) (Replacing Synthetic N Fertilizer with Soil Amendments such as beef feedlot manure, chicken broiler manure, chicken layer manure, other manure, dairy manure, sheep manure and swine manure). |
Tree/Shrub Establishment (USDA NRCS CPS 612) | Nutrient Management (CPS 590) (Use of Nitrification Inhibitors). |
Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment (USDA NRCS CPS 380) | Nutrient Management (CPS 590) (Use of Slow-Release Fertilizers). |
Vermicompost Application: Application of compost produced from organic materials using various species of worms. | |
Biochar Application: Application of biochar produced from organic materials to soil. | |
Food Waste Hydrolysate Application: Application of hydrolysate product produced from food waste treatment to soil. | |
Re-Saturating Delta Peat Soils through Rice Cultivation (Cropland only) |
Success Stories
A California walnut grower successfully improved soil health and farm resilience through the Healthy Soils Program (HSP). By implementing composting, mulching with almond shells, and continuing cover cropping, the grower tackled challenges like persistent nematode infestations and water conservation. These practices helped reduce pest populations, enhance nutrient cycling, conserve water, and build organic matter in the soil, all while supporting the transition to organic farming. The results included improved pest resistance, increased soil moisture retention, and a healthier ecosystem. Learn more about boosting soil health.