California Awards Block Grants for Healthy Soil and Water Programs

California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation announced more than $106 million in grants to 23 organizations, to work with producers to design and implement carbon sequestration and irrigation efficiency projects through the Healthy Soils Block (HSP) Grant Pilot and State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) Block Grant Pilot programs. Under these new block grant programs, qualified organizations in California can apply for state funding and then disburse funds to eligible farmers/ranchers or agricultural operations for on-farm projects. Additionally, awarded organizations provide technical assistance to implement on-farm projects or will partner with technical assistance providers to provide this support. Producers interested in receiving technical or financial assistance for a soil health or irrigation efficiency project can learn more about the block grants online.