CDFA’s Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS) invites you to register for a virtual public listening session to gather early feedback on the future Regional Farmer Equipment Sharing Grant Program funded by the Climate Bond.
OARS will hold four public listening sessions from September 2–8, 2026. At each listening sessions participants will review a draft program outline and provide feedback on key program elements, including but not limited to:
• Grant size
• Eligible expenses
• Application scoring criteria
Listening sessions will commence promptly at the scheduled start time and may conclude early if there is limited public participation. Following these sessions, OARS will develop the first draft of the program guidelines for a 60 day written public comment period. OARS anticipates opening the program for applications in Spring 2027. Pending legislative requirements for Climate Bond funding may affect this timeline.
Equipment Sharing Program Background:
In November 2024, California voters approved Proposition 4, a $10 billion bond designed to safeguard communities and natural resources from climate change. The Climate Bond established that $15M “shall be available for grants for regional farm equipment sharing” and that “preference shall be given to projects and programs that benefit small- and medium- sized farms and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.” A subsequent Fall 2025 trailer bill added §515 to the California Food and Agriculture Code (FAC) and divided the funding into two tracks: one for a shared equipment grant program and one to support an organization that can facilitate development of farmer cooperatives. The requirements in the Climate Bond and FAC §515 set the baseline for the grant program. OARS cannot modify these requirements through the public input process