California Department of Food and Agriculture Accepting Applications for Planning Grants; Includes $6 Million for Organic System Plans

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Written by Guest Blogger on Monday, August 29, 2022

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is now accepting grant applications for the Conservation Agriculture Planning Grants Program (CAPGP) administered by its Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI).

The application period will close on October 23, 2022, at 5 p.m. PT.

Detailed information, including webinars that review the application process and requirements and program guidelines can be found on the program website at www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/planning.
CAPGP is a new program that will fund the development of plans to help farmers and ranchers identify actions for climate change mitigation and adaption, further environmental stewardship on farms and ranches, and ensure agricultural food security for the future.

CAPGP will fund the development of plans, not the implementation of plans.

The program offers $8,000 to $9,400 to develop an Organic System Plan or Conservation Plan Supporting Organic Transition and $16,700 to develop a more comprehensive Organic Transition Plan. 
Eligible applicants include farmers who partner with qualified experts; tribes; and organizations (including resource conservation districts, universities, nonprofits, agricultural cooperatives, and groundwater sustainability agencies). 

To find a qualified expert, we suggest you reach out to your local Resource Conservation District, University of California Extension, or Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office. You can search for a relevant technical service provider at the NRCS website. You could also work with a certified crop advisor (check out these online directories from Certified Crop Advisor.org and CCOF) or a certified pest control advisor.

Applicants may request up to $250,000 to prepare conservation agriculture plans in the following categories:

  • Agricultural Energy Design
  • Carbon Farming
  • Comprehensive Nutrient Management
  • Fish and Wildlife Habitat
  • Grazing Management
  • Irrigation Water Management
  • Nutrient Management
  • Organic Transition
  • Pollinator Habitat
  • Pest Management
  • Soil Health Management

The program was established by the Budget Act of 2021 (Senate Bill 170, authored by State Senator Nancy Skinner), which appropriated $17 million to CDFA. Of the 2021 funding, $7 million will go to organic transition support for farmers and ranchers, $1 million of which will fund a partnership between CDFA and the University of California Organic Institute to provide organic transition technical assistance to farmers and ranchers. The remaining $6 million funds the CAPGP solicitation to plan organic transition, including organic system plans.

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Adapted from a CDFA News Release published July 29, 2022, by Steve Lyle, Director of Public Affairs, Officeofpublicaffairs@cdfa.ca.gov.