California Department of Food and Agriculture Archives - Page 2 of 13

CDFA AWARDS $12.25 MILLION FOR THE POLLINATOR HABITAT PROGRAM

CDFA’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI) has selected 10 organizations to receive $12.25 million in funding through a new competitive grant program, the Pollinator Habitat Program (PHP).

The PHP was established by the Budget Act of 2021 (Senate Bill 170, Skinner) in which CDFA was appropriated $15 million to provide grant funding for the establishment of pollinator habitat on agricultural lands throughout California. CDFA was directed to administer the Pollinator Habitat Program and to prioritize the planning of native habitats for the benefit of native biodiversity and the use of locally appropriate native plant seed mixes when feasible.

“CDFA is pleased to make this investment in pollinator habitat on California farms and ranches. Pollinators are not only vital to our ecosystems, they are essential to over a third of our crops, helping to produce a wide variety of California-grown fruits, nuts, and vegetables,” said Secretary Karen Ross. “The Pollinator Habitat Program demonstrates how working lands can help safeguard California’s diverse ecosystems.”

CDFA accepted applications from September 2022 through November 23, 2022. Resource Conservation Districts, non-profit organizations, the University of California, California State Universities, California community colleges, and California and federally recognized Tribes were eligible to apply for up to $2,000,000 in funding to work directly with farmers and ranchers to install habitat and implement management practices that support pollinators.

To find out more about PHP and to review a list of the awarded organizations please visit https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/php/.

California Ag Today2023-03-09T13:12:33-08:00March 9th, 2023|

CDFA Now Accepting Research Grant Proposals for California Fruit Tree, Nut Tree, and Grapevine Improvement Advisory Board

By Steve Lyle, CDFA

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is now accepting applications for the California Fruit Tree, Nut Tree, and Grapevine Improvement Advisory Board (IAB) research grant proposals.

The IAB funds research to promote the production of fruit tree, nut tree, and grapevines resulting in improved nursery stock. The intended research should address important disease and pest problems or other cultural aspects of fruit tree, nut tree, and grapevine nursery stock production. Funding is made possible from industry assessments.

Projects funded through IAB commonly include elements such as research of diseases and genetic disorders, variety identification, education and outreach, alternative treatment methods, and rootstock advancements as it relates to the production of high-quality tree and grapevine nursery stock.

Applicants should review the research proposal solicitation materials posted on the IAB webpage at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/pe/nsc/iab. The research grant proposals submission window opportunity will end by April 3, 2023 at 5 p.m.

California Ag Today2023-02-08T09:16:48-08:00February 8th, 2023|

CDFA Accepting Public Comments on the Draft Request for Applications for the New Water Efficiency Technical Assistance Program

By Steve Lyle, California Department of Food and Agriculture

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI) is accepting public comments on the draft request for Applications for the Water Efficiency Technical Assistance (WETA) program.

The Budget Act of 2021 allocated $15 million to CDFA to support water efficiency technical assistance to California farmers. Resource Conservation Districts, non-profit organizations, universities, and California and federally recognized tribes will be eligible to receive technical assistance funding. Supported activities will include providing one-on-one, on-site pump and irrigation system evaluations and providing training regarding water efficiency and nutrient management.

“Although we’ve just come through a period of storms and rain, we know that overall California is still in a water deficit from the drought we’ve been experiencing for the last few years,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “CDFA is excited to offer resources for farmers and ranchers to continue to improve water efficiency for a future that will be hotter and drier with increased evapotranspiration.”

Stakeholders are encouraged to review the Draft Request for Applications for the Water Efficiency Technical Assistance Program and estimated program timeline on the Technical Assistance website and submit comments by February 9, 2023, 5 PM PT to cdfa.oefi@cdfa.ca.gov.

California Ag Today2023-02-01T14:45:25-08:00February 1st, 2023|

CDFA Accepting Applications for the 2023 California Underserved and Small Producer (CUSP) Grant Program

By CDFA

The 2023 CUSP Drought Relief Technical Assistance and Direct Producer Grant Program is designed to facilitate support for small-and-medium scale California agricultural producers or small-and-medium scale Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (SDFR’s) through technical assistance with business planning and marketing strategies. This two-year grant program also includes direct farmer grants for drought relief for those same priority groups.

Applicants may apply for one or both of the funding tracks available under this grant program:
Part 1: Drought Relief Technical Assistance grants from $50,000 up to $100,000. This funding track is for eligible technical assistance providers to support California agricultural producers in applying for Federal and State drought relief grant programs including the CUSP Drought Relief Direct Producer Grant Program, and assistance with business planning, financial and marketing strategies needed to be resilient and stay in business during the on-going drought in California.
Part 2: Drought Relief Direct Producer Block Grant Program provides funding from $500,000 up to $1,500,000 for organizations to act as regional administrators to provide drought relief grants for small-and-medium scale producers or small-and-medium scale Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (SDFR’s) to aid in addressing specific financial needs due to the drought.

Applications will be accepted through March 16, 2023, at 5pm PST.

Grant Application Opens January 17, 2023
Grant Application Closes March 16, 2023 @ 5 PM PST
Review Process Mar/Apr 2023
Award Announcement April 17, 2023
Grant Term Begins May 1, 2023
Grant Term Ends April 30, 2025

The following entities are eligible to apply for this program: Non-profit organizations, Tribal Governments, County Departments of Agriculture and Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs). Entities applying for Part 1 must have demonstrated technical assistance expertise in assisting small and medium scale agricultural producers in applying to economic or drought relief fund programs, marketing, or business planning. Entities applying for Part 2 must have demonstrated expertise in managing direct grants or previous rounds of CUSP Economic or Drought Relief Direct Producer Grants. Priority in both tracks will be given to organizations with language and cultural capacities in offering technical assistance and program resources in languages other than English.

Applications will be accepted via Amplifund. All applicants will need to register for an Amplifund account prior to completing the 2023 CUSP Drought Relief Technical Assistance and Direct Producer Grant Program Application. For information, training videos, and materials on how to set up an account with Amplifund, please visit the Amplifund Portal Resources.

The 2023 CUSP Drought Relief Technical Assistance and Direct Producer Grant Program application link can be found here: 2023 CUSP Grant Program Application, and the request for applications (RFA) can be found on the program website www.cdfa.ca.gov/CUSP.

CDFA’s Farm Equity Office will hold two informational sessions on the 2023 CUSP Drought Relief Technical Assistance and Direct Producer Grant Program during the application period. These sessions will be offered via Zoom. CDFA staff will review the components of the application and answer questions about the application or the process during this time. Sessions will be recorded and available on the CUSP Program website after the session.

Session 1: Thursday February 2nd 1pm-2:00pm. To register for this session, click here.
Session 2: Thursday February 16th 1pm-2:00pm. To register for this session, click here.

For more information on the 2023 CUSP Drought Relief Technical Assistance and Direct Producer Grant Program, please contact: carmen.carrasco@cdfa.ca.gov

California Ag Today2023-01-18T12:34:19-08:00January 18th, 2023|

CDFA Accepting Grant Applications for Climate Research Program

By Steve Lyle, Director of Public Affairs, CDFA

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is now accepting grant applications for the California Livestock Methane Measurement, Mitigation and Thriving Environments Research Program (CLIM3ATE-RP), administered by its Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI). Applications to CLIM3ATE- RP will be accepted through 5:00 P.M. PT Tuesday, February 28, 2023.

CLIM3ATE- RP will award competitive grants to California-based eligible entities for research projects aligned with California’s efforts to successfully implement climate-smart agriculture, with a direct focus on nutrient management and methane reduction from dairy and livestock operations.

An appropriation of $5 million to CDFA Budget Act of 2021 (SB 170, Chapter 240) will be directed toward the assessment of the cost-effectiveness of various livestock methane reduction strategies on a per-metric-ton basis, including comparison of projects funded under the Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) and the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP) as well as alternative methane reduction strategies such as dietary modifications, and research on manure-based product development.

Eligible entities can submit proposals for up to $2,000,000; $1,600,000; or $500,000 in CLIM3ATE-RP grants, depending on the research area outlined in the RFP.

The following entities are eligible for this program: tribal governments, resource conservation districts (RCDs), non-governmental organizations, private companies, non-profit organizations, and California public higher learning institutions.

The RFP for CLIM3ATE-RP, including detailed information on the application processes and requirements, as well as application assistance workshops conducted by CDFA will be available at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/research/

California Ag Today2022-12-21T10:40:42-08:00December 21st, 2022|

CDFA Accepting Public Comments on Block Grant Pilot Projects for Healthy Soils and SWEEP Programs

CDFA is now accepting comments on a draft Request for Grant Applications (RGA) for the Healthy Soils Block Grant Pilot Program and the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) Block Grant Pilot. A month-long public comment period begins November 16, 2022 and ends on December 15, 2022.

Under the block grant pilot program, qualified organizations across the state may apply for state funding and then disburse funds to eligible farmers/ranchers or agricultural operations for on-farm projects. Additionally, awarded organizations would provide technical assistance to implement on-farm projects or will partner with technical assistance providers to provide this support.

The Healthy Soils Program and SWEEP will make available approximately $35 and $40 million, respectively, for block grant pilot programs.

Eligible entities may be awarded up to $5 million for each program. The following entities could be eligible for a block grant pilot:
• Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs)
• University of California (UC), California Community Colleges, or California State Universities (CSU)
• Federally- and California-Recognized Native American Indian Tribe
• Local or regional government agencies such as air pollution control districts.
• Non-profits including, but not limited to:
o Groundwater Sustainability Agencies
o Irrigation districts
o Land trusts

The draft RGAs and email addresses to submit written comments are available at the links below:
• Healthy Soils – Block Grant Pilot Program https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/
• State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program – Block Grant Pilot www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/sweep

CDFA will hold a public workshop on November 29, 2022 at 2:30 pm PT to answer questions on the draft Request for Grant Applications.

Register in advance for this webinar:
• https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lrlp63tHRmGRhwsr0Lllzw

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

California Ag Today2022-11-16T11:06:40-08:00November 16th, 2022|

CDFA Accepting Pre-Proposals for 2023 Fertilizer Research and Education Program Grant Cycle

CDFA’s Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) is now accepting pre-proposals for the 2023 cycle of the FREP Grant Program. If a pre-proposal is selected to advance in the evaluation process, a full proposal will be requested later.

FREP’s annual competitive grant program funds research, demonstration, outreach and education projects that advance environmentally safe and agronomically sound fertilization and irrigation practices, and minimize environmental impacts of fertilizing materials. The 2023 request for proposals includes several initiatives to help effectively manage irrigation water and fertilizing materials in California agriculture.

California’s agricultural communities are diverse, and many have historically lacked access to resources and information needed to successfully run their businesses. Thus, CDFA encourages projects that include demonstrable benefits for underserved farmers and farmworkers.

This year’s priorities include: outreach, education and demonstration projects focused on increasing the adoption of efficient nutrient and irrigation management practices and technologies; evaluating challenges and barriers to adoption of management practices; the role of organic input materials in soil nutrient management; demonstrating and/or validating management practices that optimize nutrient and/or irrigation water use; filling knowledge gaps for nutrient and irrigation management in specific crops; understanding nutrient movement from the root zone; and mitigation strategies to reduce nutrient losses.

Applicants are invited to submit two-page pre-proposals to FREP by Monday, December 19, 2022. Pre-proposals should be aligned with at least one of the identified priority research areas. Further information on the 2023 FREP Grant Program RFP, including timelines, application criteria and priority research areas are available on the program web page at www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/ffldrs/frep/CompetitiveGrantProgram.html

All pre-proposals will be reviewed by the Fertilizer Inspection Advisory Board’s Technical Advisory Subcommittee (TASC). Applicants whose pre-proposals are selected by TASC will be invited to develop full proposals.

California Ag Today2022-11-08T08:53:14-08:00November 8th, 2022|

Notice of the 2022-2023 Assessment Rate for the California Citrus Research Program

Upon the recommendation of the Citrus Research Board (Board), the California Department of
Food and Agriculture (Department) has established an assessment rate to be levied on California
citrus producers during the 2022-2023 marketing season, which is the period of October 1, 2022
through September 30, 2023. The assessment rate for the 2022-2023 marketing season has been
set at three and two-tenths cents ($0.032) per 40-pound standard field box, or the equivalent
thereof, of all types and varieties of citrus, as defined by the California Citrus Research Program,
marketed by producers and received by handlers or processors during the season. The
assessment rate for the 2022-2023 marketing season is two-tenths of one cent ($0.002) per
standard field box higher than last season’s rate.

In order to facilitate the collection of assessments, each handler or processor of California citrus is
required to remit assessment payments to the Board office on behalf of producers from whom they
receive citrus, including their own production. In turn, handlers and processors are authorized to
deduct such assessment payments from any money owed to such producers. Assessment forms
and additional instructions for reporting and remitting assessments on behalf of producers will be
provided to all citrus handlers and processors by the Board office.

Funds generated by this assessment are used to conduct general production research, a variety
improvement research program, a quality assurance program on agricultural chemical residues,
pest and disease control functions, and other activities pertinent to the California citrus industry.

If you have any questions regarding this assessment rate or the activities of the California Citrus
Research Program, please contact Marcy Martin, President of the Citrus Research Board, at (559)
738-0246, or Steven Donaldson with the Department’s Marketing Branch at (916) 900-5018.

California Ag Today2022-11-03T14:14:10-07:00November 3rd, 2022|

CDFA Announces Recall of Raw Goat Milk Produced at Valley Milk Simply Bottled of Stanislaus County

By Steve Lyle, Director of Public Affairs, CDFA

Raw goat milk produced and packaged by Valley Milk Simply Bottled of Stanislaus County is the subject of a statewide recall and quarantine order announced by California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones. The quarantine order came following the confirmed detection of the bacteria Campylobacter jejuni in the farm’s packaged raw whole goat milk sampled and tested by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

The order applies to “Valley Milk Simply Bottled Raw Goat Milk” and “DESI MILK Raw Goat Milk” distributed in half-gallon (64 oz) plastic jugs with a code date marked on the container of OCT 21 2022 through OCT 31 2022.

Consumers are strongly urged to dispose of any product remaining in their refrigerators, and retailers are to pull the product immediately from their shelves. The current order does not include the farm’s raw cow milk.

CDFA found the campylobacter bacteria in a routine sample collected at the Valley Milk Simply Bottled production and packaging facility. No illnesses have been reported.

Symptoms of campylobacteriosis include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. Most people with camplylobacteriosis recover completely. Illness usually occurs 2 to 5 days after exposure to campylobacter and lasts about a week. The illness is usually mild and some people with campylobacteriosis have no symptoms at all. However, in some persons with compromised immune systems, it can cause a serious, life-threatening infection. A small percentage of people may have joint pain and swelling after infection. In addition, a rare disease called Guillian-Barre syndrome that causes weakness and paralysis can occur several weeks after the initial illness.

California Ag Today2022-10-25T08:11:48-07:00October 25th, 2022|

CDFA Announces Awards for $5 Million for the Beginning Farmer and Farmworker Training and Workforce Development Grant Program

By Steve Lyle, CDFA

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Office of Farm Equity announces that it is awarding $5 million in grants for projects throughout the state through the 2022 Beginning Farmer and Farmworker Training and Workforce Development Grant Program. An additional $5 million will be made available in a second solicitation in 2023. The funding for this grant program was made possible through the 2021-2022 California general fund budget.

This program provides support to organizations to enhance or expand beginning farmer and farmworker training/apprenticeship programs. The overall goal of the program is to ensure that resources are dedicated to strengthening support for socially disadvantaged and/or beginning farmers and ranchers in the first ten years of business, and for farmworkers who can improve job security with additional skills training. A secondary goal of the program is to build and grow regional networks to ensure organizations can provide adequate support and training opportunities for those most underserved in the agriculture industry.

“We need new farmers and ranchers in California, and this program is a crucial step in cultivating the next generation of talent in agriculture,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “There is a place for all who have the desire to farm or to improve their skills to become farm managers, and this program will help us focus support to grow opportunities in agriculture.

The complete list of grant awardees and summaries of their projects can be found at:http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/bfftp

Eligible applicants could apply for two types of awards in this program: program planning and curriculum development grants of up to $100,000, or program implementation grants up to $1,000,000 for both beginning farmer training, and farmworker training or workforce development programs.

The following entities were eligible to apply for this program: Non-profit organizations, Tribal Governments and Community colleges. Community colleges were eligible as co-applicants with local partner organizations. Entities receiving funding demonstrated expertise in assisting socially disadvantaged, small-scale farmers, and farmworkers in workforce development programs.

Note — 33 percent of California farms are on nine acres or less and 43 percent of farms have less than $10,000 in sales. Women are primary producers on 32 percent of our farms; only eight percent of California farms are owned by non-white producers according to race; and about 10 percent of farmers are military veterans.

California Ag Today2022-10-13T10:31:54-07:00October 13th, 2022|