A new program from the California Department of Agriculture (CDFA) seeks to further incentivize conservation practices in agriculture. The Conservation Agriculture Planning Grants Program (CAPGP) provides financial support for the development of plans for implementing environmental stewardship approaches. Principal Analyst for the Almond Board of California (ABC), Jesse Roseman said the program can serve as an entry point for growers that may be interested in certain practices but would like to know how it would work for their operation.
“This is a low-risk opportunity to get an expert, look at the farm, develop the plan, and then see if it’s a good fit,” Roseman explained. “There’s no commitment once you have the plan for actually following through and making these changes but it’s a good way to get an idea of what those changes would be. Then I think you’re well set up if you want to take it further for applying for one of the CDFA programs or going to NRCS. Now you’d have a good idea, a starting point, for where to start your application with them.”
CAPGP will provide up to $15 million in funding to eligible applicants who can apply for up to $250,000 to develop plans. A variety of conservation practices are covered through the program including pest management, pollinator habitat, nutrient management, agricultural energy design, as well as carbon farm planning. There is also a variety of qualified experts who can collaborate on plan development with producers.
“You might reach out to experts that you are already working with or you know are active in your area,” Roseman noted. “Whether it’s with a Resource Conservation District, or Cooperative Extension, or a PCA, or CCA, and just say ‘let’s take a look at this program and see if there’s something that we would want to apply for.’”
Applications for the program as due October 23, 2022.
Listen to Roseman’s interview below.
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