Applications are now being accepted for the updated Healthy Soils Program. Approximately $25 million dollars is being made available for this round of the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Healthy Soils Program projects. There are several new programmatic changes this year, including payment rates being increased for 11 practices and reduced for 16 practices.
“These changes are critical to ensure we receive as many applications as possible,” CDFA Secretary Karen Ross said in a news release. “We want to make sure our farmers and ranchers can participate in carbon sequestration and help establish agricultural sustainability into the future.”
The COMET-Planner tool has also been updated to include payment rates by USDA NRCS, which will eliminate the need to complete an additional separate budget worksheet in the application. Applicants can now also used the Re-Plan tool for agricultural field identification.
CDFA has worked to streamline the process for applying for the program this year, reducing the number of questions in the electronic application. CDFA is also introducing a rolling application period over four months on a first-come, first-serve basis until all funds are awarded. Grant applications for the Healthy Soils Program will need to be submitted by Friday, June 26.
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