Today is National Poinsettia Day, and CDFA recently visited a poinsettia nursery in Hughson, Stanislaus County, to view its popular wholesale and retail operation.

California is the leading poinsettia producer in the nation, with more than $35.6 million in production value last year.

DWR News Release

In drought-stricken communities, drinking water wells are going dry because groundwater is being pumped faster than it can be replenished. To further protect clean drinking water, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) in coordination with CDFA has developed the LandFlex Program to support groundwater sustainability agencies and local growers to limit unsustainable groundwater pumping effecting drinking water wells.

The program aims to free up water in the event of a fourth consecutive dry year, accelerate implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), and prevent drinking water supply problems in 2023. Enacted by the state in 2014, SGMA addresses the issues of over-pumping and provides a framework for local agencies to better manage and protect groundwater supplies for long-term sustainability.

The $25 million grant program would award funds to local groundwater sustainability agencies to pay growers to immediately idle land as a one-year drought-relief measure. The proposed program would target operators of small- and medium-size farms in areas where agricultural pumping reductions would help keep household and small community water system wells from going dry.

As of November 2022, 1,394 dry wells have been reported statewide, a nearly 40% increase over the same period last year. For comparison, fewer than 100 dry wells were reported annually in 2018, 2019, and 2020.

In order to reach vulnerable communities in need and provide small or disadvantaged farmers access to the program, DWR is working directly with partners in non-governmental organizations and the agriculture industry to spread the word about this program. Partners include the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Self-Help Enterprises, Western United Dairies Foundation, and the Almond Alliance.

Before LandFlex is officially launched, a public comment period on the draft guidelines will begin on Friday, December 9 and close on Thursday, December 29. Public comments may be submitted via email: sgwp@water.ca.gov.

For those interested in applying for a LandFlex grant, DWR will host an Applicant Workshop on Thursday, January 19, 2023. To register for the workshop and learn more about the LandFlex program and how to apply, please visit water.ca.gov/landflex.

As part of Healthy Soils Week, which concludes today, representatives from CDFA, the California Legislature, the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), California Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), and other climate-focused agencies from around the state joined the Wine Institute, California Association of Winegrape Growers, and Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) for a tour of Bogle Family Vineyards in Yolo County to learn about the importance of healthy soil management practices and the vital role soil health plays in producing California wines.  

Soil experts and agronomists from the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) and Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) showcased these practices through a hands-on application. Bogle Vineyards staff explained how healthy soil practices are incorporated into the day-to-day operation of the vineyards and the benefits they provide.  

UCCE Agronomy Advisor Konrad Mathesius discussed the soil formation process and gave a presentation on how this process resulted in various layers of soils in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta while highlighting the soil profile from the vineyard. He also discussed the impact of healthy soils practices on soils and how these practices change soil structure, improve belowground biodiversity, and boost soil organic matter. This all plays an important role in delivering the elements essential to life, such as water, air, and nutrients.  

During his presentation, Mathesius explained that, “Erosion control, nutrient cycling, movement of air and water up and down the soil profile are all very positive things we can see, and the healthy soils objectives are one way to achieve that.”  

That understanding and knowledge base is behind CDFA’s Healthy Soils Program, which was established in 2016. The objectives of the program are to increase statewide implementation of conservation management practices that improve soil health, increase carbon sequestration, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These objectives are achieved by providing financial incentives to California growers and ranchers to implement one or several of 27 different practices. 

The Healthy Soils Program has awarded more than $100 million to more than 1,500 projects. The program is currently working on details for an additional $85 million that was allocated in the fiscal year 2022. 

For more information on the program, please visit: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/  

Learn more about CDFA’s Border Protection Stations

The net benefits of composting and cover cropping were underscored as part of a Healthy Soils Week farm tour, as members of CDFA’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI) and CalRecycle visited Spaletta Farm this week in Galt, California. The farm is a 65-acre property that produces walnuts and grapes.  

“In the long-run, (composting) is good for the soil; there are savings in not needing as much fertilizer; it’s good for the plants; it’s good for the environment,” said farmer Pete Spaletta. “That we can utilize the waste materials and put it back in the soil – there’s nothing wrong with that.” 

Indeed, composting and cover cropping are practices encouraged within the Healthy Soils Program for several co-benefits, including establishing pollinator habitats, reducing soil compaction, improving water infiltration, and preventing soil erosion, and water runoff. Soil erosion and water runoff are especially important for farms that are next to bodies of water, like Spaletta’s farm located near the Mokelumne River. 

Established in 2016, the Healthy Soils Program stems from a multi-agency collaboration led by CDFA under the Healthy Soils Initiative. The objectives of the HSP are to increase statewide implementation of conservation management practices that improve soil health, increase carbon sequestration, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These objectives are achieved by providing financial incentives to California growers and ranchers to implement the practices.

Spaletta Farm is a 2020 Healthy Soils Program awardee. The project applies compost and mixed species cover crops once a year for three years, and annual soil samples are taken to evaluate success. These practices are expected to save more than 300 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent every year. 

The Healthy Soils Program has awarded more than $100 million to more than 1,500 projects. The program is currently working on details for an additional $85 million that was allocated in the fiscal year 2022. 

As CDFA and its partners continue to observe Healthy Soils Week (through Friday), CDFA would like to emphasize that practices that boost organic matter in soil increase water-holding capacity in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These practices are valuable tools for drought and climate change. Read more here: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross kicked off the events of Healthy Soils Week by hosting a webinar to emphasize the importance and the impact of belowground biodiversity on soil health. 

Secretary Ross introduced attendees to the Belowground Biodiversity Advisory Committee (BBAC) and highlighted the progress the committee has made over the past five months. The Secretary facilitated the panel discussion with Deputy Director for Climate and Ecosystem Sciences at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Dr. Eoin Brodie. Secretary Ross and Dr. Brodie were joined by panelists Dr. Jeniffer Pett-Ridge from the Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Dr. Amanda Hodson of the University of California’s Jackson Soil and Root Ecology Lab, and Dr. Daniel Rath of the UC Davis Scow Soil Microbial Ecology Lab. The panelists answered questions from Secretary Ross and participated in a Q&A with the public.   

Healthy soil practices improve soil water holding capacity, infiltration, and water availability and quality while reducing soil erosion, runoff, and dust. Soil health is central to food productivity and climate change resiliency. Secretary Ross acknowledged the soil underneath our feet being a living and breathing ecosystem that is vibrant and diverse. 

CDFA created the BBAC to better understand how soil biodiversity may impact soil health. The committee is charged with preparing a report with recommendations on biodiversity indicators as a proxy of soil health and ecosystem functions. The committee is expected to present their final report and recommendation by March 2023. The report will inform the policies on nature-based solutions for Natural and Working Lands and further the state’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2045.  

The committee is made up of world-renowned scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Stanford University, Colorado State University, University of California, and U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service. 

To find out more about CDFA’s Healthy Soils Week and a full list of participating organizations, be sure to visit the Healthy Soils Week webpage. 

WATCH: Full-length recording of the Healthy Soils Week BBAC Webinar  

Today is the UN’s World Soil Day, and CDFA is joining California partners in observing Healthy Soils Week through Friday. In this video, Secretary Karen Ross discusses the many benefits of improving the health and resilience of our soils.

Learn more about Healthy Soils Week