Ventura County
Ventura County
The Conservation Agriculture Planning Grants Program (CAPGP) is a new program in the Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation at CDFA. This program funds the development of plans that will help farmers and ranchers identify actions for climate change mitigation and adaptation, further environmental stewardship on farms and ranches, and ensure agricultural food security into the future.
CAPGP funding allows VCRCD to provide technical and planning assistance to agricultural operations in Ventura County to address local water quality concerns, nutrient management, and climate resilience.
Carbon Farm plans are still currently available for interested farms.
Carbon farming is important because it helps address both climate change and soil health at the same time. Here are the key reasons:
Farming practices like cover cropping, compost application, reduced tillage, and agroforestry help pull carbon dioxide (CO₂) out of the air and store it in plants and soil.
This reduces greenhouse gases, slowing climate change.
More organic matter in the soil means better water retention, nutrient cycling, and structure.
Healthier soils support stronger crops and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers.
Carbon-rich soils hold more water during droughts and drain better during floods.
This helps farmers cope with extreme weather.
Healthier soils often lead to higher yields over time.
Some programs and markets pay farmers for carbon credits, creating new income streams.
These plans can assist farmers and ranchers with managing nutrients and pesticides, which will enhance the water quality of surface and groundwater sources used for human, agricultural, and environmental purposes.
Carbon farm plans promote the restoration of soil organic matter, generate healthier and more resilient soil, and encourage woody tissue plantings. Recommended practices sequester carbon in soil and tissue, enhance infiltration and storage of rainfall, and increase shading and cooling, all of which will benefit on-farm climate and drought resilience and reduce agricultural withdrawals from surface and groundwater sources..
Economic benefits for the farmer may include reduced input costs, lower weather and pest risks, increase crop resilience to severe weather events, and high yields and productivity.