Healthy Soils Program (HSP) -
Block Grant Pilot Program
VCRCD was awarded funding for the California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) Healthy Soils Program (HSP) Block Grant Pilot Program!
Applications are Open!
Through HSP, agricultural operations in Ventura, Santa Barbara, Kern, and Los Angeles Counties can receive up to $200,000 in reimbursements for the implementation of practices that improve soil health, sequester carbon, and reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases.
Starting early 2024, farmers and ranchers will be able to apply to VCRCD directly for HSP funding
Thus far VCRCD’s block grant is supporting 25 On-Farm projects implementing 2,043 total acres of healthy soil practices. SDFRs make up 36% of the approved applications.
Interested in improving soil heath and carbon sequestration on your property?
HSP provides cost-share to farmers and ranchers to implement healthy soil practices, including compost application, cover cropping, hedgerow planting, prescribed grazing, riparian forest buffer, and much more!
Agricultural operations eligible include row, vineyard, field and tree crops, greenhouse operations producing food crops or flowers, rangeland, and pastures.
Block grant recipients (BGRs) like VCRCD will disperse funding for on-farm projects as well as provide technical assistance to farmers and ranchers with design and implementation of on-farm projects.
HSP is competitive and prioritizes assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (SDFRs) as defined by the 2017 Farmer Equity Act, operations serving and benefitting priority populations, and farms and ranches that are 500 acres or less.
Eligible Applicants & Projects
- Individuals or entities that either own or control the agricultural land where Healthy Soils eligible practices will be implemented through on-farm projects. These individuals or entities may be referred to as farmers, ranchers, agricultural operations, or farm lessee.
- California Farmers/Ranchers
- California Agricultural Operations
- Nonprofit organizations working as agriculture operations
- Federally-and California-Recognized Native American Indian Tribes
- Full list of Healthy Soils eligible practices.
Ineligible Applicants & Projects
- University and research farms
- Cannabis cultivation operations
- Projects that use potted plants and plant growth media other than soil
- Previously awarded and or/implemented practices on the same proposed project sites
Application Prioritization
- This VCRCD HSP Block Grant will prioritize Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (SDFRs), Spanish-speaking growers, female owned and operated farms, small (<500 acre) farms, priority populations, as well as critically impaired environmental regions.
- Applicants identifying as small or medium Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (SDFRs) on their application will receive expedited review.
- Under no circumstances, short of exhausting funds, will any eligible applicant be denied access to HSP services or funding consideration based on their operational status or social identity.
- The final scoring system will be determined by the Project Selection Committee who are made up of professionals in the field.
The Farmer Equity Act of 2017 defines “Socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher” to mean a farmer or rancher who is a member of a socially disadvantaged group. “Socially disadvantaged group” means a group whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities. These groups include all of the following: (1) African Americans (2) Native American Indians (3) Alaskan Natives (4) Hispanics (5) Asian Americans (6) Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.
Find the complete Appendix A with eligible practices and payment rate examples below.
Tentative Timeline
- December 2023 – VCRCD Grant Training Workshops & Staff Onboarding
- January 2024 – HSP Grant applications open for agricultural operations
- Starting March 2024 – Applications will be ranked and submitted to CDFA for funding on a quarterly basis while funds last
- Fall 2027 – VCRCD’s HSP Block Grant funding ends
Application Process
- Fill out the online Official VCRCD HSP application. Linked once available.
- Follow-up meeting with VCRCD staff to discuss your application, grant expectations, and follow-up documentation needed (ex. proposed project map, tentative timeline, and budget).
- Complete HSP RePlan Tool to quantify proposed project’s carbon sequestration and GHG reduction potential. VCRCD will assist farmers with this quantification tool.
- Applicants review their final applications before submission for quarterly review.
- Finalized applications are ranked on a quarterly basis and submitted to CDFA for final approval.
- Applicants notified of status of proposed project: approved, postponed to next selection round, needs revision, or declined.
- Approved and selected applicants sign contracts before work on proposed projects begins.
Questions about HSP? Contact VCRCD
Emily Nye
Agricultural & Environmental Sustainability Specialist
emily.nye@vcrcd.org
805-764-5155
Johnagustin Zecua
Resource Conservation Technician
johnagustin.zecua@vcrcd.org
805-764-5153
¡Hablo español!
Jamie Whiteford
Executive Director
jamie.whiteford@vcrcd.org
805-764-5132
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