Hope Zabronsky, UC ANR Climate Smart Agriculture Program academic coordinator, speaks about soil health practices during the Yolo County farm tour.

In honor of Healthy Soils Week (Dec. 2-6), the California Department of Food and Agriculture joined legislators, their staff members and stakeholders for a tour of farms in Yolo County to see greenhouse gas-reducing healthy soil practices in action.

Farmers who have received healthy soils grants from CDFA's Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation showed successful implementation of mulching and cover crop practices on adjacent farms and discussed their importance in improving soil structure, fertility and water retention.

The tour also included compost application and a well-established, low-maintenance hedgerow line — a thriving habitat for pollinator species.

Each farmer emphasized the critical support provided by the Healthy Soils Program, and how the funding enabled them to adopt these practices.

Tour attendees included representatives from the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, the California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN), UCANR, the offices of Assemblymembers Cecilia Aguiar-Curry and Jacqui Irwin, and the Senate Committee on Agriculture. The collaboration of these farmers, policymakers and climate-smart agriculture advocates continues to make the Healthy Soils Program a success.

Participants in the Yolo County healthy soil farm tour.

Republished from CDFA Planting Seeds blog.