Climate Smart Agriculture

Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) addresses the risk that the agriculture industry faces due to changing climate conditions. It encompasses management practices that increase soil carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve on-farm efficiencies, and promote sustainable land practices. CSA promotes increasing agricultural productivity, building resiliency to climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Para información en español, haz click aquí.

Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is the incentive focusing on three initiatives that includes SWEEP, HSP, and AMMP by providing grants. The University of California Cooperative Extension and California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) in collaboration extends its help for the technical assistance with application process to the interested candidates.

• The State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) encourages farmers to install more efficient irrigation systems that decrease their water consumption as well as their greenhouse gas emissions. You can apply for a SWEEP grant for up to $200,000.
• The Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) awards funds - up to $750,000 - to livestock producers who decrease their methane emissions by changing the way that they manage manure.
• The Healthy Soils Program (HSP) awards up to $100,000 per project for implementing of conservation agriculture techniques that decrease erosion and greenhouse gas emissions, like cover cropping, compost, crop rotation, and mulching. 

UC Cooperative Extension Fresno has a new Climate Smart Agriculture Program specialist, Amber Butland, who will be helping growers by providing the technical assistance and answering questions regarding the program. Please contact Amber Butland at abutland@ucanr.edu or 559-241-7545 for more information.