Posts Tagged: irrigation efficiency
Irrigation System Testing Available from Yolo and Solano County RCD
With all the rain we're having at the moment, irrigation is likely the last thing on growers'...
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AG Water & Pesticide disposal Solano
Grants ($$$) Available for California Farmers and Ranchers
CDFA's Healthy Soils Program (HSP) and the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) are currently accepting applications! If you are an agricultural operation looking to save water and/or improve your soils then these programs might be for you. Below is a list of things to consider for the grants.
CDFA's State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP): Apply for up to $200,000 for irrigation management practices that reduce water and greenhouse gas emissions (by conserving energy).
What is CDFA's SWEEP grant? CDFA's SWEEP provides grant funding to California agricultural operations to incentivize activities that reduce on-farm water use and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from irrigation systems.
How is SWEEP funded? SWEEP is funded from the Budget Act of 2021 which allocated $50 million this round.
Who can apply? The irrigation project must be located on a California agricultural operation and cannot build upon previously funded SWEEP projects directly affecting the same Assessor's Parcel Numbers (APNs).
What are the exclusions from applying to SWEEP?
- You cannot apply to expand existing agricultural operations.
- You cannot apply to install new groundwater wells or increase well depth.
- You cannot test new technology or perform research.
Which practices are eligible for funding? Some of the practices that are eligible for funding are replacing pumps,v variable frequency drives, using soil moisture or plant sensors, converting to a more efficient irrigation method, or adding equipment for irrigating more efficiently such as pipes, flowmeters, and pressure regulators. CDFA is open to a variety of practice, including solar conversions, as long as the overall project will save water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Request for Grant Applications has a sample list of practices on page i-iii (https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/sweep/docs/2021_SWEEP_RGA_-_October_19_Release.pdf).
How long is the project duration? The project duration is 24 months.
What information or documents do I need to apply?
- Pump efficiency test for all pumps that will be included in the project. The information you will need on the pump test is overall pumping efficiency percentage, horsepower, discharge pressure and pumping depth.
- 12 consecutive months of utility bills, actual fuel receipts and/or field operational logs.
- If applying for a solar project, you are required to get a quote from the solar company. All other projects are not required to have quotes, but it is highly recommended.
For more information please go to: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/sweep/
Also Attend the CDFA hosted online workshop on Monday 11/15/2021 from 1-3pm.
Sign up for upcoming workshop here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vIYKUkfOQbeUSsJ3ycVxpw
CDFA's Healthy Soils Program (HSP): https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/
Apply for up to $100,000 for soil practices that improve soil health and sequesters carbon.
What is CDFA's Healthy Soils Program? CDFA's Healthy Soils Incentives Program provides financial incentives to California growers and ranchers to implement agricultural management practices that sequester carbon, reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil health.
How is the Healthy Soils Program funded? The Healthy Soils Program is funded from the State's cap and trade also known as the California Climate Investments and the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection and Outdoor Access for all Act of 2018. This round the Healthy Soils Program was appropriated $50.5 million.
Who can apply? California agricultural operations who will have control of the land during the duration of the grant can apply.
What are the exclusions from applying to the Healthy Soils Program?
- You cannot apply for practices other than those that are listed on the Request for Grant Application (https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/docs/2021_HSP_Incentives_RGA.pdf).
- You cannot apply for practices that you have implemented in the previous year.
- You cannot apply if the practices will be implemented in potted plants or other plant growth media.
Which practices are eligible for funding? Some of the practices that are eligible for funding are cover cropping, reduced-till, compost application and conservation plantings. The complete list of practice can be found on the Request for Grant Applications on pages 30-50 (https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/docs/2021_HSP_Incentives_RGA.pdf).
How long is the project duration? The project duration is three years long starting in 2022 and ending in 2025. Depending on the practice chosen, you will likely implement the practice once a year for three years.
What information or documents do I need to apply?
- A list of practices you wish to apply for, examples include cover crop, compost, hedgerow planting and mulch application.
- Information regarding the last three years of crop history and management practices. No documentation is required just a written statement.
- If you lease land, a statement signed from your landowner stating that you will have control over the land for the duration of the grant.
Attend the CDFA hosted online workshop for the healthy soils program on Thursday 11/18/2021 from 9-11am. The workshop agenda can be viewed here:
https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/docs/2021_HSP_Incentives_Workshop_Agenda.pdf
Sign up for upcoming workshop here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_p6Kxg55GTbSdXU5ddpsNGw
For FREE technical assistance in filling out the application please contact Valerie Perez, valperez@ucanr.edu or (831) 595-8545
For FREE technical assistance with equipment and irrigation system design ideas, please contact Michael Cahn, mdcahn@ucanr.edu or 831-214-3690
/span>Workshops on 2016 State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP)
If you have an interest to receive state funding for upgrading your irrigation system to improve water use efficiency, then you may want to consider applying for SWEEP funding. Upcoming workshops on SWEEP will be in Salinas on July 14, and in Watsonville on July 15th. Please see the announcement below:
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVING FARM
WATER AND ENERGY USE EFFICIENCY!
UP TO $200K PER FARM
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is accepting applications for its 2016 State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) Round II. SWEEP is a competitive grants program supporting growers and agricultural operations in California to reduce their Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and save water by investing in water irrigation system efficiency. Projects must reduce GHG emissions and save water. Applicants must provide supporting documentation directly related to actual, on-farm water consumption and GHG emissions during the prior growing season to be eligible for funding. Grant submission deadline is August 5, 2016, and grant-funded work must be completed by November 2017.
THE RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICTS OF
MONTEREY, SANTA CRUZ and LOMA PRIETA
INVITE YOU
TO ATTEND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOPS TO PREPARE YOUR 2016 SWEEP PROPOSAL
Date |
Time |
Location |
6 - July |
8am to 12pm |
San Lorenzo Park 1160 Broadway, King City, CA |
14 - July |
8am to 12pm |
UC Cooperative Extension 1432 Abbott St, Salinas, CA |
15 - July |
9am to 12pm |
UC Cooperative Extension Santa Cruz County 1430 Freedom Boulevard, Suite E, Watsonville, CA |
20 - July |
9am to 12pm |
Morgan Hill Community Center 17000 Monterey Rd., Morgan Hill, CA |
These workshops will give you an overview of the program, and provide hands-on assistance with project requirements, application process and materials. You will have an opportunity to meet representatives from various companies that sell the types of irrigation supplies and equipment you can acquire with your SWEEP grant. For more details visit the program's website at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/sweep/, or contact Ben Burgoa at ben.burgoa@rcdmonterey.org (805-717-3261) for assistance in Monterey County, or Sacha Lozano at slozano@rcdsantacruz.org (831-224-0293) in Santa Cruz and Santa Clara Counties. Be ready! Please bring information about your irrigation system and pump characteristics to assess your farm water consumption and GHG emissions.
Free surface irrigation efficiency workshop to be held at Kearney June 3, 2016
This workshop is designed to give growers and water managers tools and insights on how to better conduct surface irrigation activities including furrow, border and basin (flood) irrigation systems. Topics include basic system design issues, performance evaluation approaches and commonly used practices to improve the distribution uniformity and efficiency of applied water.
The agenda is:
8:30 - 9:00 a.m. | Registration and refreshments |
9:00 - 9:10 a.m. | Introductory remarks and welcome - TBD |
9:10 -9:30 a.m. | Practical Application for Improving Surface Irrigation Efficiencies, Dan Munk, UCCE advisor in Fresno County |
9:30 - 9:50 a.m. | Irrigation Systems and Energy Efficiency, Daniele Zaccaria, UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources at UC Davis |
9:50 - 10:10 a.m. | Improving the Efficiency of Surface Irrigation Systems, Eduardo Bautista, USDA ARS Water Management and Conservation Research Unit at the Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center in Arizona |
10:10 - 10:30 a.m. | Break |
10:30 - 11:10 a.m. | The relationship between irrigation efficiency and field geometry, field condition, and inflow rate into the irrigated field, Eduardo Bautista, USDA-ARS |
11:10 -11:30 a.m. | Understanding Irrigation Efficiency with Different Systems: How it's Defined, Why it's Important, Khaled Bali, UCCE advisor and director in Imperial county |
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Q&A |
To register for the workshop or for additional information, please email or call Dan Munk or Terri Gonzalez (email:dsmunk@ucanr.edu, 559-241-7515). Event registration is optional but preferred to estimate attendance.
Our programs are open to all potential participants. Please contact the Fresno UCCE office (two weeks prior to the event) at 559-241-7515 if you have any barriers to participation requiring special accommodations.
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