Posts Tagged: healthy soils
Celebrate Healthy Soils Week with free events Dec. 5-9
California Healthy Soils Week 2022 kicks off Dec. 5 on United Nations' World Soil Day. UC Agriculture and Natural Resources is joining the California Department of Food and Agriculture and other organizations in highlighting the benefits of soil health and biodiversity.
During the week of Dec. 5-9, CDFA will present a biodiversity webinar, the UC Master Gardener Program will host two Facebook LIVE webinars and UC Cooperative Extension will co-host a Sustainable Nutrient Management & Soil Health Field Day in Salinas. Details about the free events are below.
Monday, Dec. 5 at 10 a.m.
WEBINAR: Building Belowground Biodiversity CDFA Secretary Karen Ross and members of the Belowground Biodiversity Advisory Committee – composed of world-renowned scientists – discuss how soil biodiversity may impact soil health. The BBAC is tasked with preparing a report of their recommendations on biodiversity indicators as a proxy of soil health and ecosystem functions. This webinar will discuss the importance and impact of belowground biodiversity on soil health and presenters will also share some of their research findings. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Jy4iuXb4TyydYcLXTcfThw.
Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 10 a.m.
Healthy Soil: In nature sometimes less is more. Understanding the nature and composition of soil is the first step in our understanding of how to achieve sustainable, healthy soil in our gardens. Mike Corby, UC Master Gardener volunteer in Contra Costa County, will give tips for improving soil health in the garden. To join this 30-minute UC Master Gardener Program LIVE on Facebook, go to https://fb.me/e/4tavSVutB on Dec. 6 at 10 a.m. No registration is required. A recording of the webinar is published on YouTube at https://youtu.be/Y9M5uQtzLyk.
Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 10 a.m.
Harnessing the Magic of the Soil Food Web: Turning Dirt into Gold. Soil is the foundation for life providing habitat, recycling wastes and toxins, providing structural and nutritional support for plants. Over the past 150 years, more industrial practices have replaced natural methods that degrade soil structure and degrade populations of soil organisms, weakening the natural control of soil borne diseases and pests. This has contributed to a reliance on the use of chemical fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides. These chemicals not only affect the soil, but the biodiversity of organisms that rely on the soil and the plants that grow in it. Nurturing soil is one of the best things you can do as a gardener. Plants thrive in soil that is teeming with life.
Kit Veerkamp, UC Master Gardener volunteer in El Dorado County, will discuss why this really matters and how to modify your soils to improve plant health and reduce disease and pests. To join this 30-minute UC Master Gardener Program LIVE on Facebook, go to https://fb.me/e/4VJE3wZA1 Dec. 7, at 10 a.m. No registration is required. A recording of the webinar is published on YouTube at https://youtu.be/Hqd-XDy81H0.
Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 11 a.m.
Web Soil Survey Presentation: Hosted by California Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Web Soil Survey provides soil data and information produced by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. It is operated by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and provides access to the largest natural resource information system in the world. NRCS has soil maps and data available online for more than 95% of the nation's counties. Moderated and presented by Phil Smith, California NRCS area resource soil scientist, and Tony Rolfes, California state soil scientist. This is a presentation on Web Soil Survey and other soil web tools for gathering soils information and maps. Register here.
Friday, Dec. 9, at 9 a.m.
Sustainable Nutrient Management & Soil Health Field Day will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Agricultural Center Conference Room at 1432 Abbott St. in Salinas.
Presentations will include
- Climate-smart nutrient management for cool-season vegetable crop production by Cole Smith, UC Cooperative Extension staff research associate.
- Co-composted biochar application in intensive vegetable rotation: On-farm trial review by Laura Murphy and Sacha Lozano, Monterey and Santa Cruz Resource Conservation Districts
- Latest developments in measuring soil health: The 4 most responsive indicators by Meagan Hynes, California State University - Monterey Bay
- Healthy soil incentives and Ag. Order 4.0 requirements by Monica Barricarte and Claire Bjork, Central Coast Water Board
- Avenues for improving nitrogen cycling in vegetable production by Richard Smith, UC Cooperative Extension vegetable crops advisor
- In-field soil health assessment & compost spreader calibration by Jessica Chiartas, UC Davis
Five Certified Crop Adviser nutrient management continuing-education credits have been requested for attending the Sustainable Nutrient Management & Soil Health Field Day. To register or for more information, visit http://ucanr.edu/2022snmfd.
Visit the Healthy Soils Week website to see the full lineup of events and partners. To find more healthy soils information on social media, look for the hashtags #SoilHealth and #HSW2022.
/h4>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>Health soils for healthy profits - Webinar 9/17/2020 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEm8pjbbnaE&feature=youtu.be
September 23, 2020
A video transcript of the Healthy Soils Healthy Profits - How do we get to $2.50/lb cotton in the SJV? webinar that was held on September 17, 2020 is now available at You Tube at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEm8pjbbnaE&feature=youtu.be
More activities and information related to soil health in cotton production systems are now being planned. Stay tuned!
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Healthy Soils webinar September 17 2020 jpeg
Soil Health Symposium
Ventura County Research Symposium
Sustainability Through Soil Health
February 27, 2020
Please join us for a morning of research updates and
speakers highlighting industry trends including:
- Soil Health Assessment and Management:
- Lessons from the Arid and Semiarid Southwest
- Dr. John Idowu, Extension Agronomist & Associate Professor at New Mexico State University
- Messages from Soil Health Research
- in San Joaquin Valley
- Dr. Jeffrey P. Mitchell, CE Cropping Systems Specialist at Kearney Agricultural Research & Extension Center
Crowne Plaza Hotel 450 E Harbor Blvd Ventura, CA 93001
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citrus cover crop
Grants for adopting or showcasing soil health practices available through CDFA (Due March 8)
Are you considering introducing cover crops into your production system? Are you wanting to plant...