California Ag Network

Tag: Climate

  • Ag Day highlights importance of Climate Smart Ag programs to California’s future

    Sacramento, Calif., (March 21, 2018) – Our annual Ag Day is today (March 20) at the State Capitol, and our theme this year, “Climate Smart – California Grown,” is far more than a slogan. It’s actually a key part of the road map for the future of farming and ranching in our state. CDFA and the Brown Administration share a essential priority with agriculture – keep it sustainable and flourishing into the 21st century and beyond.

    There is a strong likelihood that California will be asked to produce more food in the coming years while dealing with access to fewer natural resources, so we are embracing that challenge with several programs that are assisting rural communities while helping farmers and ranchers increase water efficiency and energy efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

    Hmong farmers in Fresno County are among those receiving SWEEP grants to improve water efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
    • State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) – This program provides financial incentives for agricultural operations to invest in water irrigation and/or distribution systems that save water and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To date SWEEP has received $67.5 million from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and also includes $38.7 million in matching funds. The estimated GHG savings are 74,139 metric tons CO2 equivalent per year –  equivalent to removing nearly 15,900 cars off the road annually. The estimated water savings are 96,009 acre feet per year – equivalent to water in about 48-thousand Olympic-sized swimming pools. SWEEP would receive an additional $20 million in SB 5, the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018.
    • Healthy Soils Program – This program provides financial assistance for incentivizing and demonstrating the implementation of conservation agricultural management practices (such as cover crops, compost application, no-till and hedgerows) that sequester carbon, reduce atmospheric GHGs and improve soil health. A total of $7.5 million has been invested in this program, so far, with an additional $5 million proposed in the Governor’s proposed 2018-2019 budget and another $10 million proposed in SB 5.
    Farmland in Contra Costa County protected by a SALC conservation easement. Photo courtesy of the Cecchini family.
    • Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC) – This program, administered by the Strategic Growth Council, provides funds for agricultural conservation easements and local agricultural protection strategies to protect lands from conversion to urban and rural residential development. Climate investments of $79 million have been made, so far.
    • Dairy Digester Research and Development Program – CDFA’s Dairy Digester Research and Development Program supports projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from California dairy operations by capturing them and harnessing them as a renewable energy source. More than $47 million has funded 24 digester projects, so far, and the Governor’s proposed budget for ’18-’19 has a combined $99 million for this program as well as the next one below.
    • Alternative Manure Management Program – CDFA’s Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) supports non-digester based manure management practices on California dairy and livestock operations, such as conversion to dry scrape or solid separation, followed by drying or composting, and pasture-based management. A total investment of $9.8 million has occurred, so far.
    • FARMER Program for Ag Replacement Measures for Emission Reductions– This program, administered by the California Air Resources Board, is intended to reduce agricultural sector emissions by providing grants, rebates, and other financial incentives for agricultural harvesting equipment, heavy-duty trucks, agricultural pump engines, tractors, and other equipment used in agricultural operations. An allocation of $85 million was made for 2017-2018, and an additional $102 million is proposed in the Governor’s ’18-’19 budget.
    • Food Production Investment Program – This is administered by the California Energy Commission to provide grants, loans or any financial incentives to implement projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions for food processors and also to support renewable energy projects in the agricultural sector. A total of $66 million has been allocated for 2017-2018.

    The California Climate Investment programs for agriculture demonstrate the extreme importance of working and natural landscapes in our overall climate strategy. We must align with all of our state’s citizens and show them that we’re all in this together; that sustainable agriculture means wholesome, healthy California-grown food for many years to come. Ag Day is another way to make that point.

  • How Dairy Farmers Are Helping Us Meet Our Climate Goals

    by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture

    Sacramento, Calif., (February 22, 2018) – Each time I drive through California’s Central Valley I am in awe of how much food it produces. The Valley is responsible for almost 10 percent of the country’s agriculture value and is home to many of California’s most productive dairies. In fact, 90 percent of California’s milk is produced in eight counties – all located in the center of our great state. California is the country’s number-one milk producer and our dairy farmers work diligently to provide the highest quality milk for America’s families.

    A great many of these dairies are family run. They have been passed from one generation to the next and have become a staple of the Valley’s landscape. But along with milk, Central Valley dairy farmers are increasingly producing something they never have before – renewable energy – and are doing it using manure from cows.

    Earlier this month I joined hundreds of dairy farmers, industry representatives, public officials and academics for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Lakeview Dairy Digester and two other digester facilities in Kern County.  The mood was electric (although that might have been the electricity buzzing through the digester system!)

    As I spoke with our partners who helped make this project a reality, I could not help but appreciate a genuine synergy.  When we were developing the Dairy Digester Research and Development and Program that helped fund the project, we knew that sister agencies like the California Energy Commission, the Air Resources Board, and the California Public Utilities Commission as well as private partners like California Bio Energy would be integral in bringing these projects to life and having them stay operational for many years to come. It was refreshing and energizing to see dairy families working with public and private partners to create something that produces benefits for all Californians.

    Digesters work by capturing methane released by manure in covered lagoons. The captured methane is then broken down in a high-efficiency generator, where it produces renewable electricity. By using this system, the Lakeview Dairy Project is expected to cut methane emissions by approximately 75 percent and produce 6.7 million kWh of electricity annually – enough to power 757 homes for one year!

    Along with energy production, these three projects will collectively reduce an estimated 503,990 metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent over 10 years, which is equal to taking 107,921 passenger vehicles off the road. In total, the 24 projects supported by the DDRDP will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent.

    The Lakeview project also serves as an excellent example of California’s innovative “hub and spoke” model for meeting our low carbon fuel standards, reducing emissions, and upgrading California’s transportation infrastructure. The concept is simple. One centrally located operation (the hub – in this case Lakeview) collects raw dairy biogas through low pressure PVC pipelines (spokes), from a group of existing dairies. The hub then serves as focal point for cleaning, conditioning and upgrading the gas to be used as fuel for transportation.  Not only does this model significantly reduce construction costs and environmental impacts, but also demonstrates how cooperation and collective action helps us modernize transportation to meet our climate goals.

    I am particularly proud of the environmental rigor in these projects. These digesters have met the strictest water and air quality requirements by double-lining their lagoons to meet the San Joaquin Valley’s strict NOx air quality limits and ensure protection of groundwater from nitrates. These technologies also help reduce odors and reduce overall dairy operating costs.

    It was heartening to hear the experience of Cal Bio Energy’s management team explain their appreciation and positive experience in meeting the new requirement for community outreach. According to them, this turned into a great opportunity to understand any existing concerns, answer questions, and explain to employees, neighbors and other local community stakeholders how the project operates.

    I want to applaud the leadership of all the parties involved in making these projects possible. Achieving our ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals will require cooperation between industry, government agencies and the public.  To quote Governor Jerry Brown, “Taking significant amounts of carbon out of our economy without harming its vibrancy is exactly the sort of challenge at which California excels.”

  • Nearly Half of California’s Vegetation at Risk From Climate Stress

    Davis, Calif., (January 31, 2018) – Current levels of greenhouse gas emissions are putting nearly half of California’s natural vegetation at risk from climate stress, with transformative implications for the state’s landscape and the people and animals that depend on it, according to a study led by the University of California, Davis. However, cutting emissions so that global temperatures increase by no more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.2 degrees Fahrenheit) could reduce those impacts by half, with about a quarter of the state’s natural vegetation affected.

    The study, published in the journal Ecosphere, asks: What are the implications for the state’s vegetation under a business-as-usual emissions strategy, where temperatures increase up to 4.5 degrees Celsius by 2100, compared to meeting targets outlined in the Paris climate agreement that limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius?

    As climate change transforms California’s landscape in the years to come, coastal habitats appear to be more resilient than many other places in the state. (Getty Images)

    “At current rates of emissions, about 45-56 percent of all the natural vegetation in the state is at risk, or from 61,190 to 75,866 square miles,” said lead author James Thorne, a research scientist with the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at UC Davis. “If we reduce the rate to Paris accord targets, those numbers are lowered to between 21 and 28 percent of the lands at climatic risk.”

    The climate exposure of 30 California vegetation types under the current time (A) and three future periods: (B) 2011–2039, (C) 2040–2069, and (D) 2070–2099. Red and orange areas above 95 percent are most at risk. Blue areas less than 80 percent exposed are considered climatically suitable. “Lower emissions” are in line with Paris agreement targets; “higher emissions” represent current, business-as-usual trajectories. (Map courtesy UC Davis)

    The report notes that this is a conservative estimate because it only examines direct climate exposure. It does not include increased wildfire or insect attacks on forests, which are also intensifying and likely to increase with further warming. These secondary effects are likely to have large impacts, as well, the authors say. For example, during the recent drought, more than 127 million trees died primarily due to beetle outbreaks, and wildfires have consumed extensive amounts of natural vegetation.

    The climate exposure of 30 California vegetation types under the current time (A) and three future periods: (B) 2011–2039, (C) 2040–2069, and (D) 2070–2099. Red and orange areas above 95 percent are most at risk. Blue areas less than 80 percent exposed are considered climatically suitable. “Lower emissions” are in line with Paris agreement targets; “higher emissions” represent current, business-as-usual trajectories. (Map courtesy UC Davis)

    68 percent of LA, San Diego regions impacted – The study features maps of the state and shows the climate risk to 30 different vegetation types under different climate scenarios. It projects that at current rates of greenhouse gas emissions, vegetation in southwestern California, the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada mountains becomes more than 50 percent impacted by 2100, including 68 percent of the lands surrounding Los Angeles and San Diego.

    “This is the map of where we live,” Thorne said. “The natural landscapes that make up California provide the water, clean air and other natural benefits for all the people who live here. They provide the sanctuary for California’s high biodiversity that is globally ranked. This map portrays the level of climate risk to all of those things. In some cases, the transformation may be quite dramatic and visible, as is the case with wildfire and beetle outbreaks. In other cases, it might not be dramatically visible but will have impacts, nevertheless.”

    Resilient areas also identified – The study and its maps are being used by state agencies and land managers to make decisions under changing conditions. Commissioned by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the data is helping the agency understand not only which parts of the state are vulnerable to climate change, but also which areas are more resilient, such as some coastal areas and parts of northwestern California, so they can ensure they remain resilient.

    “In California, we have good information on the vulnerability of fish and wildlife to climate change,” said Whitney Albright, a project manager with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “But we were missing this crucial piece of climate risks to underlying habitat. This study helped fill the information gap. We’ve already started to use its data in our conservation planning efforts.”

    The study also provides a risk assessment for policymakers to consider the benefits to California of reaching Paris climate agreement emission targets that limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius, and the risks to the state of remaining on the current business-as-usual level of emissions and temperature warming.

    Co-authoring institutions included the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and the U.S. Geological Survey.

    The study was funded by the U.S. National Park Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

  • Governor Brown Takes Action to Increase Zero-Emission Vehicles, Fund New Climate Investments

    Sacramento, Calif., (January 31, 2018) – Taking action to further California’s climate leadership, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed an executive order to boost the supply of zero-emission vehicles and charging and refueling stations in California. The Governor also detailed the new plan for investing $1.25 billion in cap-and-trade auction proceeds to reduce carbon pollution and improve public health and the environment.

    “This executive order aims to curb carbon pollution from cars and trucks and boost the number of zero-emission vehicles driven in California,” said Governor Brown. “In addition, the cap-and-trade investments will, in varying degrees, reduce California’s carbon footprint and improve the quality of life for all.”

    Climate Smart Agriculture is a significant component of the cap-and-trade plan – an integrated approach to achieving GHG reductions while also ensuring food security in the face of climate change. This strategy is defined by three main pillars: (1) sustainably increasing farm productivity and incomes, (2) adapting and building resilience to climate change, and (3) reducing and removing GHG emissions, where possible.  The Cap and Trade Expenditure Plan supports these efforts through the following proposals, including CDFA programs housed in the agency’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation:

    • Agricultural Diesel Engine Replacement and Upgrades—$102 million for the Air Board to provide incentives for farmers and agricultural businesses to replace existing diesel, agricultural vehicles and equipment with the cleanest available diesel or advanced technologies. Emissions from agricultural equipment are a significant source of air pollution, especially in the San Joaquin Valley, and reducing these emissions is critical for meeting federal ozone and particulate matter air quality standards.
    • Agricultural Energy Efficiency Program—$34 million for the Energy Commission to reduce energy costs, increase efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the food processing sector.  Funded technologies will be reliable, have potential for broad sector adoption and help contribute to meeting the state’s energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction goals.
    • Healthy Soils Program—$5 million for the Department of Food and Agriculture to provide financial incentives to farmers to implement conservation agriculture management practices that sequester carbon, reduce atmospheric GHGs, and improve soil health. The program is the first in the world to directly relate agricultural management practices to quantitative GHG reductions and promote the development of healthy soils on California’s farmlands and ranchlands.  The Budget also includes an additional $9 million from the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoors Access for All Fund (SB 5), for a total of $14 million for this program.
    • Renewable Energy Program—$4 million for the Energy Commission to provide grants for the installation of cost-effective on-site renewable energy for agricultural operations located in disadvantaged communities.

    Short-lived Climate Pollutants

    The warming effect of short-lived climate pollutants, such as methane, fluorinated gases and black carbon, can be significantly greater than that of carbon dioxide. Reducing these emissions can have an immediate beneficial impact on both climate change and public health. Chapter 523, Statutes of 2014, included a number of requirements for addressing dairy and livestock sector methane emissions and landfill methane emissions via diversion of organic material from the waste stream.  The Cap and Trade Expenditure Plan includes the following proposals in support of these efforts:

    • Methane Reduction—$99 million for the Department of Food and Agriculture’sDairy Digester Research and Development Program and Alternative Manure Management Program to reduce methane emissions. Methane is 25 times more potent as a greenhouse gas compared to carbon dioxide. The Dairy Digester Research and Development Program offers grants to dairies to capture methane to be used for transportation fuels and clean energy production. The Alternative Manure Management Program provides financial incentives to dairy farms to implement non-digester manure management programs to reduce methane emissions.
    • Waste Diversion—$20 million for the Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery to provide financial incentives for infrastructure facilities that divert waste from landfills, which will reduce methane emissions. Projects include composting, anaerobic digestion, and fiber, plastic, and glass recycling facilities.

  • Climate Smart Agriculture – Chile Trip Concludes

    Sacramento, Calif., (December 7, 2017) – We ended our Climate Smart Agriculture delegation visit last week by visiting the La Serena region of Chile. This region, North of Santiago, is a cool season agricultural region very similar to Ventura and Salinas, California. This region received little rain during the drought and there is an overall downward trend in how much water the region has been receiving over time.

    California’s Climate Smart Ag delegation – (left to right) Brooks Ohlson, Jeffrey Creque, Ellen Hanak, Don Cameron, DeeDee D’Adamo, John Chandler, Secretary Karen Ross, Doug Parker, Sebastián Pacheco (Punto Azul), Frank Muller, Paul Robins, Derek Azevedo, Aaron Lange and Josh Eddy

    The Government has worked to build several small reservoirs and on-farm irrigation ponds in this region to ensure agricultural needs. One reservoir we visited provides 50,000 acres with water and is capable of holding water to overcome short term droughts and floods that can impact the communities that live in the region. Specialty crops grown here include lettuce, table grapes, grapes for pisco (distilled alcoholic drink) and citrus. At this particular reservoir, operation managers collect weather data and share this information with the growers through smart phone apps. Management of the reservoir was moved from a public project to a privately operated system, after construction, with growers and others paying for operation and maintenance costs.

    The La Serena region is also home to a few of the research stations associated with the Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA). Very similar to the University of California Research Extension Centers, INIA focuses on on-farm agricultural research and extension services distribution to farmers through field days (irrigation efficiency and pesticide applications were among the top priorities). Grower outreach and on-farm adaptation of new technologies and practices has proved challenging in the small farm community, but INIA remains dedicated to providing assistance to small farmers in helping them adapt to a climate change.

    Manager of the Puclaro Dam outside La Serena speaks to the Climate Smart Agriculture delegation.

    In reflecting on the California-Chile Climate Smart Agriculture mission, I am very happy at the outcome, humbled to travel with a wonderful group of intelligent and curious stakeholders and look forward to additional information sharing to come through webinars and other activities between California and Chile.

    By Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture.

  • Supplement Promises to Create Climate Smart Cows

    Davis, Calif., (October 6, 2017) – Belching beef and dairy cows emit a significant amount of methane, sending a potent greenhouse gas into the atmosphere where it can contribute to climate

    A steer at UC Davis that is part of the Mootral trial, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock.

    change. UC Agriculture and Natural Resources researcher Ermais Kebreab, a professor in the Department of Animal Science at UC Davis, is studying a potential new solution.

    In European studies, supplementation with just 15 grams of a formulation called Mootral, derived from garlic and citrus extracts, killed bacteria in the cow’s gut that produce the gas emitting from the animals’ mouths and nostrils. Methane emission was cut 30 to 50 percent. Kebreab and his staff are feeding the supplement to nine California cows at the UC Davis farm and comparing their emissions with nine cows on identical rations minus Mootral.

    The research was shared with writers in Sacramento for the International Food Bloggers Conference during a pre-event excursion to the UC Davis ag barn.

    UC ANR researcher Ermais Kebreab is leading a trail at UC Davis comparing cattle that received the Mootral supplement with those that did not.

    “This research is highly relevant in California,” Kebreab said. “The state is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent of 1990 levels by 2030. We need to reduce the environmental impact of livestock production.”