In November 2018, following California’s entry into the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) the operations of CDFA’s Dairy Marketing Branch were terminated. In order to ensure the availability of funds to offset closing costs, terminated programs are required to keep unused funds in State Treasury for three fiscal years. Additionally, in the case of the Dairy Marketing Branch, the approval of the Legislature was required for CDFA to regain access to the unspent balance after the waiting period. The required thresholds have been met resulting in $3,595,000 becoming available for CDFA to conduct research to benefit both dairy farmers and milk processors.
In the next few months CDFA plans to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to perform industry-focused research projects. As part of that process, we are asking the California dairy industry to help us identify their top research priorities. Accordingly, all members of the California dairy industry are invited to attend a workshop to discuss research priorities, project criteria and scope:
Date: Thursday, October 23, 2025
Time: 10:00 am
Location: CDFA Headquarters Auditorium
1220 N Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
You may join the workshop online by using the link below:
Sacramento, Calif., (March 9, 2018) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is now accepting applications for the Healthy Soils Program (HSP). The program provides funding for incentivizing and demonstrating soil health practices that sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gases, and improve soil health.
The HSP has two components: the HSP Incentives Program and the HSP Demonstration Projects.
The HSP Incentives Program provides financial assistance for implementation of soil health practices that sequester soil carbon and reduce GHG emissions. California farmers and ranchers, as well as Federal and California recognized Native American Indian Tribes, are eligible to apply.
The HSP Demonstration Projects showcase California farmers’ and ranchers’ implementation of HSP soil health practices. By using demonstration projects, awardees can help support widespread adoption of soil health management practices throughout the state. Not-for-profit entities, University Cooperative Extension, federal and university experiment stations, Resource Conservation Districts, Federal and California-recognized Native American Indian Tribes, and farmers and ranchers in collaboration with any of the aforementioned entities are eligible to apply.
A total of up to $1.6 million will be awarded for the projects, with no more than $500,000 allocated specifically for HSP Demonstration projects.
This grant process may prioritize funding to agricultural lands in counties where a state of emergency was declared in 2017 due to wildfires under executive orders signed by Governor Edmond G. Brown, Jr. These counties include: Butte, Lake, Los Angeles, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Santa Barbara, Sonoma, Ventura and Yuba.
Applications and all supporting information must be submitted electronically by April 13, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. PDT. Awards will be made based on a first-come-first-served basis and will be subject to administrative and technical reviews prior to being funded.
For detailed information on eligibility and program requirements, prospective applicants should visit the CDFA Healthy Soils Program website at: www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/.
CDFA will hold two workshops and two webinars to provide information on program requirements and the application process (see below). CDFA staff will provide guidance on the application process, provide examples, and answer any questions. There is no cost to attend the workshops. Individuals planning to attend should email grants@cdfa.ca.gov with his or her contact information, the number of seats required, and the workshop location.
Orange County – Tuesday, March 13, 2018
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – HSP Incentives Program
2.30 pm – 4:00 pm – HSP Demonstration Projects
OC Fair and Event Center – Board Room
88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Yuba City – Friday, March 16, 2018
9:00 am – 10:30 am – HSP Incentives Program
10:30 am – 12:00 pm – HSP Demonstration Projects
University of California Cooperative Extension Sutter/Yuba
142 Garden Highway
Yuba City, CA 95991
Webinar – Monday, March 19, 2018
9:00 am – 10:30 am – HSP Incentives Program
10:30 am – 12:00 pm – HSP Demonstration Projects
Webinar – Wednesday, March 21, 2018
9:00 am – 10:30 am – HSP Incentives Program
10:30 am – 12:00 pm – HSP Demonstration Projects
Prospective applicants may contact CDFA’s Grants Office at grants@cdfa.ca.gov with general program questions. For information regarding free-of-charge technical assistance provided by non-profit organizations, Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs), and California academic institutions, applicants should refer to www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils.
NOTE – The HSP is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at: www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.
Sacramento, Calif., (March 8, 2018) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture is now accepting grant applications from non-profits, universities, and California Resource Conservation Districts that will offer technical assistance to farmers and ranchers interested in applying to the state’s Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP).
“These grants dollars will help fund workshops and other assistance in the application process, making it easier for our dairy and livestock operators to successfully apply to
AMMP and ultimately reduce greenhouse gas emissions on their operations,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross.
Applicants may apply for funding up to $10,000 and must meet several requirements, including: one-on-one application assistance, technical assistance, and internet access for application submission.
Detailed information on funding, eligibility and program requirements can be found at: www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/AMMP/.
Applications must be submitted by email no later than March 14, 2018, 5:00 p.m. PDT. Grants will be awarded on a first-come-first-served basis.
The AMMP is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap and Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at: www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.
Sacramento, Calif., (March 5, 2018) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture is now accepting grant applications from non-profits, universities and California Resource Conservation Districts (RCD) offering technical assistance to farmers and ranchers who are interested in applying to the state’s Healthy Soils Program (HSP).
“If we are to meet our greenhouse gas reduction goals and improve the health of California’s soil, we must do everything we can to help our farmers and ranchers apply to our programs,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “Leveraging our partnerships with the academic community, non-profits and RCDs is key in getting more individuals to apply.”
Applicants may apply for funding up to $5,000 and must meet several requirements, including: one-on-one application assistance, technical assistance and internet access for application submission.
Detailed information on funding, eligibility and program requirements can be found at:www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/IncentivesProgram.html
Applications must be submitted by email no later than March 9, 2018 5:00 p.m. PST. Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
The HSP is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap and Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at: www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.
Sacramento, Calif., (January 19, 2018) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has extended the grant application deadline for the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP), from January 26, 2018 to February 23, at 5 P.M. PST.
The DDRDP is one of two programs designed by CDFA to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions. The program will provide between $61 million and $75 million in grants to California dairy farms to install anaerobic digesters that reduce their methane emissions.
For detailed information on eligibility and program requirements, prospective applicants should visit the CDFA DDRDP website at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/ddrdp/ . To streamline and expedite the application process, CDFA is partnering with the State Water Resources Control Board, which hosts an online application tool, the Financial Assistance Application Submittal Tool (FAAST). All prospective applicants must register for a FAAST account at https://faast.waterboards.ca.gov . Applications and all supporting information must be submitted electronically using FAAST by Friday, February 23 at 5:00 P.M. PST.
NOTE – The DDRDP is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment-particularly in disadvantaged communities. The cap-and-trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investment projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are made in disadvantaged and low-income communities. For more information, visit California Climate Investments.
Sacramento, Calif., (December 19, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) is currently accepting concept proposals for the 2018 grant cycle. FREP’s competitive grant program funds research that advances the agronomic and environmental performance of fertilizing materials.
The 2018 Request for Proposals (RFP) includes several initiatives put forth by the department to help effectively manage nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture.
This year’s priorities include: identifying and addressing challenges to effective nutrient management practices; filling knowledge gaps in nitrogen management information for specific crops, including baby lettuce, pima cotton, processing tomatoes, walnuts, citrus, and deep rooted vegetables; quantification of nitrate movement in deep soil as it relates to management practices; research on the role of soil organic matter and organic input materials in nutrient management; and training, education, and outreach opportunities to efficiently manage irrigation systems and fertilizing materials.
Applicants are invited to submit two-page concept proposals to FREP by Wednesday, January 31, 2018. Concepts submitted should be aligned with at least one of the identified priority research areas. Further information on the 2018 FREP request for concept proposals, including timelines, application criteria, priority research areas, and examples of successful proposals are available on the Grant Program web page atwww.cdfa.ca.gov/is/ffldrs/frep/CompetitiveGrantProgram.html
All concept proposals will be reviewed by the Fertilizer Inspection Advisory Board’s Technical Advisory Subcommittee (TASC). Concept proposals that are selected by the TASC will be invited for development into full project proposals.
Since 1990, FREP has funded more than 200 research projects, investing over 17 million dollars in research and outreach projects focusing on California’s important and environmentally sensitive cropping systems. A database of completed and ongoing research is available on the FREP Research web page at www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/FREPresearch.
For more information, send e-mail inquiries to FREP@cdfa.ca.gov.
Sacramento, Calif., (December 7, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has awarded $5.23 million in grant funding to 86 projects as part of its Healthy Soils Program. The program is the first of its kind in the nation, and encourages farmers and ranchers to implementpractices that reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases and improve soil health.
The Healthy Soils Program stems from the California Healthy Soils Initiative, a collaboration between state agencies to support the development of healthy soils in California. Other statewide projectsinclude the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC), which protects agricultural land from development and also helps reduce harmful emissions. Both programs are funded from the California Climate Investments Fund.
“California continues to the lead the nation in supporting smart climate programs that address on-farm challenges and promote agricultural sustainability,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross, “Soil has the transformative power to help us stabilize our changing climate. By capturing greenhouse gas emissions and storing them underground, we improve both the atmosphere and soil.”
In 2016, CDFA allocated $7.5 million to develop and administer the Healthy Soils Program as part of its role in the California Climate Investments initiative, which helps state agencies invest cap-and-trade auction proceeds in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide a variety of additional benefits to California communities.
The $5.23 million in HSP funding is split between 64 incentives programs and 22demonstration projects, both of which promote widespread adoption of conservation management practices statewide.
Davis, Calif., (December 6, 2017) – The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research has awarded more than $1.7 million to University of California, Davis, researchers to identify genes responsible for drought tolerance in rice and test a new energy-efficient food-drying process.
Drought-resistant rice – A $1 million Seeding Solutions grant will go to a project to study the genetics of rice plants. The research is being led by principal investigator Pamela Ronald, distinguished professor in the Department of Plant Pathology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the Genome Center at UC Davis.
Pamela Ronald, distinguished professor in the Department of Plant Pathology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and her team will identify genes that alter root growth in rice. (Photo / Deanne Fitzmaurice)
She and researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and collaborators, will develop and implement a chemistry-driven gene discovery approach to identify rice genes that influence root growth. The project targets protein kinases, enzymes that control diverse biological process in plants, such as root architecture and drought response.
“Our aim is to identify genes that alter root growth in rice, a staple food for half the world’s people. Because root systems play an essential role in yield and drought tolerance, results of these studies are relevant to agriculture,” said Ronald.
The FFAR grant has been matched with funding from the UC Davis Innovation Institute for Food and Health, the Structural Genomics Consortium, AgBiome and Promega for a total $2.3 million investment.
“This project is a prime example of how public-private partnerships can advance our understanding of plant genetics to develop crops resistant to drought and other climate extremes,” said Sally Rockey, executive director of the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research.
Researchers on this project also include David Drewry, co-principal investigator and professor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Aled Edwards, collaborator, professor at the University of Toronto, and director of the Structural Genomics Consortium; and Rafael Najmanovich, collaborator, professor at the University of Montreal.
Principal investigator Irwin Donis-Gonzalez (left) and assistant adjunct professor Kurt Kornbluth (right) in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering will research new advanced food-drying technology.
Energy-efficient food processing – FFAR has also awarded $790,000 to UC Davis to test a new technology to improve the drying methods used in food production. Moisture must be removed from harvested agricultural products to safely preserve them prior to processing into food products.
Researchers will test an innovative moisture-absorbing technology called drying beads, instead of relying on heated air to dehydrate foods such as grains, nuts, rice and seeds. The beads absorb water without using heat, reducing the use of energy by up to 50 percent during the drying process. The beads are reusable and can be reactivated, which would reduce drying costs over time.
The research is being led by principal investigator Irwin R. Donis-Gonzalez, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering in UC Davis’ College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
“Drying agricultural produce is an energy-intensive process, and it is imperative to find alternative means of drying for the enhancement of food quality, safety, and economical operations, while reducing food losses and waste,” said Donis-Gonzalez.
According to researchers, this technology could save more than 1.06 quadrillion kilojoules of energy annually in the U.S. This is about the same amount of energy it takes to provide electricity to residents of New York, California and Florida for one year.
The $790,000 FFAR grant has also been matched with funding from the UC Davis Innovation Institute for Food and Health, and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences for a total $1.5 million investment.
“This project exemplifies how new innovations can help us produce a safe, reliable food supply that uses resources more efficiently,” Rockey said.
Researchers on this project include Kent J. Bradford, co-principal investigator, distinguished professor at UC Davis; Kurt Kornbluth, co-principal investigator, assistant adjunct professor at UC Davis; Edward Spang, co-principal investigator, assistant professor at UC Davis; and Johan Van Asbrouck, collaborator, CEO of Rhino Research, Bangkok, Thailand.
Sacramento, Calif., (December 5, 2017) – CDFA’s Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) is pleased to announce the award of $800,000 in grant funds to agricultural organizations and universities this year. The grants will fund four projects designed to improve nutrient efficiency and reduce the nitrogen footprint of fertilizer use.
Nitrogen is a key nutrient for food production. However, if not used efficiently, it can also lead to water and air quality impacts.
“These four projects will provide us with the science-based evidence and necessary training we need to better guide our decision making,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “We look forward to ongoing collaboration with agriculturalists, policymakers and the academic community.”
The projects are research examining the nitrogen cycle in nursery production; bilingual training on nutrient management and irrigation system efficiency; examining the ratio between crop yield and nitrogen; and programs to help minority farmers better understand nitrogen uptake patterns for specific Asian vegetable crops.
Since 1990, FREP has funded more than 220 projects focusing on California’s environmentally sensitive cropping systems. A database of completed research is publically available at:www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/FREPresearch.
The FREP mission is to promote the efficient and environmentally friendly use of fertilizers through the funding of fertilizer research and education, and the decision to utilize the findings of FREP research ultimately lies in the hands of the grower. For more information, please visit the FREP website at http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/FREP.
Sacramento, Calif., (October 27, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has awarded $35.2 million in grant funding to 18 dairy digester projects across the state. These projects, part of the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from manure on California dairy farms.
“California continues to the lead the nation in supporting smart climate programs that address on-farm challenges and promote agricultural sustainability,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “I applaud our dairy farmers for proactively addressing climate pollutants and reducing overall greenhouse emissions to help meet the state’s climate goals.”
Dairy manure produces methane when it decomposes. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that traps more than 80 times as much heat in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Dairy digesters help capture methane emissions, which can be used to produce electricity or natural gas.
CDFA also administers the Alternative Manure Management Program, which promotes non-digester manure management practices in California dairy and livestock operations to reduce methane emissions. CDFA received 53 applications by the Oct. 16, 2017 deadline, requesting a total of $29.5 million in grants. These applications are currently under review
Financial assistance for the installation of dairy digesters comes from California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that uses Cap-and-Trade program funds to support the state’s climate goals. CDFA and other state agencies are investing these proceeds in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide additional benefits to California communities. Dairy digester grant recipients will provide an estimated $71.2 million in matching funds for the development of their projects.
Information about the 2017 Dairy Digester Research and Development Program projects is available at www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/dd.
