A new call for applications is coming soon for three of OEFI’s dairy and livestock manure methane reduction programs: the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP), Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP), and Dairy Plus Program (DPP). The DPP is funded by a USDA Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities grant that OEFI administers collaboratively with the California Dairy Research Foundation. OEFI expects to announce the opening of grant solicitation in June/July 2024.

DDRDP incentivizes the installation of dairy digesters and expects availability of approximately $10 million to award; AMMP supports the implementation of non-digester manure management practices such as conversion of flush to scrape manure collection and expects to have approximately $20 million to award*. The DPP supports manure management practices that also address nutrient surplus and has $57 million available.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to start planning and preparing in advance of the application period. Each program’s webpage contains information that can assist with the planning process, including materials and resources from previous grant solicitation rounds and availability of free technical assistance. Sign up for email notifications to be alerted about the application period, workshops and outreach events.

*The State Budget will determine funding availability on or after July 1, 2024.

Orchards with bare alleys can have low water infiltration, needs for high inorganic fertilizer input, and dust problems on windy days. In 2019, Machado Family Farms Inc. received $74,970 from the Healthy Soils Program Incentive Grants to plant mixed cover crops on their 170-acre walnut orchard to address these issues.

Through three years’ implementation, the project has achieved not only an estimation of 780 metric tons CO₂ equivalent GHG reduction benefits, but also multiple co-benefits shared by the recipient, including:

• Increased water infiltration from rainfall and sprinkler irrigation.
• Increased water-holding capacity determined by observations and soil water data readings.
• Easier/earlier/cleaner access with tractors/workers following rainfall/irrigation events.
• Less ruts from tractors/equipment in orchard alleys.
• Much less soil cracking and windblown dust when the ground is dry. 
• Cooler ground temperatures in full sun, especially in younger orchards - benefitting microbial communities and reducing water loss. 
• Reduced mowing by 3-4 rounds after the sheep grazing used to terminate the cover crop.
• Reduced pesticide sprays by at least 1-2 applications per block per year and increased length of time between sprays thanks to increased beneficial insects.
• Increased pollinator observations benefitting from a diverse mixture of cover crop species (triticale, bell beans, peas, mustard and radish). 
• Exponentially reduced weed pressure, with weeds suppressed by fast-growing cover crops.

“We will continue to grow cover crops without funding,” says Drew Cheney, the operation manager at Machado Family Farms. “I would love to show you what we've accomplished. With the positive results of the ‘test’ blocks funded by the HSP, we slowly increased the cover-cropped acreage each year, until we seeded every single block in the fall of 2023. I've got a lot of ideas of what I want to accomplish, and there's enough science and tried-and-true experience to combine to shake things up.” 

The Proactive Integrated Pest Management Solutions Grant Program is thrilled to announce the successful completion of its first project: “Proactive Biological Control of Spotted Lantern Fly, Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae).” Spanning nearly five years, this project was completed in February 2024.

The spotted lantern fly (SLF) is primarily known to feed on tree of heaven but has many other host plants, including grape, hop, apple, stone fruit, and walnut. Native to China, SLF invaded the US in 2014, established in the northeast, and has been spreading rapidly. The New York Department of Agriculture had a well-advertised campaign to get the public to squish the invading bugs on sight. While SLF has not arrived in California yet, it is now established in the Midwest and will be a devastating agricultural pest if it establishes here. CDFA and researchers are taking a proactive approach to control options so that the state can be well prepared for its likely arrival. Biological control is a non-chemical control option that can be effective for controlling invasive pests, but it takes many years to develop due to all the necessary safety testing. Historically, testing work does not start until the pest has established, spread, and is causing economic or ecological damage.

The award recipient, Dr. Mark Hoddle, and his research team at UC Riverside, investigated a natural enemy, Anastatus orientalis, an egg parasitoid from the home range of SLF in China, for its potential as a biological control in California. This tiny wasp lays its eggs inside SLF eggs, and parasitoid larvae consume egg contents preventing them from hatching. As part of the evaluations to assess the effectiveness of this wasp against SLF eggs, this project examined if the wasp would attack eggs of other insects, referred to as non-target species, to safeguard California's insects. This is a necessary part of evaluating non-native biological control agents prior to their release. The research team used eggs of more than thirty insect species that occur in the southwestern US. The results showed that the wasp readily attacked eggs of non-target species, and, therefore, its use for biological control of SLF in California should be viewed with extreme caution. By conducting this work proactively, prior to the establishment of SLF in California, this research helps pave the way for rapid responses should SLF populations be detected in California.

Feeling nerdy? You can read the whole study here.

The World Ag Expo is the largest annual outdoor agricultural exposition in California, held annually at the International Agri-Center in Tulare. This year, on February 15^th, The Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI) staff Roberta Franco, Benjamin Lee, and Elizabeth Hessom presented on the Climate Smart Agriculture Incentives Programs OEFI offers.

Ben discussed the role of the Office of Pesticide Consultation and Analysis (OPCA). OPCA provides consultation to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) on the potential impact of regulatory actions and pest management alternatives to mitigate those impacts and funds research and demonstration projects through the Biologically Integrated Farming Systems (BIFS), Proactive Integrated Pest Management, and IR-4 California programs.

Roberta presented on CDFA’s programs to reduce methane emissions and nutrient runoff from livestock operations, including the Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP), the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP), and the newest program, the Dairy Plus Program. 

Elizabeth provided updates on the Healthy Soils Program (HSP) and State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP). Both the HSP and SWEEP programs are running Block Grant Pilot Programs, and their Block Grant Recipients (BGRs) are currently accepting applications for on-farm projects. If you are interested, or know parties that are interested in applying, please reach out to the HSP BGRs or the SWEEP BGRs, or email HSP and SWEEP mailboxes for more details cdfa.HSP_Tech@cdfa.ca.gov, cdfa.sweeptech@cdfa.ca.gov. 

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) will hold two Tribal listening sessions to receive Tribal input on the state's definition of "regenerative agriculture" for the purpose of state policy and programs. Tribal members are invited to attend. CDFA recognizes that while “regenerative agriculture” may not have a consistent definition in state policy or programs, California Native American tribes have been using regenerative practices for millennia, and CDFA recognizes Native American voices are imperative for defining this term. CDFA is seeking input from California Native American tribes to develop a definition that is inclusive of tribal perspectives.

Note: OEFI is not facilitating this process. This is a courtesy post. If you have questions, please reach out to regenerativeag@cdfa.ca.gov.