CDFA Grant Awardee Spotlight
In May 2024, CDFA's Farm Equity Office staff visited the Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP), an organization that works to support, organize, and empower the indigenous migrant communities in the Central Coast. The visit to MICOP’s Oxnard location was part of a series of listening sessions with historically underserved farmers and organizations regarding challenges and opportunities in the specialty crop industry. During the visit, MICOP staff presented an overview of their organization and also information about their new workforce development program, created through the CDFA Beginning Farmer and Farmworker Training and Workforce Development Grant Program ( BFFTP). MICOP is hosting classes for farmworkers, with instruction in Spanish with interpretation in the Mixteco language. This field visit to Oxnard provided a learning opportunity to hear from MICOP’s Executive Director Arcenio López, Farmworker Training Program Coordinator Dulce Vargas and other staff members about challenges and opportunities for indigenous farmworkers in workforce development projects. To learn more about the work, mission, and vision of MICOP, please visit https://mixteco.org/.
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 CDFA Farm Equity Staff and MICOP Staff L-R: Arcenio López, Carmen Carrasco (CDFA), Thea Rittenhouse (CDFA), Fernando Martinez, Rachel Sprouse, Juvenal Solano, Nancy Clarin, Reynaldo Rodríguez, José Mendoza, Raúl Olivera, Dulce Vargas.
CDFA Program Updates
 The Healthy Soils Program is requesting proposals for new practices to add to the list of approved practices under HSP through August 2, 2024
CDFA is now accepting proposals for additional soil management practices that could be included in future HSP program solicitations. Proposals must be written using the template available on the HSP Program website and must be submitted by email to CDFA.HSP_tech@cdfa.ca.gov by 5:00 P.M. PT on August 2, 2024. Please visit the HSP website for details regarding the proposal requirements and the process for submission.
For more information on the HSP program: CDFA - OEFI - Healthy Soils Program (ca.gov)
The Biologically Integrated Farming Systems (BIFS) is currently open for applications through July 26, 2024
The goal of the revitalized Biologically Integrated Farming Systems grant program is to provide outreach of innovative, biologically integrated plant-based farming systems that reduce chemical pesticide inputs. Projects from this program should demonstrate IPM-based alternative pest management options that focus on economical and efficacious biological and cultural pest management techniques that allow growers to maintain yields and quality. This program emphasizes partnerships with growers and outreach and engagement in languages other than English.
Request for Proposals (RFP) details and grant program timeline can be found on the BIFS Program website CDFA - OEFI - OPCA - Biologically Integrated Farming Systems Program
CDFA Produce Safety Program
The California Produce Safety Program (PSP) is a unit operating under the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Inspection Services Division. It exists to help bring California produce farms into compliance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Produce Safety Rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Implementation of the Produce Safety Rule in California includes on-farm inspections to verify compliance.
To learn more about the CDFA Produce Safety Program, please visit www.cdfa.ca.gov/producesafety.
FDA Publishes Final Rule on Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water
On May 6, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a final rule on pre-harvest agricultural water revising certain requirements in Subpart E of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule (PSR) for covered produce (other than sprouts) for enhanced produce safety.
The new rule replaces the prior pre-harvest water microbial quality criteria and testing requirements with requirements for systems-based agricultural water assessments for hazard identification and risk management. Agricultural water assessments will now need to be conducted once annually, and whenever a significant change occurs that increases the likelihood of hazards being introduced to produce or food contact surfaces. The new rule does not change existing agricultural water requirements for sprouts or harvest and post-harvest water uses. To learn more about the new final rule, please visit the CDFA Produce Safety Program Blog.
Produce Safety Alliance- PSA Grower Trainings
CDFA is partnering with the University of California Cooperative Extension to offer Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training Courses. The team will be offering two-day virtual PSA Grower Training courses via Zoom on July 9-10, 2024 and July 24-25, 2024. Attendees will receive a PSA Grower Training Manual upon registration and are eligible to receive a course completion certificate at the conclusion of the course.
Who should take the PSA Grower Training Course? Every fruit, vegetable, and nut farm covered under the FSMA Produce Safety Rule is required to have at least one supervisor or responsible party who has completed food safety training at least equivalent to that received under an FDA-recognized standardized curriculum per 21 CFR 112.22(c).
To register for a course and view upcoming course dates, please visit the University of California Training website. To view more course offerings nationwide, please go to the Produce Safety Alliance's webpage.
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CDFA Public Process to Define “Regenerative Agriculture”
The CDFA is accepting public comments on the term “regenerative agriculture” for usage in State programs. The final outcome of the year-long public process will be to recommend a draft definition to the State Board for their consideration in the fall 2024. CDFA hosted two Tribal listening sessions in April, in addition to invitation for formal government to government consultation. CDFA will continue to seek input from California Native American Tribes on the definition throughout the public process. For more information, please visit: CDFA - Defining Regenerative Agriculture for State Policies and Programs (ca.gov)
The next listening session will be held August 22, 2024. Public comments are welcome at any time via email: RegenerativeAg@cdfa.ca.gov
Specialty Crop Block Grant Program- Additional Assistance for Historically Underrepresented Applicant Organizations
CDFA’s Office of Grants Administration is projecting to publish a Request for Concept Proposals (RFP) in late summer 2024 for this year’s solicitation of the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). This program is funded by the USDA. The SCBGP funds projects that enhance the competitiveness of California specialty crops. Specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture. For the full list of USDA approved specialty crops, please visit: USDA AMS Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
Additional Assistance for Historically Underrepresented Organizations (Additional Assistance) Program
The Additional Assistance component provides a process through which organizations that have been historically underrepresented in the SCBGP can participate and successfully implement their SCBGP projects. The Additional Assistance Program will provide one-on-one application assistance via email, phone call, or virtual meetings to support applicants in completing their applications.
Non-profit organizations, tribal governments (Federally and Non-Federally recognized) and K-12 school districts that have not previously received SCBGP funding are eligible to apply to the Additional Assistance Program. Eligible applicants must also work directly to either support underserved and/or beginning farmers or provide nutrition education and/or access to specialty crops in underserved communities. Grant amounts for the Additional Assistance Program range from $100,000 to $250,000.
The Request for Concept Proposals will open in late summer 2024 with a submission deadline in early fall. Interested applicants should email grants@cdfa.ca.gov as soon as possible to determine if their project is eligible for the program and to begin receiving technical assistance.
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CDFA Upcoming Grant Program Application Periods
Grant Programs at CDFA
- Proactive Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- Opened July 1, 2024- Closing August 30, 2024
- Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP)
- Dairy Digester Research & Development Program (DDRDP)
- Dairy PLUS Program
A look at CDFA's 2024-2025 Budget
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed the 2024-25 state budget. As outlined in the agreement announced by the Governor and legislative leaders, the legislation signed by Governor Newsom balances the budget in both 2024-25 and 2025-26, and it preserves budget resilience by maintaining $22.2 billion in total reserves at the end of the 2024-25 fiscal year.
To learn more about how CDFA programs have been impacted by the recently approved Budget, please read the following post in CDFA's Planting Seeds Blog.
CDFA's 2024-2025 Budget
 USDA Southwest Regional Food Business Center
The CDFA is a lead partner in the Southwest Regional Food Business Center (SWRFBC), a five-year project that seeks to strengthen resilient, diverse, and competitive local and regional food systems by improving opportunities for food and farm businesses across Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. The Center’s three pillars of service are coordination, technical assistance, and capacity building for projects focused on regional needs and businesses that are working towards expansion and other investment. The SWRFBC’s Better Business Builder Subaward component for food and farm businesses will also create an opportunity to support these operations through financial resources and technical assistance in different areas.
SWRFBC Updates
Field-to-Fork Change Maker Award- UC Santa Cruz, a partner of the SWRFBC recently announced the recipients of the regional Change-Maker Awards that recognized the efforts of farmers and food producers for inspiring other underinvested producers and enterprises on their journey toward greater resilience and success. Selected awardees will receive $1,000 and opportunities to engage in future trainings and support from UCSC and other SWRFBC partners. CDFA Farm Equity Program staff had the pleasure of serving on the technical reviewer panel and as guest speaker during the virtual award ceremony.
For more information about UCSC’s Change Maker Award and full list of 2024 recipients please visit:
UCSC Change Maker Awards
SWRFBC Webinar July 17, 2024: Leading With Equity: Tribal Food Sovereignty & Inclusive Engagement
Please join Farm Equity Advisor, Thea Rittenhouse, and USDA SWRFBC partners from Local First Arizona on July 17th from 3-4 PM PST for a webinar titled “Leading With Equity: Tribal Food Sovereignty & Inclusive Engagement.”
The webinar will highlight Tribal Nations, equity-centered State initiatives, as well as opportunities to strengthen food systems, increase food access, and drive economic development for Tribes.
Register here: Tribal Food Sovereignty and Inclusive Engagement Zoom Webinar
CA State Government Equity Initiatives
Land Equity Task Force California Agricultural Land Equity Task Force Meetings - Strategic Growth Council
Racial Equity Commission Racial Equity Commission | (ca.gov)
Equity Impact by the Numbers
USDA Local Food Purchase Assistance Program
The CDFA and CA Department of Social Services have partnered with the CA Association of Food Banks (CAFB) to expand local food purchasing across California through seventeen food banks and 7 community-based organizations. This is a USDA funded program.
To date, CAFB has worked locally with 21 aggregators and 247 producers to purchase:
- 1,347,738 pounds of produce for local food banks and schools
- 53,650 pounds of Non-Produce Procured (beans/honey/eggs/dairy/nuts)
- 59% of the total producers working with the program are socially disadvantaged producers. The program prioritizes serving SDFR farmers, ranchers, and business owners.
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