Created in Canva
Impact Report CUMULATIVE REPORT2019-2025 THE CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE PROGRAM A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN UC ANR AND CDFA
Table of Contents INDEX0304WHAT IS CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE?05UC ANR CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE PROGRAM08PROGRAM IMPACTS11CDFA OARS CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS17SUPPORTING UNDERSERVED PRODUCERS19PARTNERING FOR CHANGE INTRODUCTION
The Climate Smart Agriculture Program is a statewide program of the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). The program was developed in 2018 through a partnership between UC ANR and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to promote the adoption of science-based climate smart agriculture practices by providing technical assistance to farmers and ranchers applying to the statewide Climate Smart Agriculture Incentive Programs. These programs aim to enhance resilleince, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and sequester carbon on farms and ranches by building soil health, increasing water-use efficiency, and improving manure management.03 INTRODUCTIONIMPACT REPORT CDFA Secretary Karen Ross and UC ANR Vice President Glenda Humiston form a CDFA-ANR partnership for climate smart agriculture. Photo by Evett Kilmartin.
Agricultural systems are vulnerable to climate change impacts and are also contributors to greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is an approach to help people who manage agricultural systems respond effectively to climate change and balance agricultural productivity with climate risk and adaptation (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [FAO], n.d.). CSA consists of management practices that mitigate climate impacts through greenhouse gas reduction and carbon sequestration and promote on-farm resilience. In California, many CSA practices are incentivized by a suite of programs launched in 2014 and authorized by the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32). This Act lays out a long-term approach to addressing climate change and sets emissions caps for 2020. The UC ANR Climate Smart Agriculture Program partners with CDFA’s Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS) to provide technical assistance for three flagship programs: the Healthy Soils Program, State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program, and the Alternative Manure Management Program. WHAT IS CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE?04IMPACT REPORT
UC ANR Climate Smart Agriculture Program The Climate Smart Agriculture program is housed under the California Institute for Water Resources (CIWR) at UC ANR and includes a Director, Academic Coordinator (AC), Community Education Supervisor, three Regional Advisors (RA), and nine Community Education Specialists (CESs) serving twenty-seven counties across California.05IMPACT REPORT
06IMPACT REPORTREGIONAL ADVISORS Regional Advisors provides direction, support, and subject matter expertise (soil health, irrigation management, and manure management) to the Climate Smart Agriculture team. Regional Advisors foster two-way communication to ensure that field insights inform research and extension, while conducting outreach, research, and on-farm trials to test and implement climate smart agriculture practices. LEADERSHIP TEAM The leadership team provides overall coordination and direction for the Climate Smart Agriculture Program, working with CESs, Regional Advisors, CDFA, and partner organizations to expand support for climate smart farming and ranching across California. The team strengthens collaboration across agencies and regions, connects research with on-the-ground practices, and helps growers access technical assistance programs. Aparna Gazula Small Farms & Specialty Crops Advisor Santa Clara, San Benito, & Santa Cruz Counties Ben Faber Soils, Water, and Subtropical Crops Crops Advisor Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Betsy Karle Dairy Advisor Glenn,Tehama, Shasta, Siskiyou, Butte, Colusa, Sutter, Yuba, Sacramento, Solano, & Yolo Counties Hope Zabronsky Academic Coordinator Climate Smart Agriculture Program Manager Erik Porse Director CIWR & Cooperative Extension Specialist Caddie Bergren Community Education Supervisor San Joaquin Valley
COMMUNITY EDUCATION SPECIALISTSLizzeth Medoza Glenn, Butte & Tehama Counties Danielle Duyst Tulare & Kern Counties Ana Resendiz Imperial & Riverside Counties Nicki Oliveros Ventura & Santa Barbara Counties Amanda Charles Sonoma, Marin & Mendocino Counties Michael Jacquez San Diego County Heather Montgomery Sutter & Yuba Counties Bailey Smith-Helman Santa Cruz & Monterey Counties07IMPACT REPORT The Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) program includes ten Community Education Specialists (CESs) serving twenty-seven counties across California. The team provides outreach, education, and technical assistance to help farmers and ranchers adopt climate smart agriculture practices. CESs host workshops, conduct outreach, and offer direct support to growers who apply for and implement CDFA’s incentive programs including HSP, SWEEP, and AMMP. Juan Gonzales Fresno County272727 COUNTIES SERVING Becca (Ruiyang) Xu Santa Clara and San Benito Counties
PROGRAM IMPACTS Million Dollars Awarded $47.2$47.2 520520 Projects Awarded [HSP, SWEEP, & AMMP]SINCE 2019, THE CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE TEAM’S EFFORTS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE FOLLOWING IMPACTS:08IMPACT REPORT Completed SWEEP project in Glenn County that incorporated a sand media filtration system, flow meter, irrigation replacement, and VFD installation.
POLLINATOR HABITAT CREATEDOver 900 acres of pollinator habitat planted across 27 counties, supporting biodiversity and ecosystem health statewide.CUMULATIVE WATER SAVINGSSWEEP projects supported by the CSA Team are expected to save 37,437 acre-inches of water over their project lifespan. This is equivalent to 15.5 thousand Olympic sized swimming pools. CUMULATIVE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTION CDFA projects supported by the CSA Team are projected to save over 439,000 MTCO2e over their project lifespan. This is equivalent to over 1.1 million miles driven by a gasoline vehicle. TOP PRACTICES IMPLEMETED Soil Health: Compost, Cover Crop & Mulch Water Efficiency: Irrigation Scheduling Reduced Pumping & System Upgrades Manure Management: Solid Separation, Storage & Compost Bedded Pack Barns09IMPACT REPORT ENVIRONMENTAL & ECONOMIC OUTCOMES NON-CDFA FUNDING OUTCOMES CUSP - Drought & Flood Relief: $350,000 Zero Foodprint - Restore Grant: $50,000 Zero Foodprint - Compost Connector: $1,590 AgWest - New Producer: $15,000 Project Apis M - Seeds for Bees: $4,000 CDFA-FUNDED PROJECT OUTCOMES ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR PRODUCER PROJECTS
Cantonese Spanish Mandarin HmongLANGUAGES SUPPORTEDPunjabi English Lu-Mienh Thai10,000+10,000+10,000+PARTICIPANTSPARTICIPANTSPARTICIPANTSOUTREACH & EDUCATIONEVENTS HELD 23923923910IMPACT REPORT CES Heather and Lizzeth participating at an outreach event at CSU Chico Farm. Ana Resendiz, Imperial CES, providing technical assistance to a Spanish-speaking producer. TOPICS PRESENTED Soil Health & Regenerative Farming Water Management & Irrigation Efficiency Agricultural Technology & Decision Support Tools Farmer Education, Training & Technical Assistance Agricultural Resource Planning & Watershed Management Climate Resilience & Adaptation Land Access, Equity & Farmer Capacity Building
Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) CESs work closely with applicants on this program to increase the adoption of manure management practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from dairy and livestock operations. The program supports pasture- based management, alternative manure treatment and storage, and solid separation or conversion from flush to scrape in addition to drying or composting of manure. State Water Efficiency & Enhancement Program (SWEEP) CESs work with growers to increase adoption of irrigation management practices that increase water efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions. The program supports adoption and installation of efficient pumps with variable frequency drives, soil moisture sensors, electronic weather stations, evapotranspiration-based irrigation scheduling, drip irrigation systems, and low-pressure irrigation systems, among others.CDFA OARS Climate Smart Agriculture ProgramsIMPACT REPORT11
A short intro or kicker of the article will go here. This part acts as a bridge between the headline and the article itself.CDFA OARS Climate Smart Agriculture Programs12IMPACT REPORT Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) Healthy Soils Program (HSP) State Water Efficiency & Enhancement Program (SWEEP)
Caption placeholder$7.4 Million 20,661 MTCO2e Reduced Annually 12 Projects Awarded CESs provide support to farmers and ranchers applying for CDFA AMMP grants. To date, technical assistance has supported 12 large-scale projects totaling over $7.4 million. ALTERNATIVE MANURE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (AMMP) Beretta Dairy was awarded an AMMP grant in 2019 to install a manure solid separator and a compost storage barn for separated solids. Building on this investment, the Beretta family began composting the separated manure solids for on-farm use as cow bedding and as a soil amendment for their organic pastures through a Healthy Soils Program project. The dairy has since served as a demonstration site for a manure composting workshop, where local dairy farmers gathered to learn about on-farm composting alongside local dairy advisor, Randi Black. Success Story Solid Seperator & Compost Storage13IMPACT REPORT CESs work closely with applicants on this program to increase the adoption of alternative manure management practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from dairy and livestock operations. The program supports pasture-based management, alternative manure treatment and storage, and solid separation or conversion from flush to scrape in addition to drying or composting of manure.
Healthy Soils Program (HSP) CESs provide support for application, implementation, and verification of CDFA’s Healthy Soils Program (HSP). HSP incentivizes the adoption of soil health management practices that build soil organic matter and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Such practices, including compost, cover crops, hedgerows, reduced tillage, and many others, help protect soil quality, increase resource-use efficiency, and promote resilience to climate change and extreme weather events.14IMPACT REPORT The CSA team participates in a soil health training at a HSP field demonstration site in Woodland, CA.
CESs provide support to famers and ranchers applying to CDFA’s Health Soils Program. To date, technical assistance has yielded 405 projects totaling over $26 million. Healthy Soils ProgramMichael Jaquez, Climate Smart Agriculture CES, and Southern Desert REC Director Jairo Diaz visit research fields at the Desert REC in Holtville, CA.15IMPACT REPORT Success StoryNeed success story C&Z Vegetables 405 Projects $12.1 Million Awarded 95,839 MTCO2e Reduced Annually
STATE WATER EFFICIENCY & ENHANCEMENT PROGRAMINGOUDE AIRPORTAdd a short teaser paragraph hereA NIGHT IN SHIBUYAAdd a short teaser paragraph hereTRAVEL DIARIESAdd a short teaser paragraph hereCESs work with growers to increase adoption of irrigation management practices that increase water efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions. The program supports adoption and installation of efficient pumps with variable frequency drives, soil moisture sensors, electronic weather stations, evapotranspiration- based irrigation scheduling, drip irrigation systems, and low-pressure irrigation systems, among others.
State Water Efficiency & Enhancement Program07IMPACT REPORT In 2023, CDFA launched the SWEEP Southern Desert Region Pilot Program aimed at conserving water while not increasing greenhouse gas emissions. The program focused on Imperial County and eastern Riverside County and awarded more than $2 million to fund 17 projects. Working alongside a Farm Advisor, the Imperial CES organized three workshops and provided direct technical assistance to producers throughout the application and implementation process. She collaborated with growers and irrigation companies on more than half of the funded projects, helping design automated irrigation systems that use on-farm sensors, weather station data, and solar-powered gates to deliver irrigation based on real-time crop water demand. CES assistance included supporting project designs, application components, budgets, water calculators, and phased project implementation. For example, the CES supported the Elmore Company in securing Success Story Southern Desert Pilot Project funding for a large irrigation modernization effort, including construction of a reservoir and pipeline system for a new low-pressure irrigation system serving vegetable fields. The CES also expanded access for Hispanic growers by providing bilingual translation services. At Jesus Viesca’s farm, she helped design a pipeline and valve system that reduced labor for ditch maintenance and improved water management for furrow irrigation. At Junior Enterprises LLC, she supported the design of a low-pressure irrigation system equipped with automated irrigation tools and a Variable Frequency Drive to improve irrigation efficiency while reducing energy use. 101 Projects $12.1 Million Awarded 37,437 MTCO2e 10+ Million Gallons SavedReduced Annually
Small-Scale: Those farming 500 acre or less. Non-English Speaking: Translation is provided in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hmong, and Punjabi. Socially Disadvantaged: A group whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice defined by the 2017 Farmer Equity Act. Priority Populations: Low-income and disadvantaged communities as well as low- income households.SUPPORTING UNDERSERVED PRODUCERS An important goal of UC ANR’s Climate Smart Agriculture Program is to provide tailored outreach, education, and technical assistance to small-scale, non-English speaking, and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. To date, the program has supported over 1,700 historically underserved and small- scale producers to understand and adopt climate smart agriculture practices.570 Small–Scale Farms392 Non-English Speaking Farms485 Socially-Disadvantaged Farms263 Priority Farms07IMPACT REPORT
RESEARCH SUPPORT Community Education Specialists collaborated with ANR Dairy Advisors on a cost-benefit analysis of manure separation systems funded through AMMP. Their contributions included collecting and analyzing data from participating operations, with evaluations accounting for seasonal variation, geographic differences, management practices, and the technologies employed. AMMP Separator Efficiency Cost Benefit Analysis of Manure Separators Beginning in 2025, the CSA team supported baseline sampling for a statewide CDFA HSP Soil Health Pilot Project designed to improve statewide understanding of soil carbon dynamics associated with on-farm conservation management practices. Six CESs conducted in- field soil health assessments at thirteen sites, collecting fifty soil samples across multiple regions. Soil health indicators included aggregate stability, water infiltration, PLFA, total carbon, total nitrogen, and several others. Supporting CDFA’s Project07IMPACT REPORT The CSA team receives hands-on training in conducting in-field soil health assessments. Soil Health Pilot Project
PARTNERING FOR CHANGE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDER NETWORKING EVENTS Several CESs have partnered with Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) and other local partners to showcase funding opportunities available to farmers and producers in their regions. These events have been highly successful and well received by participants statewide. PROGRAMS 101 WITH REGIONAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICTS07IMPACT REPORT Heather Montgomery, Yuba-Sutter CES, hosts a biannual TAP Networking Event with local agencies and agricultural professionals to share resources, funding opportunities with the overall goal to better serve farmers. Ana Resendiz, Imperial County CES, successfully launched a networking group for Spanish-speaking producers with the goal to share educational materials and discuss available funding opportunities and challenges. These regular meetings are an opportunity to connect other service providers within the Hispanic community. In addition, a network among farmers was established, allowing farmers to directly connect with one another. Heather Montgomery, Yuba-Sutter CES, hosts a biannual TAP networking event bringing together local agencies and agricultural professionals to support local farmers and ranchers. Lizzeth Mendoza, Glenn CES, participating in the Glenn County Programs 101.