Healthy Soils Block Grant Program

Healthy Soils Block Grant Program is sponsored by California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS). Through the Block Grant model, CDFA's OARS partners with regional organizations to administer local grant programs that support farmers and ranchers implementing healthy soils practices.

CDFA - OARS - Healthy Soils Program Block Grant Healthy Soils Program Block Grant Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability About the Healthy Soils Program Block Grant Through the Block Grant model, CDFA's Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS), partners with regional organizations to administer local grant programs that support farmers and ranchers implementing healthy soils practices.

Block Grant Recipients work directly with producers in their region by providing outreach, technical assistance, and support throughout project implementation. These organizations manage the local application process, recommend projects for funding to CDFA, establish agreements with producers who carry out soil-health practices on their operations, and manage funded on-farm projects.

By working through trusted regional partners, the Block Grant model helps ensure funding reaches producers along with locally informed support and technical expertise, thus expanding the adoption of soil-building practices across California.

Block Grant Recipient (BGR) is a regional or specialized organization that receives funding from CDFA to administer a Healthy Soils Program block grant and support producers within their service area. On-Farm Grant Beneficiary is the producer. Farmers and ranchers receive funding through their regional Block Grant Recipient to implement approved healthy soils practices on their operations.

Healthy Soils Program is no longer accepting concept proposals. OARS is screening applications for eligibility and eligible applications will proceed to a technical review committee. OARS will invite competitive applicants to submit a full proposal.

Review the following resources and confirm eligibility before applying: Application Guidelines - Request for Grant Proposals How to Participate in HSP Draft of Grant Awards Procedures Manual Block Grants vs. Incentive Grants Overview of the Block Grant Recipient Role Technical Assistance Providers (TAPs) Tribal Set-Aside Opportunity When Block Grant Recipients Can Apply (Timeline) On-Farm Grant Beneficiary (Producers) Technical Assistance for Producers When Producers Can Apply (Timeline) Block Grants vs. Incentive Grants Funding is awarded to partner organizations Partners provide technical assistance, outreach, and project support These organizations administer local grant programs for producers Producers apply for funding through the partner, not CDFA Funding is awarded directly to farmers and ranchers Producers apply directly to CDFA OARS is not currently accepting applications for HSP incentive grant and does not plan to offer future solicitations at this time Overview of the Block Grant Recipient Role Block Grant Recipients are responsible for: Managing a Healthy Soils Block Grant Conducting outreach to farmers and ranchers in their service area Selecting and recommending on-farm projects for funding Establishing agreements with funded producers (Grant Beneficiaries) Supporting project implementation Conduct verification and process reimbursements to grant beneficiaries Block Grant Recipients also coordinate technical assistance to help producers develop, design, and implement eligible management practices.

The following organizations are eligible to apply as a Lead Applicant : 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations Public utilities and locally owned utilities California Native American Tribes Technical Assistance Providers (TAPs) Block Grant Recipients may serve as the Technical Assistance Provider Lead Organization if they are eligible under the Canella Environmental Farming Act .

Eligible entities include: Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) University of California Cooperative Extension California public colleges and universities Groundwater Sustainability Agencies Lead Applicants that are not eligible to serve as the TAP Lead Organization may partner with an eligible entity to provide technical assistance.

Tribal Set-Aside Opportunity CDFA's Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS) is committed to supporting projects led by California Native American Tribes . A tribal set-aside of up to $4 million will be available for Tribal governments and nonprofit organizations affiliated with a Tribal government.

OARS will develop details of a Block Grant tailored to Tribes through a tribal consultation process , and a separate solicitation will be released in early 2027 Tribes remain eligible to apply through the standard Healthy Soils Block Grant solicitation. Organizations interested in administering a Healthy Soils Program Block grant may apply to become a Block Grant Recipient (BGR).

The Lead Applicant is the organization that applies for and, if awarded, receives funding from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). As Block Grant Recipients, they enter into an agreement with CDFA to administer a local grant program and distribute funding to producers who implement eligible soil health practices on their operations.

When Block Grant Recipients Can Apply Estimated Block Grant Solicitation Timeline*: Concept Proposal Opens: April 2026 Full Proposal Notification: June 2026 Full Proposal Close: August 2026 Award Notification: September 2026 Award Execution: January 2027 *All estimates are subject to change.

Block Grant Application Assistance HSP and SWEEP offered joint informational webinars to guide prospective Block Grant Recipients through the Concept Proposal application process and address applicant questions. They were held on April 13 and April 20 via Zoom. You can watch a recording of the webinar here .

You can access the PowerPoint deck here . Question and Answer Process In addition to informational webinars, OARS will offer a question-and-answer process. General questions may be submitted to cdfa.

HSP_Tech@cdfa. ca. gov and responses will be standardized and posted to the website according to the timeline below: April 17th, 2026 - Question and Answer for April 17th May 1st, 2026 - Question and Answer for May 1st Technical Assistance for Block Grant Applicants OARS is working with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources to support Block Grant applicants through technical assistance.

Community Education Specialists (CESs) across California can help develop projects that benefit disadvantaged communities (DACs) and vulnerable populations. Need help? Reach out to the CES team at climatesmartag@ucdavis.

edu .

Producers (On-Farm Grant Beneficiaries) Individual Farmers and Ranchers Individuals who are 18 years or older and actively engaged in agricultural production, including those operating as: Lessees managing agricultural land Agricultural Businesses and Entities Businesses or shared property entities engaged in agricultural production that are registered with the California Secretary of State , including: Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) Corporations, including nonprofit (public benefit) corporations California Native American Tribes Federally recognized Tribes Tribes listed on the California Tribal Consultation List maintained by the Native American Heritage Commission The following individuals or entities are not eligible to receive funding for an HSP on-farm project: Employees of the individual or entity that owns or leases the land where the project would occur Individuals or entities that don't meet the eligibility requirements listed above.

Individuals with a conflict of interest include, but are not limited to: Employees of the Block Grant Recipient (BGR) or its contractors or subrecipients Members of the BGR Board or other governing body Immediate family members (parents, spouses, or children) of individuals involved in funding or award decisions For Producers: Applying for an On-Farm Grant Farmers and ranchers seeking funding for Healthy Soils practices will apply through an awarded Block Grant Recipient in their region .

Identify a Block Grant Recipient (BGR) Starting January 2027, a list of Block Grant Recipients and their contact information will be available on this webpage. When selecting a Block Grant Recipient, consider: The counties or regions they serve Whether they specialize in certain production systems (such as rangeland grazing, orchards, or specialty crops ) Whether they prioritize funding to specific Healthy Soils practices .

Request Technical Assistance Block Grant Recipients provide technical assistance to help producers participate in the Healthy Soils Program.

Technical assistance may be provided by: Staff from the Block Grant Recipient organization Contractors working with the BGR Partner organizations collaborating with the BGR One-on-one project development and application assistance Guidance on practice implementation Submit Your Funding Request When applications open, Block Grant Recipients will provide producers with instructions and a list of required materials to submit.

Applications should be submitted to Block Grant Recipients, not CDFA.

CDFA's Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS) will assist Block Grant Recipients in reviewing projects to ensure: The producer or organization meets eligibility requirements The proposed project location is eligible for funding Producers will not be able to apply for Healthy Soils Program funding until Block Grant Recipients have been selected for award and agreements are executed with CDFA .

At this time, execution of Block Grant Recipient agreements is expected in January 2027 . Once Block Grant Recipients are finalized, they will begin administering local grant programs and accepting applications from producers in the regions they serve. Please note that exact timelines for when individual Block Grant Recipients will open their producer application periods are still to be determined and may vary by organization.

Additional information, including a list of awarded Block Grant Recipients and their contact information, will be posted on the Healthy Soils Program webpage as it becomes available. What Types of Practices Can HSP Fund? HSP currently supports 28 different practices, offering payments for practices on cropland, orchards and vineyards, and grazing land.

Depending on the practice, HSP will provide funding for a one-time implementation or for three years of annual implementation.

Below are some commonly-funded practices with their basic descriptions: 3-Year Annual Implementation Purchased or on-farm compost applied at set ton/acre rates Must meet carbon: nitrogen ratio requirements Single-species or mixed species plantings May require supplemental irrigation Mulching (Natural Materials) Organic materials applied to soil surface Must be produced off-site; flexible reimbursement in some areas Reduced soil disturbance with residue management Must be new practice on the field Pollinator-friendly plants Trees/shrubs for protection Minimum 200 plants/acre; size requirements apply Wood-based mulch application Must be produced off-site; coverage/depth requirements Orchard biomass incorporated into soil Trees ≥10 years old; chips incorporated ≥6 inches Establishing vegetation on rangeland Requires approved species and planting methods HSP technical assistance providers can help prepare plans.

Offered in some areas with flexible reimbursement; must be produced off-site Eligible only in soils with >20% organic matter Compost, woodchip mulching, natural materials mulching, and biochar may be supported by certain BGRs on a capped, invoice-based reimbursement basis, or with direct provision of materials and services, instead of a fixed rate payment.

You are advised to inquire with your local BGR about how financial support for these practices will be handled. For the full list of practices, their payment options, and implementation requirements see HSP 2026 Practice Guidelines . On-Farm HSP Project Requirements and Restrictions All practices and plantings must be implemented in soil, and soil cannot be in containers.

Permanent plantings are to be maintained for 10 years, with irrigation if necessary. Each practice has standards that a producer must follow and document when implementing the practice. See the HSP 2026 Practice Guidelines.

Practices should be new to the field on which they are implemented, unless there has recently been a change of ownership or management. Some HSP practices are restricted by geography, topography, or are not allowed to overlap with certain others, for technical reasons. Many of these restrictions are built into the RePlan project design tool.

Reviewing Block Grant Applications