Commentary: Grants will help citrus farmers nourish healthy soils

By Margaret Honig 

Every farmer knows soils are more than just dirt. They are a living ecosystem and cornerstone of our local, national and global agricultural food production.

Ensuring our agricultural soils stay healthy takes work. Improving soil health can be achieved by implementing one or more of several conservation management practices established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service.

State and federal programs are helping farmers adopt soil conservation management practices that improve soil organic matter, promote microbial biodiversity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to carbon sequestration.

Now a collaborative effort will provide financial support for healthy-soil conservation management practices for citrus farmers in 11 California counties. This initiative was made possible after the California Department of Food and Agriculture awarded $5 million from the Healthy Soils Program Block Grant to the California Citrus Quality Council, the California Bountiful Foundation and the Xerces Society.

The Citrus Quality Council represents citrus growers and works with farmers, state agencies and the University of California to ensure that citrus production meets domestic and international regulatory standards.

The California Bountiful Foundation, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit science, research and education arm of the California Farm Bureau, is administering all aspects of the $5 million Healthy Soils Program grant. Xerces Society, a science-based conservation organization working with farmers and communities, will provide technical assistance on pollinator-plant aspects of the program, focusing on native plants, hedgerow planting and identifying optimal locations that balance pollinator health with crop productivity.

California’s citrus sector, with $2 billion in annual production, is pivotal for job creation and contributes significantly to agricultural and environmental sustainability. Through the Healthy Soils Program Block Grant, citrus growers are afforded the opportunity to reduce costs associated with adopting healthy soil conservation-management practices.

Program enrollment begins March 25 for citrus farmers in Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Placer, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Tulare and Ventura counties. For details on how to apply for funding and to register for a March 26 webinar on the program, visit californiabountifulfoundation.com and click on the Healthy Soils Program link.

The program encourages practices, such as planting hedgerows to enhance pollinator habitat, applying compost to build soil organic matter and sequester carbon and undertaking whole orchard recycling of citrus trees that have exceeded their productive stages. This initiative aligns with the sustainable demands of consumers, reinforcing citrus production’s commitment to agricultural and environmental sustainability.

The program aims to provide funding for 20 to 45 applicants during the next three years. With a cap of $200,000 in financial support per grower, the program offers flexibility in choosing and implementing practices that best suit needs of specific citrus orchards.

The initiative seeks to empower growers to make informed decisions that will have long-term benefits for their operations, soil health and the environment.

One of the program’s requirements is to use 25% of the funds to support socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers as defined by the 2017 Farmer Equity Act, as well as women and military veterans.

Practices supported include conservation cover to reduce soil erosion and enhance wildlife habitats, filter strips to improve water quality and hedgerow planting for biodiversity and pollinator support. Healthy Soils Program initiatives also support mulching to improve soil moisture and whole orchard recycling to enrich soil organic matter.

The program helps establish windbreaks and shelterbelts to curb erosion. It supports compost application to increase soil fertility, cover crops to bolster pollinators and improve soil organic matter, and reduced till or no-till practices to reduce energy use and nutrient management to optimize crop productivity.

The initiative emphasizes principles of soil health, such as minimizing soil disturbance, protecting surface soils from sediment erosion with cover crops and promoting biodiversity through hedgerows. The program aims to secure agriculture’s legacy by turning farms into solutions for mitigating impacts of climate change and promoting adaptation to help with drought resiliency.

Beyond environmental benefits, the economic rewards of healthier soils are multifold: improved yields, high-quality produce, potential reduction in fertilizers, and the opportunity to meet consumer demands for sustainably grown food.

This program, in support of California’s citrus sector, is a testament to achieving results through agricultural collaboration.

This is the first time the California Farm Bureau is administering such a grant program focused on soil health. The Farm Bureau, California Bountiful Foundation, Xerces Society and California Citrus Quality Council all look forward to making this a successful program.

(Margaret Honig is the Healthy Soils Program Project administrative lead for the California Bountiful Foundation. She may be contacted at mhonig@cfbf.com.)