Category: Informational

A Note from Our Director | August 2025

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Dear Stakeholders, 

I hope you enjoy this newsletter showcasing the accomplishments of our grantees and partners and giving you a peek at how we lead our programs to serve producers while contributing to the state’s sustainability goals. Additionally, I want to take this opportunity to summarize the funding status of OARS programs, so you know which opportunities are in the future. 

OARS expects to receive $65M in funding for our Healthy Soils Block Grant Program (HSP) and $40M in funding for our State Water Efficiency Enhancement Block Grant Program (SWEEP) from Proposition 4 – Climate Bond and we tentatively plan to offer all of that funding as part of one funding opportunity in fall 2025. Through Prop 4, OARS also expects to receive $15M for a new Equipment Sharing Program (ESP) that will require extensive stakeholder consultation before opening for applications in 2026. The legislature has not appropriated the Prop 4 funding, and the state is still in the process of finalizing rules and guidelines for using the funding. The timeline of these two key external processes may affect OARS’ timeline.  

All state funding appropriations have an “expiration date,” and it is always our goal to give grantees a generous grant term within that expiration date to allow for bumps in the road. To that end, we will keep pushing forward with refining framework for the HSP and SWEEP solicitations at our August 15th Environmental Farming Act Science Advisory Panel (EFASAP) meeting, followed by a written public comment period and simultaneous stakeholder workshops that will inform the final Request for Grant Applications. We look forward to your participation and help refining our block grant model. 

Our Dairy Plus Program, which is a subaward from the California Dairy Research Foundation of a grant funded by the USDA Alternative Markets for Producers initiative (formerly the Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities program), is ongoing but undergoing federal review and revision. This program funds infrastructure on dairies that reduces greenhouse gases and improves nutrient management, and we have approximately $58M remaining in the budget for new grants to producers. We are hopeful that we will be able to announce the results of the 2024 solicitation and run a new solicitation soon, pending a final and functioning grant agreement. At this time, there is no additional funding for the Alternative Manure Management Program and Dairy Digester Research and Development Program. 

Lastly, the Office of Pesticide Consultation and Analysis received a $1.5 million increase in spending authority and an increase in the amount of agricultural mill fee the office can use. Using reserve funding first, OPCA will use the spending authority to address increased research costs, meet the Program activities identified in the Sustainable Pest Management (SPM) Roadmap, and perform increased consultative work for the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), as required by Assembly Bill (AB) 2113 (Chapter 60, Statutes of 2024). In the short term, the increase will also go towards funding our Biologically Integrated Farming System (BIFS) grant program at $1-3 million a year and support for the California IR-4 Project. As AB 2113 related work increases, OPCA will increase spending on research awards related to regulatory work and decrease BIFS Funding. 

We will be in contact with you through our mailing list with all updates related to our grant programs. If you know organizations who are likely to be good applicants or partners for these programs, particularly those that serve socially disadvantaged and underserved producers, please encourage them to sign up for our mailing list and reach out to us directly for more information.  

May the rest of your summer be full of delicious in-season California berries, stone fruit, and tomatoes. I know I’ve been doing my part to support that part of our agricultural economy. 

Sincerely, 

Dr. Tawny Mata
OARS Director
CDFA Science Advisor

Supporting Spanish-Speaking Farmers in Monterey County with Training on Water Use Efficiency

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The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), through its Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS), is helping California farmers grow more sustainably through the Water Efficiency Technical Assistance (WETA) program. This initiative funds local organizations to deliver critical on-the-ground support in three main areas: 

Conducting distribution uniformity (DU) testing for irrigation systems, 

  • Facilitating pump efficiency tests to assess irrigation pump performance, and 
  • Developing and delivering training focused on water and nutrient management. 

One standout example of this work is happening in Monterey County, where the Resource Conservation District of Monterey County (RCD MC) applied for and received WETA funding in 2022. As part of their proposal, RCD MC made a strategic choice to create educational resources for Spanish-speaking farmers and ranchers—a group that comprises nearly a quarter of all agricultural producers in the county, according to the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture. The goal: ensure more farmers understand how to optimize water and nutrient use—two critical elements of sustainable, cost-effective farming. 

One key resource developed under this initiative is a series of Spanish language training videos created to share knowledge on optimal water and nutrient management  techniques, promoting farmer-to-farmer learning. In this video, Celsa Ortega, the owner of Induchucuiti Farms and a graduate of the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA), discusses her use of low-pressure, uniform drip irrigation systems and underscores the importance of maintaining high distribution uniformity across a field. Celsa’s real-world experience and insights into effective water use reinforce how small improvements can lead to big savings in water, energy, and overall efficiency. 

The video, along with other training materials and assistance supported by the WETA grant, serves as a powerful tool to help growers: 

  • Identify inefficiencies in irrigation systems, 
  • And take action to improve system performance. 

Without WETA funding, these services—including DU and pump testing—would likely have required out-of-pocket expenses from farmers or gone unperformed entirely, leading to unnecessary water and energy waste. By offering this assistance at no cost to the grower, RCD of Monterey County is helping farms become more resilient, productive, and sustainable. 

While providing no-cost distribution uniformity and pump tests are core parts of the WETA program, developing training materials —especially in accessible formats like video—is valuable since it can reach a wide audience and have a lasting impact beyond the end of the WETA grant term. 

RCD MC’s initiative demonstrates how tailored, inclusive outreach can drive meaningful change on the ground. By speaking directly to the needs of Spanish-speaking farmers, they’re not just improving irrigation systems—they’re strengthening the future of agriculture in California. 

CDFA Looks to Get Ahead of Invasive Agricultural Pests

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California leads the nation in specialty crop production, growing more than 400 different crops across its diverse agricultural landscape. With such variety comes a complex web of pest management challenges that demand innovative, research-driven solutions. The OARS Office of Pesticide Consultation and Analysis is continuously working to support pest management that meets agricultural needs and state policy goals. One way we do that is through our Adaptive Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for Invasive Agricultural Pests grant program, which is currently accepting applications.  
 
The program’s goal is to develop IPM program(s) or components that can be rapidly implemented when new invasive agricultural pests arrive and become established in California or when recently arrived invasive pests resurge or expand their range or host species. The program also supports research to refine and optimize existing IPM strategies to improve their effectiveness or exploring additional control measures against established invasive agricultural pests that drive extensive pesticide use but remain uncontrolled due to developed pesticide resistance. If you are researching innovative ways to control invasive pests, check out the Request for Proposals.  

One previously funded project that recently completed is ‘A proactive approach to prepare for the invasion of Tuta absoluta into California’ lead by Dr. Ian Grettenberger. This project addressed the South American tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta, a devastating pest of tomatoes of high concern to California. If T. absoluta invades California, there will be an immediate need for management information to address its spread and to protect tomato production. Because T. absoluta has been spreading through other parts of the world, there is the opportunity to adapt existing knowledge to California’s needs.  

Management tactics tested include chemical management, biological control via indigenous and introduced natural enemies, and cultural management through variety resistance and plant breeding. Information on these methods will help growers and officials in the short-term and will help provide long-term solutions for T. absoluta in California.  

Author: Kevi Mace

Supporting Biodiversity in Olives: A Regenerative Approach to Habitat Integration

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At the International Olive Sustainability Conference, the Center for Regenerative Agriculture researchers demonstrate on-farm biodiversity through an interactive tour of a hedgerow funded by the CDFA Pollinator Habitat Program 

Dr. Boyd highlights a leaf serving as habitat for natural enemies to global industry professionals

In September 2024, the UC Davis Olive Center hosted the International Olive Sustainability Conference (IOSC), gathering global experts in sustainable olive production. As part of the post-conference tours, participants visited California Olive Ranch (COR), one of the partnered growers under the American Olive Oil Producers Association (AOOPA). AOOPA received funding through the CDFA’s Pollinator Habitat Program to support pollinator habitat implementation across California olive farms. The tour featured a native hedgerow planted in April 2024 to enhance biodiversity and support beneficial insect communities. 

Dr. Elizabeth Boyd, entomologist and professor, and Gerardo Tapia, graduate researcher pursuing a Master of Science in Regenerative Agriculture and supported by the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems (CRARS) at California State University, Chico, led an interactive tour of the hedgerow. Using sweep nets and vials, they highlighted the presence of native pollinators and natural enemies, including parasitic wasps and predatory lacewings. Attendees had the opportunity to observe lacewing eggs within both the hedgerow and the adjacent olive grove. Additional beneficial insects observed included syrphid flies, Western European honeybees, and assassin bugs. A plant species list was distributed while participants engaged in discussion about the hedgerow’s influence on olive grove ecology, pollinator diversity, and regenerative management practices. 

Green lacewing (Chrysopidae) observed on the surface of Olea europaea (olive) leaf.
Two Hymenopteran feeding on Sambucus nigra ‘elderberry’. Both of these bees belong to the insect family Apidae
Hover fly (Syphridae) on the surface of a leaf of Sambucus nigra ‘elderberry’.

Although olive trees are self-pollinating and do not depend heavily on insect pollinators, the hedgerow provides critical habitat for pollinators, beneficial insects, and wildlife. COR’s implementation of this hedgerow through the Pollinator Habitat Program reflects growing interest in ecological solutions that offer multiple on- farm benefits, including erosion control, soil health, and biodiversity. 

Hedgerow site visited during the industry tour.
Left: intensive olive planting.
Right: established hedgerows.
Photo taken May 2, 2025.

In addition, Gerardo Tapia is conducting research for his master’s thesis to evaluate how hedgerows influence the functional composition of beneficial insect communities in olive groves. The study compares field margins with and without hedgerows using non-lethal, catch-and-release methods. Functional groups studied include pollinators, predatory insects, and parasitoid wasps. 

These efforts highlight the value of habitat enhancement, even in low-pollinator-dependent systems. They also highlight the importance of collaborative approaches between producers, researchers, and agencies like CDFA in supporting a more resilient agricultural landscape! 

By: Gerardo Tapia Jr and Elizabeth A. Boyd, Ph.D. (Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems)  

California Conservation Planning Partnership (C2P2) advances the OARS Technical Assistance Program Goals

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CDFA and OARS continues its commitment to providing technical assistance to farmers and ranchers by streamlining technical assistance in California through the California Conservation Planning Partnership (C2P2) Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). Signed in 2022, this MOA brings together CDFA, the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), and the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (CARCD) as official partners dedicated to providing services to California’s farmers and ranchers. The C2P2 partners have committed to coordinate their technical assistance services for farmers, ranchers, and foresters implementing conservation and climate-smart agriculture practices on their land.  

Over the last year, the C2P2 partnership has made great strides in advancing their mission through assembling a steering committee, supporting partner initiatives and meetings, and this year has initiated breakout working groups to dive deeper into coordinating services to meet the needs of farmers and ranchers. If you are interested in learning more about C2P2 or would like the opportunity to connect with C2P2 partners, take our short C2P2 Interest Survey! 

Dr. Sara Garcia, OARS Technical Assistance Coordinator, represents CDFA’s OARS team in a C2P2 Panel Discussion at the 2024 CARCD State Conference

Author: Dr. Sara Garcia

Water Efficiency Technical Assistance (WETA) Program Supports Producers with No-Cost Irrigation System Evaluations and Pump Efficiency Tests

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As the 2025 irrigation season is upon us in California, farmers can consider reaching out to a technical assistance provider funded by the OARS Water Efficiency Technical Assistance (WETA) program. WETA provides funds to technical assistance providers to complete irrigation system evaluations and pump efficiency tests, as well as provide training on water use efficiency and nutrient management practices.  

WETA technical assistance provider, Tehama RCD conducing an in-field irrigation evaluation. 

An irrigation system evaluation is the inspection and testing of an irrigation system to inform if repairs are needed and to see if water is being distributed evenly throughout the field. When a producer implements the recommendations from an irrigation system evaluation, they often save water and money and improve their crop yields. Similarly, a pump efficiency test, performed by a pump technician, can help a producer identify when a pump needs to be serviced or replaced, which can result in energy efficiency improvements and cost savings. WETA-funded technical assistance providers can also help a producer fine-tune their irrigation system and water management practices.   

OARS first received funding to provide WETA grants in 2021. Currently there are approximately 25 funded WETA technical assistance providers. Many of these grants will be expiring in 2026 so make the most of these services while they are available. To find out if there is a WETA service provider in your area and what types of assistance they are offering, please visit the program website at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oars/technical/weta.html   

What is the Office of Pesticide Consultation and Analysis?

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The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA’s) Office of Pesticide Consultation and Analysis (OPCA) was formed in 1992 following the formation of CalEPA’s Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). Prior to this time CDFA was responsible for pesticide regulation in the state. OPCA’s primary role is to provide DPR with impact analyses of proposed pesticide regulations, specifically actions detailed in Food and Agriculture Code (FAC) Section 11454.2. The consultative arrangement was established primarily to ensure that the economic impacts on California’s agricultural industry would be evaluated before the adoption of new pesticide regulations. OPCA is funded through the pesticide mill assessment collected by DPR for CDFA. 

Currently, OPCA consists of five scientists with backgrounds mainly in agricultural entomology. We work closely with UC Cooperative Extension scientists and agricultural economists while doing analyses. Despite our office being in the back of the building, we welcome stakeholder communication; we will happily talk your ear off about analytical methods, data, and regulatory frameworks.    

Our analyses are specifically focused on assessing the immediate impact of the proposed regulation on pest management costs and effectiveness. We use pesticide use reporting data to estimate future use based on historical trends and to predict how the loss of specific active ingredients might affect those use trends. This methodology was developed by Dr. Rachael Goodhue, the chair of Agricultural Resource Economics at UC Davis, OPCA, and a host of other collaborators and published in 2017 (https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/bk-2018-1283.ch020).   

In the past five years, OPCA has completed reports related to the withdrawal of chlorpyrifos, multiple iterations of the neonicotinoid mitigation regulations, and multiple iterations for both sets of 1,3-Dichloropropene (non-occupational bystander and occupational bystander) safety regulations. Public reports, publications, and white papers are available on our website https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oars/opca/publications.html.   

Since 2019, OPCA has also started running several grant programs including Biologically Integrated Farming Systems, Proactive Integrated Pest Management, and support for IR-4.  

In a world of rapidly changing pest threats, we are adapting too! Our “Proactive IPM Solutions” program is now “Adaptive IPM for Invasive Agricultural Pests”, moving beyond “proactive” to a more responsive, dynamic, and inclusive approach. Our program focuses on developing and implementing adaptable IPM strategies that enable swift action against emerging invasive pests in California, whether they are newly introduced, resurging, or expanding their range. We are dedicated to refining existing methods and exploring new solutions, especially where pesticide resistance poses a challenge.  

Introducing OARS: A New Name for a Stronger Agricultural Future

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We are excited to announce that our office has a new name: The Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS).  This new name better reflects our mission to strengthen the agricultural system while also addressing the challenges of the future. Along with the name change, we have introduced a new, unified logo that replaces our many siloed grant program logos, symbolizing our shared mission across all programs. Over the next few months, you will notice updates to our communications that incorporate the new name and logo. We encourage you to share this information with your colleagues, partners and stakeholders. You can find our official announcement and our new logo here, as well as our recently updated mission and vision statements.  

The decision to rebrand was rooted in the evolution of CDFA’s relationship to sustainable farming over the last 30 years.  Our original name, “The Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI),” stemmed from the Canella Environmental Farming Act of 1995. The Canella Act laid the groundwork for our incentive programs and codified the Department’s commitment to advancing sustainability through science. Today, our programs not only support a healthy environment – marked by clean water, fresh air, and thriving biodiversity -but also the social and economic health of California’s farms and ranches. Looking forward, we also recognize the need to build resilience for the challenges ahead- from extreme weather to regulatory changes. We must develop research, demonstration and incentive grant programs to help agricultural stakeholders adapt and thrive.