{"id":130,"date":"2025-07-15T21:16:53","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T21:16:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/?p=130"},"modified":"2025-07-16T18:06:30","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T18:06:30","slug":"fernandes-family-farms-four-digesters-one-legacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2025\/07\/15\/fernandes-family-farms-four-digesters-one-legacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Fernandes Family Farms: Four Digesters, One Legacy\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"884\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-132\" style=\"width:362px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image-1.jpeg 884w, https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image-1-300x196.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image-1-768x501.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 884px) 100vw, 884px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fernandes Family&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Fernandes family has been dairying in California\u2019s San Joaquin Valley since the 1920s, when Frank Fernandes came over from the Azores and started milking cows during the Great Depression. A century later, his grandsons continue to dairy and have expanded on multiple facilities\u2014 and now, they\u2019re also producing renewable fuel from manure while capturing methane that would be emitted as a powerful greenhouse gas to the atmosphere.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joe Fernandes passed the operation to his six sons: Joey, Greg, Gary, Frank, Jared, and Josh. Together, they manage four Tulare County dairies with anaerobic digesters funded by CDFA<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars\/ddrdp\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars\/ddrdp\/\"> Dairy Digester Research and Development Program<\/a> (DDRDP) \u2014Fern Oaks (2019), Legacy Ranch (2017), LegenDairy Farms (2022), and Sousa &amp; Sousa (2018, also known as Legacy Holsteins). All four dairies are based in Tulare County as a part of the Calgren Dairy Fuels Cluster, California\u2019s first full-scale dairy pipeline network. In total, the four projects received $5.3 million through DDRDP. Greg runs Fern Oaks; Gary runs LegenDairy; Jared and Josh manage daily operations at Legacy Ranche, while Frank handles farming. Most digesters were built with Maas Energy Works. Joey also developed a separate project through a DDRDP grant with California Bioenergy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image-2-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-133\" style=\"width:275px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image-2-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image-2-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image-2.jpeg 807w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gary Fernandes &amp; Family&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DDRDP grants helped Maas Energy Works, Calgren, and their partners deploy covered lagoon digester technology across multiple dairies, expanding California\u2019s largest dairy biogas pipeline cluster, supporting the state\u2019s investment in renewable energy infrastructure and meeting the state\u2019s ambitious climate goals by significantly decreasing methane emissions from manure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\">By offsetting upfront infrastructure costs and reducing risk for dairy owners, the funding made the project financially feasible. It also accelerated the adoption of low-emission technology and increased the supply of low-carbon, renewable transportation fuels.\u00a0<br><br><strong>How the Calgren Digesters Work<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each digester captures methane from manure, which is then sent to the Calgren facility where it is processed and upgraded into renewable natural gas (RNG). The RNG is either compressed onsite or piped into the utility grid. That RNG powers trucks and helps replace diesel with low-carbon fuel. Every upgrade serves a clear purpose: to run a cleaner, smarter, and more resilient farm.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"884\" height=\"551\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-131\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image.jpeg 884w, https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image-300x187.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image-768x479.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 884px) 100vw, 884px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dairy Digester&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Calgren employs an experienced team of operators and mechanics who visit the digester sites multiple times per week to conduct routine inspections and maintenance. This includes checking equipment functionality, inspecting the digester covers, and ensuring steady manure flow into and out of the system. Around the clock, Calgren\u2019s operations team also monitors the entire digester network from a centralized control room, ensuring that biogas is continuously processed and reliably injected into the SoCalGas pipeline. Together, the family\u2019s digesters are estimated to be reduced by over 550,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over the next 10 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Farm Practices That Make a Difference<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Fernandes dairies focus on practical upgrades that improve animal welfare, cut GHG emissions, and keep the farm running efficiently. Depending on the site, those upgrades include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sand bedding for cow comfort and reuse<\/strong>&nbsp;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sand bedding improves cow comfort and hoof health. It\u2019s also recycled, reducing costs and waste. (<em>Used at all dairies except Sousa &amp; Sousa<\/em>)&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bagged silage to reduce feed losses<\/strong>&nbsp;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>All dairies use bagged silage instead of stacking it in piles. This reduces spoilage and shrinkage from ~15% to ~2%, preserving more of the harvested feed and improving overall efficiency.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>On-farm solar<\/strong>&nbsp;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Legacy Ranch 2, Fern Oaks, and LegenDairy have solar panel installations that provide renewable power, lowering utility bills and GHG emissions.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>LED lighting upgrades<\/strong>&nbsp;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Legacy Ranch and LegenDairy use LED lighting throughout their dairies\u2014an energy-efficient alternative to traditional lighting that reduces electricity use.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cow Manager health monitoring system<\/strong>&nbsp;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>LegenDairy uses Cow Manager\u00ae, a system of ear tags that tracks cow activity, eating behavior, rumination, and temperature to detect illness early and ensure timely treatment and management.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Healthy Soils Program participation<\/strong>&nbsp;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Legacy Ranch 2 received funding from CDFA\u2019s Healthy Soils Program to adopt conservation tillage, a practice that reduces soil disturbance, helping retain carbon and lower emissions.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Gary Fernandes puts it, their approach comes down to lessons passed down from their dad, Joe:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cYou take care of the cows, they take care of you.\u201d<\/strong>&nbsp;<br><strong>\u201cControl the things you can control.\u201d<\/strong> \u2014 <em>Joe Fernandes<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These values continue to shape how the family runs their dairies\u2014one decision at a time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What Other Dairies Can Learn<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Fernandes family didn\u2019t do this alone. They partnered with Calgren Dairy Fuels, Maas Energy Works \u2013 and California\u2019s incentive program, DDRDP &#8211; to share infrastructure and get technical support with digester operations. That teamwork helped lower costs and keep the projects sustainable long-term.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their success shows that family dairies can:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cut costs by sharing pipeline infrastructure&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Protect the land and keep the business strong&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use California\u2019s climate programs to fund real projects&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>California Climate Investments and GHG Reductions<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Fernandes family&#8217;s digesters represent a major step forward in climate-smart agriculture. Each was supported in part by grant funding from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars\/ddrdp\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars\/ddrdp\/\">California\u2019s Dairy Digester Research and Development Program <\/a>(DDRDP), administered by CDFA and funded through California Climate Investments (CCI).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In total, the projects received over $5.3 million in state grants\u2014reducing greenhouse gases, improving local air quality, and supporting Tulare County\u2019s agricultural economy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cAMMP and DDRDP are part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that invests billions from Cap-and-Trade dollars into reducing greenhouse gas emissions, boosting the economy, and enhancing public health and the environment\u2014especially in disadvantaged communities.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Fernandes family has been dairying in California\u2019s San Joaquin Valley since the 1920s, when Frank Fernandes came over from the Azores and started milking cows during the Great Depression. A century later, his grandsons continue to dairy and have expanded on multiple facilities\u2014 and now, they\u2019re also producing renewable fuel from manure while capturing &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2025\/07\/15\/fernandes-family-farms-four-digesters-one-legacy\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Fernandes Family Farms: Four Digesters, One Legacy\u00a0<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":131,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6],"tags":[5],"class_list":["post-130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-producer-success-story","tag-methane-reduction","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":171,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2025\/07\/28\/investing-in-impact-how-the-oars-team-helps-deliver-climate-solutions-on-california-dairy-and-livestock-farms\/","url_meta":{"origin":130,"position":0},"title":"Investing in Impact: How the OARS Team Helps Deliver Climate Solutions on California Dairy and Livestock Farms\u00a0","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"July 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The CDFA Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS) is dedicated to supporting California's dairy and livestock farmers in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As proof of that, the CDFA\u2019s Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) and Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP) awarded nearly $25 million\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Informational&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Informational","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/informational\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A technical assistance provider and rancher are reviewing data at a dairy farm","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AdobeStock_289583412_Preview-e1753726652620.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AdobeStock_289583412_Preview-e1753726652620.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AdobeStock_289583412_Preview-e1753726652620.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AdobeStock_289583412_Preview-e1753726652620.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2025\/01\/23\/sustainability-spotlight-vander-woude-dairys-digester\/","url_meta":{"origin":130,"position":1},"title":"Anaerobic Dairy Digester Converts Methane to Renewable Natural Gas in Merced County","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"January 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Vander Woude Dairy is transforming sustainability in agriculture. This family-owned farm in Merced, California, has implemented a cutting-edge methane digester, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 24,000 MTCO\u2082e annually and converting waste into Renewable Compressed Natural Gas (R-CNG). With state support and local partnerships, the project also creates jobs and empowers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Producer Success Story&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Producer Success Story","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/producer-success-story\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-2.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-2.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Wordpress-Featured-Image-2.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":337,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2026\/06\/01\/catching-up-with-vander-woude-dairy\/","url_meta":{"origin":130,"position":2},"title":"Catching Up with Vander Woude Dairy\u00a0","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"June 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Have you ever stopped to think about how your milk or butter\u00a0actually gets\u00a0to your table?\u00a0 We recently caught up with the family behind Vander Woude Dairy in Merced, and the conversation quickly went beyond cows and equipment. At its heart, their story is about family, responsibility,\u00a0a\u00a0passion for dairy farming\u00a0and a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Producer Success Story&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Producer Success Story","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/producer-success-story\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Daryl+Simon Vander Woude","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Dary-Simon.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Dary-Simon.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Dary-Simon.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Dary-Simon.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2025\/01\/01\/first-of-its-kind-fuel-cell-project-generating-electricity-from-dairy-waste-in-fresno-county\/","url_meta":{"origin":130,"position":3},"title":"First of Its Kind Fuel Cell Project Generating Electricity from Dairy Waste in Fresno County\u00a0","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"January 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Bar 20 Dairy, a Shehadey family-owned and operated business in Fresno County, received $3 million in funding from the state incentive Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP) in 2019, to implement a dairy digester to capture methane. The California Bioenergy dairy digester and Bloom Energy fuel cell technology have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Producer Success Story&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Producer Success Story","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/producer-success-story\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross speaking at the Bar 20 ribbon-cutting ceremony.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DDRDP_5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DDRDP_5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DDRDP_5.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DDRDP_5.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DDRDP_5.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DDRDP_5.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":279,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2026\/02\/02\/hilmar-cluster-making-a-real-difference\/","url_meta":{"origin":130,"position":4},"title":"Hilmar Cluster: Making a Real Difference\u00a0","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"February 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Through the implementation of anaerobic digesters, CalBioGas Hilmar LLC (Hilmar Cluster), working with Hilmar dairy farmers, are leading the way toward a more sustainable future for their surrounding community. \u00a0Cluster projects consist of a hub facility for centralized operations, including the collection of biogas from multiple dairy digesters. The hub\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Producer Success Story&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Producer Success Story","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/producer-success-story\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":175,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2025\/07\/28\/technical-assistance-program-builds-statewide-partnerships-in-climate-smart-and-conservation-agriculture\/","url_meta":{"origin":130,"position":5},"title":"Technical Assistance Program Builds Statewide Partnerships in Climate Smart and Conservation Agriculture\u00a0","author":"Sureena Johl","date":"July 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The OARS Technical Assistance (TA) Program is critical to realizing the OARS mission: \u201cto use the best available science and knowledge from the agricultural community to design and implement practical solutions to California\u2019s natural resource challenges that improve the environmental and economic sustainability of producing nutritious food, fiber, and energy.\u201d\u00a0\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Informational&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Informational","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/category\/informational\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Secretary Ross gives an inspirational talk to Technical Assistance Providers on the importance and impact of their work at the 2024 OARS TA Conference.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TA-Conference_2024_1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TA-Conference_2024_1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TA-Conference_2024_1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TA-Conference_2024_1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":141,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130\/revisions\/141"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}