{"id":318,"date":"2026-05-05T10:15:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T17:15:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/?p=318"},"modified":"2026-05-05T10:15:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T17:15:26","slug":"healthy-soils-week-in-action-at-twin-peaks-orchards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cdfa.ca.gov\/oars-blog\/index.php\/2026\/05\/05\/healthy-soils-week-in-action-at-twin-peaks-orchards\/","title":{"rendered":"Healthy Soils Week in Action at Twin Peaks Orchards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On April 9,\u00a0Healthy Soils Week<\/a> was\u00a0marked\u00a0with a\u00a0memorable\u00a0tour of Twin Peaks Orchards<\/a> in Newcastle,\u00a0offering a firsthand look at how state investments in soil health are supporting resilient farms and sustainable food systems across California. The Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability\u00a0(OARS)\u00a0partnered\u00a0with\u00a0the\u00a0Community Alliance of Family Farmers<\/a>\u00a0(CAFF)\u00a0to bring together\u00a0legislative staffers,\u00a0CDFA\u00a0personnel, and a\u00a0Cal Recycle\u00a0team led by the agency Director, Zoe Heller,\u00a0to see\u00a0how climate-smart practices are improving soil function while contributing to a circular economy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twin Peaks Orchards, a Healthy Soils Program\u00a0<\/a>(HSP)\u00a0awardee led by Justin Miller,\u00a0provided\u00a0a compelling example of how these investments translate on the ground.\u00a0\u00a0During an in-orchard demonstration, Placer RCD<\/a> Agricultural Program Manager Brian Pimentel\u00a0used a \u201cslake test\u201d to\u00a0illustrate\u00a0how adding organic matter improves soil structure and reduces erosion\u00a0\u2014\u00a0benefits that are especially critical in this\u00a0cultivated\u00a0hilly region.\u00a0In the demonstration,\u00a0only\u00a0soil\u00a0clods\u00a0from\u00a0fields\u00a0which\u00a0had\u00a0received\u00a0organic additions for several years\u00a0were shown to\u00a0remain intact when they were submerged in water.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miller emphasized that soil health practices get better with time, often requiring several years to fully realize benefits. However, he noted that practices like cover cropping ultimately pay off\u2014improving water retention, increasing resilience to heat, and reducing the impacts of extreme weather. These outcomes align directly with the goals of the Healthy Soils Program: to build climate resilience while supporting agricultural productivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miller highlighted\u00a0that\u00a0maintenance of practices\u00a0without ongoing financial support\u00a0is\u00a0a key challenge.\u00a0While programs\u00a0like\u00a0HSP\u00a0play a critical role in helping farmers\u00a0initiate\u00a0new\u00a0practices,\u00a0farmers that continue the investment\u00a0realize\u00a0much greater\u00a0environmental and economic benefits.\u00a0Essentially, the\u00a0more experience that a producer has with soil health practices, the more they value them. This\u00a0may\u00a0help\u00a0explain why, among\u00a0awardees of HSP\u2019s first funding rounds\u00a0responding to a survey,\u00a0practice persistence rates were higher for those that had experience with the practice prior to their HSP project.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n