Burrough’s Family Farms Regenerative Field Day

CalCAN staff attended the Burrough’s Regenerative Field Day earlier this year. The event brings together farmers, scientists, industry experts and advocates for a day of learning and cross-pollination at the height of the almond blossom season.

A panel of scientists shared the latest on sap testing and soil health, followed by field demonstrations on cover cropping, biodiversity monitoring and soil sampling. Participants saw the Burrough’s new off-ground harvester which allows for year-round cover cropping and reduces dust associated with harvest by over 90%. The day ended with a panel of young almond farmers who shared their experiences with their journeys in regenerative agriculture. Farmers from the

audience shared that they often felt isolated in this journey and that neighbors and pest control advisors cast doubt on practices like cover cropping. Panelists shared how the benefits were not only ecological and economic amidst a landscape of drought, water restrictions, and biodiversity loss. They spoke to how their love of farming had been reignited as their fields came back to life.

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California Irrigation Institute Conference

CalCAN Policy Director Brian Shobe presented on a panel about recent developments in grants and incentives to support farmers and irrigation districts with improving irrigation and energy efficiency and drought and flood resilience.

Brian explained the recent booms and busts in funding for the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) and the Healthy Soils Program (HSP), the resulting block grant pilot for the programs, and the continued oversubscription of the programs. Brian also shared some exciting results from a recent program evaluation that demonstrated the programs are effectively leading to long-term adoption of climate smart practices. Audience members shared challenges they have experienced with inconsistent funding, asked about advocacy strategies for more consistent funding, and expressed interest in the aforementioned program evaluation (to be published soon by researchers in CalPoly-SLO’s Department of Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences).

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CA Climate Policy Summit

CalCAN’s Associate Policy Director, Colton Fagundes, spoke on a panel at the 2024 CA Climate Policy Summit titled Agriculture and Climate Nexus. Alongside him on the panel were California State Senator Melissa Hurtado and Elena Bischak from the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts.

The discussion, moderated by Jamie Fanous of Community Alliance with Family Farmers, a CalCAN coalition member, delved into topics such as climate change’s impacts on agriculture in California, available resources to help farmers with climate mitigation and resilience, the Regional Ag and Climate Hubs initiative, and the necessity of engaging farmers who harbor skepticism towards climate change but are integral to mitigation efforts. During the panel, Colton presented on a range of federal agriculture programs that address climate and are particularly crucial amidst California’s current state budget constraints.

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Ag Day at the Capitol

CalCAN staff members participated in this year’s California Ag Day, held on March 19, 2024, at the West Steps of the Capitol. The event, co-organized by California Women for Agriculture, the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture, highlighted the innovative strides made by California’s agricultural sector under the theme of Next-Gen Tools, Talents, and Tech.

We shared a booth with CalCAN coalition members CCOF and CAFF as we connected with legislative staffers and key policymakers including Secretary Karen Ross and Assemblymember Connolly.

The Capitol was packed with booths offering samples of California grown produce, educational displays, and interactive experiences, fostering a deeper appreciation for California’s rich agricultural heritage. We look forward to participating next year!

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California Land and Water Conservation Conference

CalCAN Associate Policy Director Anna Larson attended the California Land and Water Conservation Conference hosted by the California Council of Land Trusts in mid-March. Hundreds of staff from land trusts, resource conservation districts, and state agencies came together last month to discuss challenges and opportunities in land conservation.

There are several land trusts across the state working on exciting projects to support agricultural land access, climate smart agriculture, and farm viability.

Peninsula Open Space Trust saw that investing in farm instructure on their agricultural land was critical to long-term farm sustainability, and has been working with growers in their region to build on-farm housing for agricultural workers. The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County owns a 480 acre parcel of farmland, half of which are leased out to fruit and vegetable growers with the stipulation that they meet several conditions regarding their growing practices, such as growing organically, using cover crops, and using wildlife-friendly farming techniques

The conference ended with a panel discussion celebrating ten years of the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC) with staff from the Department of Conservation and representatives from land trusts and conservancies. The program has awarded almost $500M and protected about 250,000 acres of agricultural land.  CalCAN and a coalition of land trusts and conservation organizations advocated for the creation of this program.