Published December 2020 – California’s Healthy Soils Program (HSP) has the potential to transform California agriculture by incentivizing farmers and ranchers to transition to agricultural management practices that have a multitude of benefits to farms and society. Healthy soils practices improve yields, pest and disease management, water infiltration and retention, and resilience to extreme weather. These practices also enhance public health, improve water and air quality, increase pollinator and wildlife habitat, and provide significant potential to mitigate climate change. As the first program of its kind in the country, HSP also has the potential to inform and inspire other state soil health programs across the country.

In this progress report, we provide a brief overview and history of HSP, discuss notable achievements and program elements worth replicating in other states, and identify opportunities for program improvements that the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is well positioned to address.

Download The California Healthy Soils Program: A Progress Report