Invitation:
For Farms in California
Conservation Agriculture Planning Grants Program
CDFA Grant opportunity up to $250,000
due October 23, 2022
Carbon reduction – Soil, Energy, Fertilizer
We’re partnering with a few farms
(1) To facilitate the grant application process,
(2) Provide regenerative ag expertise and emerging technologies, and
(3) Support locally resilient market development for long-term community benefit.
See below for farm best fit qualifications.
CDFA Conservation Planning Grant – Many Options
Fundable planning categories
Applicants may apply for up to $250,000 to prepare conservation agriculture plans in the following categories:
- Agricultural Energy Design
- Carbon Farm Planning
- Comprehensive Nutrient Management
- Fish and Wildlife Habitat
- Grazing Management
- Irrigation Water Management
- Nutrient Management
- Organic Transition
- Pollinator Habitat
- Pest Management
- Soil Health Management
Eligibility
Eligible entities include Tribes, technical service providers (TSPs) registered with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), professional certified crop advisors, pest control advisors, rangeland managers, non-profit organizations, Resource Conservation Districts, California Public Universities, agricultural cooperatives, groundwater sustainability agencies, and farmers and ranchers in collaboration with a qualified planner. All eligible applicants will be required to demonstrate qualifications.
+ Links to USDA CDFA documents
Animal, Food and Fiber
Best fit farming operations
Planetary CARE is prepared to co-develop proposals of excellence
with four qualified farm projects that meet the following criteria:
Your USA farm is currently generating revenue at a commercial scale. You may be selling through farmers markets, restaurants or direct to consumers. Or, your farm may also be in the zone known as “Ag in the Middle”. The farm operators desire to grow larger and have a core team capable of managing the growth. You are committed to participating in the development of a thriving local food ecosystem.
Your farming operation is committed to soil health practices and reduction or elimination of chemical inputs. However, you cannot transition without unacceptable risk or you don’t have access to funding necessary to make a financially viable transition
Your farming operation is, either alone or with volunteers, able to dedicate the hours needed to develop your portion of the budget and narrative of six to nine pages.
Optional opportunity to be included in the planning grant proposal. Fund having an Ecosystems Impact Assessment to estimate the potential financial investment, financial risk and financial value of the existing and potential ecosystem assets of the proposed grant proposal when implemented. One option we represent is the Soil Carbon Index developed by the Soil Carbon Initiative.
Sequence of milestones
several move in parallel
Farm Info Submitted
The farm information is submitted.
TIMELINE & TASKS
Together the team agrees on the tasks, stand-up meetings and milestones.
TOGETHER, WE START
Having completed the initial steps for aligning together on a powerful impact vision, we begin.
PROGRAM DESIGN
With design complete, the proposal scope and full range of partners are known.
Funds Management
Determination Grant Funds Accounting management.
LOGIC MAP
The logic map provides clarity on Impact, Outcomes, Output and Input.
LOCAL PARTNER COMMITMENTS
If desired, required or beneficial for the proposal, the farm team obtains commitments from local partners.
PCARE PARTNER BUDGET
PCARE budget v.x.0
FARM BUDGET
The budget excluding the PCARE partner portion is completed.
BUDGETS & NARRATIVE READY
With the proposal in full draft form, it’s shared with advisors.
PROGRAM NARRATIVE
First draft of full program narrative
PROPOSAL SUBMITED
We target submitting by some days before the deadline of October 25, 2022.
Working with us
Together we are better
“Scale is crucial to soil health delivering on its promise. There are many ways to get to scale – with too many of these approaches taking years and years to develop and deploy. But these crises also need speed – and that requires strong networks collaborating with new approaches to ignite speed and scale.
That’s where Planetary CARE comes in. I am impressed with the way Planetary care plans to harness the power of networks collaborating though a powerful digital platform, to rapidly accelerate the breakthroughs of innovators at scale globally.
My organization represents one of those networks through our Carbon Farming Innovation Network. I can already see how our members could connect into Planetary CARE to amplify the work we are doing together. We provide a nonprofit innovation model, connecting ideas and people for breakthroughs. As our innovations are ready to scale, Planetary CARE will be a powerful channel for rapid deployment worldwide.
We are all in to collaborate with Planetary CARE to make the most important work of our lifetimes reach its full potential.
– Alisa Gravitz, Green America
The supporting role
of Planetary CARE
Planetary CARE is prepared to co-develop proposals of excellence with four qualified farmers.
Selected farm operations choose which of the products, services, and resources available through Planetary CARE they wish to include in their proposal.
More detail on what PCARE can bring to the proposal:
Impact Carbon & Resilience
- Increase soil carbon, water retention and yield
- Reduce water use and chemical inputs
- Reduce methane and ammonia
- Generate energy via wind turbine + magnetic motor. (5-110mph range)
Value Chain Impacts
- Assisting in securing long term forward contracts
- Localized food creation – milling, blending and packaging
- Aggregating both supply and demand in regional platform
Measurement & Data
- Third party carbon measurements
- Platform for managing soil and farm data
- Ingredient verification and tracking
- Full system natural accounting reports
Building Brand Strength
- Marketing and media relation services
- Access to researchers and scientists