CA:State to hand out nearly $7 million in grants for soil health

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is offering nearly $7 million in competitive grants to assist farmers and ranchers with such soil health projects as composting, planting cover crops and reducing tillage. Under the program, paid for with cap-and-trade auction proceeds, projects would be for three years, with the third year of costs required as matching funds.“We think the Healthy Soils Program is a great opportunity, and it’s something that the farmers we work with have asked for,” said Jeanne Merrill, policy director for the California Climate and Agriculture Network, which promotes sustainable agriculture.