This year’s Healthy Soils Week theme, “A Circular Economy for Healthy Soils,” emphasizes how transforming waste can create valuable benefits for both the environment and soil health. Practices such as composting, whole orchard recycling, and manure management are some of the ways farmers can implement circular economy practices to help promote soil health.
Why Healthy Soil Matters
Healthy soil is more than just dirt—it’s the foundation of sustainable food systems, clean water, clean air and biodiversity. Investing in soil health leads to multiple benefits including:
- Improved plant health and yields: Nutrient-rich soil helps plants thrive.
- Increased water infiltration and retention: Enhanced soil structure improves drought resistance by helping capture and store water.
- Sequestered carbon and reduced greenhouse gases (GHGs): Healthy soils act as a carbon sink, mitigating climate change.
- Reduced sediment erosion and dust: Conservation practices keep topsoil in place, reducing air pollution.
- Improved water quality: Healthy soils aid in filtering pollutants, enhancing water quality.
- Improved biological diversity and wildlife habitats: Healthy soils nurture ecosystems, both above and below ground.
What Is a Circular Economy for Healthy Soils?
This year’s Healthy Soils Week theme is “A Circular Economy for Healthy Soils.” In a circular economy, organic materials are reused and recycled. In agriculture, this can include incorporating crop residues, manure, and green waste into the soil to help build organic matter. It can also involve using mulches from whole orchard recycling to improve soil health and water retention. By participating in this cycle, farmers can:
- Reduce synthetic fertilizer inputs
- Generate new revenue streams.
- Enhance soil fertility and productivity.
Programs like CDFA’s Healthy Soils Program (HSP) incentivize these practices.
California’s Healthy Soils Program
California’s Healthy Soils Program (HSP) empowers farmers and ranchers via grants to adopt practices that restore and preserve soil health. Since its inception in 2017, HSP has awarded more than 1,500 grants totaling over $160 million to California farmers and ranchers with over 130,000 acres funded to improve soil health statewide, according to the California Department of Agriculture (CDFA) program data.
A recent independent program evaluation of California’s Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) Programs reviewed the Healthy Soils Program. Takeaways from the report included:
Findings around planned persistence and expansion suggest that the program successfully incentivizes the adoption and increased acreage of healthy soil practices.
However, the evaluation also revealed challenges. One-fifth of respondents did not have the needed labor or equipment to implement practices, highlighting the possibility of equipment sharing to help address this challenge.
With the recent passing of Proposition 4, $15 million will be allocated for farmer equipment-sharing programs and cooperatives. This program is modeled on a CalCAN and the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) co-sponsored bill (AB 2313, Bennett). These funds will help address some of the challenges farmers face when adopting new healthy soils practices.
Expanding Healthy Soils Across the Nation
In addition to California’s Healthy Soils Program, national efforts to improve soil health are gaining momentum across the country. The National Healthy Soils Policy Network (“National Network”), a project of CalCAN, is a farmer-forward community of practice that supports sustainable agriculture and family farm organizations to win state policies that scale up the use of healthy soils and climate-resilient practices on farms and ranches.To support this work, the National Network offers capacity-building “mini-grants” to member organizations.
This December 2024, the Network is distributing a total of $70,000 in general support grants to 12 member organizations nationwide. Highlights of their campaigns include:
- Dakota Resource Council (ND): Advocating for regenerative grazing incentives, leveraging producer testimonials and data from a two-year grazing and carbon sequestration pilot project.
- Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (TX): Mobilizing grassroots support to enhance staffing and funding for the state’s “On the Ground” Conservation Program, promoting success stories on the impacts of healthy soils practices.
- Illinois Stewardship Alliance: Developing healthy soils legislation through their Soil Health Caucus and hosting the Annual Soil Health Week to rally support for state action.
- Maine Farmland Trust: Supporting the Maine Healthy Soils Program (created through their successful advocacy in 2021) through education and program promotion, farmer mobilization on continued legislative support, and input on program governance.
- NOFA/Mass (Northeast Organic Farming Association, Mass. Chapter): Advancing development of the Massachusetts Healthy Soils Program (also created through their successful advocacy in 2021) by engaging stakeholders and promoting the 2023 Healthy Soils Action Plan.
- NOFA-NY (Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York): Advocating for increased soil health funding via the Climate Resilient Farming Program and the state’s Climate Action Fund (highlighting the “soil-climate connection”) as well as engaging farmers on the development of the state’s Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) program.
- Northern Plains Resource Council (MT): Supporting their second annual Montana Soil Health Week in April 2025 (established by a successful legislative campaign) to foster producer-elected official relationships and prepare for a 2027 legislative campaign.
- Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA): Promoting a Healthy Soils Task Force bill, an Ohio Soil Health Week resolution and an effort to define soil health in the Ohio Revised Code. They are also producing farmer-led soil health podcasts.
- Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts: Defending the OK Healthy Soils Program through advocacy training and the creation of a local “Speakers Bureau” of soil health experts, producers, urban farmers and conservation professionals.
- Oregon Climate and Agriculture Network (OrCAN): Influencing rule-making for Conservation Management Plan Implementation Grants and advocating for renewal of Natural Climate Solutions funding.
- Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA): Expanding their “Funded by Farm Bill” campaign, expanding farmer case studies and educational materials, to increase Farm Bill literacy and advocacy among farmers and consumers.
- Western Colorado Alliance: Rallying producer-advocates for a “Regenerative Agriculture Tax Credit” benefiting businesses sourcing from soil-health-focused farms.
Through these initiatives and mini-grants, the Network amplifies its commitment to supporting farmer voices and driving systemic change for healthier soils across the country.
Looking to the Future
As we celebrate both World Soil Day (December 5) and Healthy Soils Week (December 2-9), we reflect on the incredible potential of soil to shape a more climate-resilient future. By investing in programs like HSP, national soil health efforts, and fostering a circular economy, we can support farmers, protect the environment, and ensure healthy food systems for future generations.
Additional California Healthy Soils Program Resources
To learn more about HSP, you can read our blog about the recent program evaluation, or one of our recent reports. The 2020 Healthy Soils Program Progress Report focuses on the incentive program and our 2022 Demonstration Projects Progress Report focuses on the demonstration projects aspect of the Healthy Soils Program.
For examples of previously funded HSP projects, check out the “Building Healthy Soils to Store Carbon” section of CalCAN’s Farmer Voices page.
If you have suggestions for the HSP program or practices please contact our Associate Policy Director, Anna Larson at anna AT calclimateag.org.
Additional National Healthy Soils Network Program Resources:
To learn more about the National Healthy Soils Policy Network please contact the National Coordinator, Dago Driggs at dago AT calclimateag.org.
