California celebrated its annual Healthy Soils Week earlier this month. This year’s theme was “A Circular Economy for Healthy Soils,” with various workshops across the state highlighting the benefits of regenerative farming practices.
In a circular economy, waste materials are repurposed to extend the life cycle of products, which increases sustainability and helps regenerate natural systems. Agricultural landscapes can benefit from these practices, too. For example, food scraps and agricultural waste can be turned into compost, which improves the soil and keeps organic matter from heading to the landfill. Wood waste can be composted, too, mixed with nitrogen-rich materials like lawn mowings to help speed up decomposition and build organic matter. Yard debris, tree trimmings, and even discarded wooden pallets can be turned into wood chips and used as mulch, which benefits the soil by retaining moisture levels, regulating temperature, and adding nutrients into the ground as the wood decomposes.
Statewide initiatives like the Healthy Soils Program are overseen by the CDFA’s Office of Environment Farming & Innovation to encourage growers to adopt these practices. Through a series of annual grants, the program has already funded the soil improvement of 130,000 acres across California. These projects have demonstrated a sizable environmental benefit, sequestering 1.1 million metric tons of CO₂e — the equivalent of removing 240,000 cars from California’s roads for an entire year.
Although the funding window for 2024 is now closed, anyone interested in applying for a grant should keep an eye on the Healthy Soil Program’s website. Meanwhile, FGS is always here to help our growers increase the regenerative aspects of their operations. We believe that good soil health can improve water infiltration, cut back on erosion, enhance nutrient cycling, increase the climate resilience of agricultural landscapes, and support sustainable farming. Good soil benefits more than the landscape itself — it’s also crucial for the food system, the climate, and the economy. A circular economy, indeed!
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