Healthy Soils program updates: new practice guidelines, biochar allowed and payment approach shifts

Michael Wolf, supervisor for the Healthy Soils Program, used the webinar to detail substantive changes in how HSP will operate under the block grant model. He said CDFA has developed a draft HSP practice guidelines document that will replace sole reliance on NRCS conservation practice standards and that the change is meant to clarify acceptable practices and verification.

"We have developed our own practice guidelines document. I don't want anyone to miss that," Wolf said, adding that the guidelines are in draft and expected to be updated but not to cause major changes to concept planning.

Key program changes: Wolf said HSP now lists 29 supported practices and added two new practices — biochar application and re‑saturation of delta peat soils for rice cultivation. The program has discontinued a stand‑alone nutrient management practice (a 15% nitrogen reduction option), noting nutrient reductions are generally embedded in other practices and the stand‑alone approach was administratively difficult.

Payment approach: Historically HSP used flat per‑acre rates. For this block grant round, CDFA emphasized alternatives to flat rates: direct invoicing (where the block grant recipient pays a vendor invoice on behalf of a farmer) or BGR bulk procurement (the recipient purchases materials such as biochar or compost in bulk and provides/installs them). Wolf said the common feature of the allowed approaches is that farmers will not be required to provide upfront financing for materials under approved arrangements.

Caps and verification: Wolf cited a $75,000 per‑practice cap and a $150,000 total per‑project cap for beneficiaries in this round. The HSP practice guidelines include verification instructions, a guide to avoiding overlapping practices, and NRCS‑recommended species lists by practice to support on‑farm implementation and simplify documentation.

Next steps: The HSP practice guidelines are in draft and will be posted as a resource; applicants should review them when preparing concept proposals and expect more detailed verification and invoicing guidance in the grant award procedures manual.