Across the discussions, a common themed emerged: California’s climate and natural resource challenges are deeply interconnected, and the most effective solutions recognize and strengthen the connections between our watersheds, working lands, communities, and ecosystems.
Each fact sheet combines the latest research with grower experience on the ground, going well beyond general cover crop guidance to meet farmers where they are. The suite builds on the foundation of practical considerations for managing cool-season cover crops with maximal water benefits and minimal water use laid out in the May 2025 guidance document, and extends it with a depth of context, data, and practical implementation detail.
Each year, the California Department of Food and Agriculture hosts Healthy Soils Week to spotlight the state’s sustainable farming efforts and demonstrate how focusing on soil health fosters long-term land stewardship.
Cover crops are a known practice in California agriculture for reducing water runoff, increasing the amount of water that can infiltrate and stay in the soil, improving biodiversity, limiting groundwater pollution, and supporting better air quality, among other benefits. But under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), concerns persist about whether cover crops “count against” growers’ limited water budgets and begs the question, is cover cropping worth the risk?
Sustainable Conservation and the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), along with UC ANR and other partners, have released a new guidance document — Cover Cropping in California’s Water Scarce Environments — to help growers harness the many benefits of cool-season cover crops while reducing water use. As farmers adapt to a changing water supply, this guide provides practical considerations about cover crop species, timing, and management to reduce runoff, increase infiltration and water retention, and bolster overall soil health.
For AmeriCorps Week this year, we’re celebrating our GrizzlyCorps fellow Oscar Elias for his contributions to Sustainable Conservation’s Solutions in Our Soil team.
Are you a California farmer, rancher, or forestland owner who improves soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat on your working land? Apply for the 2025 California Leopold Conservation Award®
I was reminded of the power of a handshake 58 times that day – I kept that in mind for the remainder of the conference. I shook the hands of others, listening to who may work in similar fields and who we can work together with to serve our communities.
Celebrate circularity for Healthy Soils Week 2024 with Sustainable Conservation!
We’re thrilled to welcome back Modibo Keita (he/him), who was previously with the Sustainable Conservation team as a GrizzlyCorps Fellow for 2 years before joining staff as the Central Coast Project Associate this fall.
John Chacon / California Department of Water Resources Sustainable Conservation recognizes that healthy soil is foundational to the state’s water system, agricultural production, and human health. Agriculture is the backbone of our state’s rural communities, food supply, and economy. However, California’s farming future and our collective health hinge on how we steward our precious water…
This May, an authorship group of 30+ members and 15+ organizations across private, public, nonprofit, and academic sectors published a report entitled “Cover Cropping in the SGMA Era.” Coordinated by Sustainable Conservation’s Solutions in our Soil team, the report was the culmination of a convening series and months of meticulous research, interviews, and writing —…