The Pollinator Habitat Program, an initiative of the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation, has awarded grants to 10 organizations.

All told, $12.25 million in grants were dispersed in amounts up to $2 million. The Almond Alliance of California received a full $2 million to make educational materials focused on incorporating pollinator habitats more accessible to almond farmers, emphasizing high participation rates from disadvantaged growers. The project will be conducted in California’s Central Valley with an emphasis on the San Joaquin Valley area.

The American Olive Oil Producers Association also received a maximum $2 million grant to implement practices to support pollinators on olive oil farms by providing on-farm technical assistance, integrated pest management training and project outcome monitoring. The Chico Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems will partner with the association to complete the project on up to 10 olive farms in the Northern Sacramento Valley and the Central Valley.

The Cachuma Resource Conservation District, Pollinator Partnership, Planet Bee Foundation, The Xerces Society, Inc. and Mewuk Heritage Society, among others, received grants through the program.

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“Pollinators are not only vital to our ecosystems, they are essential to over a third of our crops, helping to produce a wide variety of California-grown fruits, nuts and vegetables,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “The Pollinator Habitat Program demonstrates how working lands can help safeguard California’s diverse ecosystems.” 

The Pollinator Habitat Program was developed by the Budget Act of 2021 to establish pollinator habitats on agricultural lands throughout California. The program provides funding for Resource Conservation Districts, nonprofit organizations, colleges and federally recognized tribes to partner with farmers and ranchers to install habitats and implement management practices to support pollinators.

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