Carbon Farming Network
Over the last five years, CCI’s capacity building efforts have focused on building a Carbon Farming Network in California, in partnership with local Resource Conservation Districts. The CF Network has come a long way in a short period of time. To date, CCI has trained over 100 RCD carbon farm planners and helped establish nascent carbon farming programs at 32 RCDs across California. RCDs, working with farmers and ranchers in their districts, have completed 137 carbon farm plans, encompassing approximately 71,440 acres of agricultural lands, with a total estimated potential, if fully implemented, to sequester more than 1.7 million metric tons of carbon by year 20. The majority of participating farms and ranches (74%) have implemented at least one climate-beneficial practice in accordance with their carbon farm plan. An additional 99 carbon farm plans are in development over approximately 35,680 acres. Network members are currently working with producers in 39 counties, encompassing a diversity of climatic regions, ecosystems, soil types, and agricultural production systems, paving the way for broad adoption of carbon farming and soil health practices.
Regional Carbon Farming Hubs
To continue building the CF Network, 40 California RCDs are self organizing into seven Regional Carbon Farming Hubs encompassing over 12.5 million acres of agricultural lands. Regional Hubs will capitalize on the strong institutional relationships that exist between RCDs, their historic collaborative relationship with the USDA NRCS, and the trust they hold with local agricultural communities. Establishing the Hubs, a three-year capacity building effort, will train and support additional carbon farm planners, hire seven regional hub coordinators, conduct regional needs assessments, develop five-year implementation plans, greatly expand climate beneficial agriculture outreach and education efforts, and establish regional Hub governance and technical advisory bodies. For more information, see the RCD Regional Carbon Farming Hubs Prospectus.
