Agricultural Resilience Incentive (ARI) Grant Program
What is the Agricultural Resilience Incentive Grant Program?
The Agricultural Resilience Incentive (ARI) Grant Program was established by The County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors in 2019 with the purpose of providing voluntary financial incentives to farmers and ranchers who are stewarding agricultural lands in the County for enhanced natural resource management and climate change resilience and mitigation.
The ARI grant program serves as a catalyst for regional efforts to increase the beneficial ecosystem services provided by agriculture and specifically to advance climate change goals by improving soil health and sequestering atmospheric carbon. In doing so, the program aims also to increase the resilience of the agricultural community.
Overview of the ARI Grant Program
The County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors can grant up to $30,000 to an individual grower or rancher that owns or leases land in order to implement 27 pre-approved practices such as compost, cover crops, hedgerow planting, and more. The ARI grant program provides funding upfront and is not a reimbursement program.
The voluntary financial incentives made available through the ARI grant program enable farmers and ranchers to adopt or experiment with improved agricultural resource management practices and, in exchange, the County and its residents benefit from costeffective resource management that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve agricultural resilience, and deter sprawl development. Over time these soil health practices will accrue value to the agricultural operation as well, improving water and nutrient management, among other benefits.
Apply for up to $30,000 in grant funds for 27 practices that improve soil health and sequester carbon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply for ARI funds? All managers and owners of agricultural operations are eligible to apply.
Which management practices are eligible for funding? There are 27 different practices that are eligible for funding. Some of the practices that are eligible for funding include: cover cropping, reduced-till, compost application and conservation plantings. Some are annual practices such as cover cropping or compost application, and some are perennial such as establishing woody plantings such as hedgerows. The complete list of practices and USDA guidelines for implementing these practices can be found in the List of 27 Pre-approved Practices.
How much funding is available? This year in addition to the $200,000 and additional $500,000 of federal funds is also available for a total funding of $700,000. Each application is capped at $30,000.
What information or documents do I need to apply?
Applicants must submit an application that demonstrates the fulfillment of these two conditions:
1. The project takes place on agricultural lands within Santa Clara County; and
2. The project consists of at least one approved management practice listed in List of 27 Pre-approved Practices. The applicant must follow USDA guideline information for each practices as listed in the List of 27 Pre-approved Practices.
Information regarding the cropping history and crop management practices.
If the farm land leased, the applicant must have written approval of the property owner. The property owner will be required to sign the grant funding agreement if grant funds are awarded, unless that power is otherwise delegated by the property owner to the applicant in writing and notarized.
You need the Assessor’s Parcel Number or APN of the parcel(s) where the project will be implemented. APNs can be looked up at www.sccpropertyinfo.org or by using an interactive map at: https://tinyurl.com/sccpropertyinfo. If project is located on multiple APNs with different owners, please complete property owner information on additional sheets provided and attach to the Application.
Completed Project Scope section.
Can I apply to implement multiple practices?
Many of the 27 pre-approved practices can also be implemented concurrently. Multiple practices per application are encouraged and each practice requires its own total cost estimate.
Can I submit applications for multiple parcels?
Multiple parcels may be included in one application. Only one application per parcel or multiple parcels per year is allowed.
What is the grant selection process?
Grants will be awarded primarily on the basis of which proposals offer the most cost-competitive means of sequestering atmospheric carbon by improving soil health or increasing woody biomass by planting perennials. In other words, the applicant who proposes a project with the highest rate of carbon sequestration for the lowest grant project bid will be most likely to receive funding. Learn more about the selection process on pages 4-5 of the ARI Procedure Guide.
What if an applicant is not sure about how much to bid?
If you are not sure how much to bid for each practice, you can use the USDA Comet Planner as a guide to estimating the projected costs for implementing a selected practice in Santa Clara County.