Farmers placed clumps of soil into metal mesh baskets, submerged the baskets into jars of water, then watched to see if their soil held together. The slake test, conducted at the Soil Health Field Day in Woodland, measured soil health. Healthier soil, which contains more organic matter and bioactivity and can better support plant growth, stays intact.

The UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program is currently accepting proposals for our 2025-2026 Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Small Grants Program. The program funds research, education and outreach, and planning projects that support the development of sustainable farming and food systems.

Ruth Dahlquist-Willard, interim director for the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, joined more than 100 participants from across the country at the first-ever White House Summit on Extreme Heat.

To promote specialty crops and strengthen the industry through agritourism, California Department of Food and Agriculture has awarded nearly $450,000 from its Specialty Crop Block Grant Program for the California Open Farm Passport project. Rachael Callahan, statewide agritourism coordinator for the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, is leading the project, working with regional partners throughout the state to promote farmers through Open Farm events. 

The application period has closed.

The UC Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program (SAREP) is pleased to announce the recipients of the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems 2024-25 Small Grants Program. Funds from this grant program are provided for planning, research, and education projects that support the development of sustainable community food systems and environmentally-sound and economically viable farming enterprises. 

Vivian Wauters joined UC SAREP as a project scientist on Jan. 1.

In this role, Wauters is working with Sonja Brodt on a project to support co-learning and institutional capacity-building within a multi-organizational network to help accelerate adoption of climate-adaptive and climate-mitigating practices among California farmers.

Facilitated by the California Food Hub Network at UC Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program (SAREP) and the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) Foundation

TOPP Transitioning Producer Mentee Qualifications: