The Biden administration's effort to help farmers make money from cutting their greenhouse gas emissions is drawing interest from fruit and vegetable growers. 

So far, the International Fresh Produce Association is meeting its enrollment targets as a lead sponsor for one of USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities projects, with 60 fully enrolled participants and 40 more in the process of filling out paperwork, the group says. 

IFPA won nearly $15 million in federal funds to partner with Driscoll’s, Campbell Soup and others to help 100 growers implement climate-smart practices. IFPA also will work with several companies to develop a data collection system that producers can use.

“We're entering a world where data is the king or the queen, and there are so many uses for it,” IFPA Chief Science Officer Max Teplitski said.

Tablas Creek Vineyard, a participating grower in IFPA’s project, was the first winery to receive regenerative organic certification through the Regenerative Organic Alliance. Tablas Creek Regenerative Specialist Erin Mason sees the grant as an opportunity to improve the vineyard’s tillage management and cover cropping systems.

“We are really looking at what the next phase of that is going to be, and how to continue to evolve these programs,” Mason said.

Mason was introduced to the climate-smart commodities grant through Kyle Cosgrove, Measure to Improve (MTI) director of agronomy, who is leading grower recruitment for IFPA.

“They're being super innovative, and using this opportunity to push the boundaries of what they're thinking and what they want to do,” Cosgrove said.

Kyle+Cosgrove+-+Measure+to+Improve.jpgKyle Cosgrove, Measure to Improve

Some of the growers MTI recruited are interested in trying new fertilizers and plant stimulants, investing in monitoring technology and trying new varieties and soil amendments, Cosgrove said.


Founder and CEO Nikki Cossio started MTI 10 years ago to help specialty crop shippers, processors and other s respond to consumer and retailer requests for sustainability information. Over time, she saw the onus of sustainability trickle down to growers. When Teplitski reached out in 2022 to see if MTI had heard of the then-new USDA grant, Cossio saw the perfect opportunity to expand MTI’s network to growers.

“Our goal is really to help growers and growers understand, first of all, what does sustainability even mean,” Cossio said. “We always show them this Venn diagram about people, planet and profit. We give them examples about what it means. ... We've seen it coming for a very long time.”

Steven Cardoza, who farms certified organic raisin grapes in Easton, California, hopes this initiative will alleviate some of the strains other grants have put on his operation.

“I know a lot of people that go and take out loans in order just to bridge the gap, to pay off the work that was done, waiting on getting reimbursement,” he said. “So if you guys are administering funds quickly, then just that alone will be a huge advantage in comparison to other grant programs.”


Steven Cardoza.jpegSteven Cardoza
Cardoza and Mason said they hope to see data from the projects compiled and made available to the public. Cardoza said this could allow future growers to avoid testing strategies that may not work on their operations if they see them reflected in one of the grant-funded trials.

“Those are the things that, like, break my heart," he said. Driving through the Central Valley every day and seeing people that are actively working against themselves, when there's information that, if they were to have access to and understand the validity behind it, [they] may make different choices.”

Elevated Foods is another lead partner on a PCSC project for specialty crops, with a focus on small and underserved producers. In California alone, Sunterra Produce and Elevated Foods founder Steve Brazeel believe this partnership will fund tens of thousands of acres dedicated to climate-smart practices.

He started Elevated Foods in 2020 to address an increasing need for growers to meet expectations on emissions and climate.

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“We also saw this incredible technology being unleashed in agriculture, and really the confusion that growers have selecting their technology partners,” Brazeel said. “[There’s] a confusing landscape for a lot of growers to navigate as they're trying to grow their companies in a way to keep them in business and allow for the next generation to continue to farm.”

Elevated Foods was approved for $20 million in federal funding and about $7.5 million in non-federal matching funds, 25% of which will be dedicated to small and underserved producers. The initial cohort of more than 25 growers that have signed up with Elevated Foods have operations that range from a couple of acres to several thousand acres.

Brazeel’s goal is for producers to be primed to identify and enter new market channels after producing climate-smart commodities. As enrollment continues, Elevated Foods is hosting workshops on regenerative farming practices and soil health that include hands-on activities.

“I've been really amazed by how progressive the growers are that we're talking to, how they're way out in front of the curve,” Brazeel said.

In order to enroll, producers must collaborate with Elevated Foods and its partners for three years, employ the outlined regenerative agriculture practices and report what practices they implement and subsequent greenhouse gas emissions and GHG reductions.

Croptrak, a farm management software company, will customize one of its platforms to allow producers to manually input reports or connect with automated monitoring technology. Croptrak also will manage producer contracts and the payment process for producers to get incentives.

The project narrative outlines a goal of mitigating 784,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide over three years.

Solutions for Urban Agriculture is partnering with Elevated to address climate solutions in urban farm settings. A.G. Kawamura, former secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture and founder of Solutions, has led climate-smart efforts for more than three decades.

AG KawamuraA.G. Kawamura
Having spent the majority of his farming career in southern California’s dry conditions, Kawamura actively engages in climate-smart practices such as using reclaimed water and applying compost as a soil amendment.
“We've been forced to have to be in compliance with a lot of different rules and regs, or be forced to look for new solutions that address some of our situation farming in a very dry Mediterranean climate – that is, great weather, but no water,” Kawamura said.

While Solutions, which agreed to work with Elevated, has yet to receive funding, Kawamura said he wants to use the additional dollars to purchase more drip tape for their drip irrigation systems and pre-coolers for fields or for food banks they currently supply with produce. He is also interested in investing more in high-value crops such as mini sweet bell peppers.

Brazeel said any products coming out of the project will carry a special label, which he sees as a ”sub brand” that won’t detract from their partnering companies’ brand recognition. The first round of crops under this partnership – watermelons – was already shipped out with the Elevated label in Florida.

As they continue to recruit producers, Brazeel hopes that the project can get people excited about how farmers are innovating when it comes to climate-smart practices.

“This really gives [growers] a chance again to showcase the good that they're doing for their farm and their people and help make a business case that not only is it the best thing for people and [the] planet, but it also is the best thing for the financial operation as well,” Brazeel said.