Sustainable Agriculture depends on the conservation and careful management of natural resources (Brevik, et al., 2020). Water and soil conservation and quality are both critical concerns for small Latine farmers on the California Central Coast. Across the region soils are being eroded at a growing rate due to floods, excessive irrigation and windstorms (ELJME, 2018). Decreases in soil fertility and the leaching of nutrients and minerals from soils are currently being addressed through large-scale application of synthetic fertilizers manufactured from fossil fuels (Bijay-Singh & Craswell, 2021). This leads to nitrification and contamination of groundwater and wells (Sing, et al., 2022; Gurevich, et al., 2021)). As soils die, so do the biotic communities that support soil fertility and plant growth. These problems are particularly acute in California, with its Mediterranean climate and increasingly intense rainstorms and drought cycles linked to climate change. In addition, as the figure below illustrates, Latine populations are especially exposed to groundwater contamination due to over-application of synthetic fertilizers.

Solution: Regular applications of organic compost can address these issues (Brown & Cotton, 2011). Compost increases soil organic content, fertility and biodiversity. It increases water retention in the soil and decreases evaporation. It replaces synthetic fertilizer and reduces nitrate leaching and groundwater contamination. Regular compost applications, coupled with regenerative agricultural practices, can help to sequester carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from soil (Lazcano et al., 2022: 26-28).

This project seeks to build on our understanding of interactions between compost and healthy soils in two ways: directly, via ongoing monitoring of soil health and nutrient flows on multiple small farms in the California Central Coast climate zone, and indirectly through the development, field testing, and refinement of relatively simple and affordable monitoring and reporting protocols that support widespread active monitoring of soil health by small farmers, while continuing to expand our understanding of the interactions between carbon sequestration, nutrient flows and retention, and soil resilience. This project will implement and test methods of fostering sustainable and regenerative agriculture by managing water use and monitoring water quality, creating a community of practice (Teodoro, et al, 2023; Triste, et al., 2018) while improving soil health and nutrient retention at selected Latine-owned and operated small farms on the California Central Coast.

In addition, this project will

• Develop bilingual educational and practice materials for non-English speaking and underserved growers.
• Conduct technical training for Latine farms, including the use of soil sampling, quick tests and sensing tools to improve nutrient management.
• Increase awareness and adoption of research-backed nutrient management practices through public demonstrations and educational events.
• Create extension materials related to nitrogen management, especially for organic, regenerative and climate smart agriculture.

Read the complete proposal with references here and the final report here.