Ā©Clark Conservation District
Sustainable Farms and Fields Biennium Wrap-up
SFF - A Grant Program for Climate-Smart Agriculture
September 12, 2025
Author: Karen Hills
Sustainable Farms and Fields (SFF) is a grant program that makes it easier and more affordable for farmers, ranchers, and shellfish growers to implement climate-smart practices and projects that increase carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These practices often result in co-benefits for the operation, including improved soil health, climate resiliency, improved operational efficiencies, and/or beneficial habitat for pollinators. With ongoing funding from the stateā€™s operating budget as well as one-time proviso funding from the Climate Commitment Act focused on climate-smart livestock management, $5.26 million of funding supported 108 projects completed by 30 conservations districts over the biennium.
Over the biennium, SFF funding directly resulted in 184 land managers implementing climate-smart practices on over 37,000 acres with an estimated collective impact of 19,409 metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) ā€“ equivalent to taking 4,527 passenger vehicles off the road for one year. This funding also resulted in 2,392 land managers responsible for over 469,000 acres receiving technical assistance.
In addition, SCC spent $1,279,292 to fund research and demonstration projects led by Washington State University with the goal of increased adoption of climate-smart livestock management practices and/or improved accounting of the impacts of climate-smart livestock management practices in agricultural settings in Washington. Final reports from these projects are available on the SFF website.
Climate-Smart Implementation Quick Facts:
- Prescribed grazing on over 5,200 acres
- No-till on over 7,600 acres
- Precision agriculture on over 23,000 acres
- Soil carbon amendment on over 680 acres
- Cover crops planted on over 1,600 acres
- Waste separators installed at 9 dairies, reducing methane emissions
- Agroforestry implemented on over 34 acres
There were exciting undertakings to improve the Sustainable Farms and Fields program during the biennium involved collaboration among multiple conservation districts: Snohomish Conservation District took the lead at development of carbon farm plan templates for use in future technical assistance. Training videos and templates are available in the Center for Technical Development training library. Pacific Conservation District led an effort to identify climate-smart best management practices relevant to shellfish producers. View the report from that effort here.
Sustainable Farms and Fields funding was used to incorporate climate-smart practices improving soil health (including compost application, shown here) at WSU Heritage Farm on land used by Clark County Food Bank. Photo: Clark Conservation District
Costshare: Babba and Nahele Bailey show the no-till drill that was purchased by Bio Fiber Industries in collaboration with Sacred Land Collective as a cost share project utilizing funding from Sustainable Farms and Fields program (Photo: Pierce Conservation District)
The Sustainable Farms and Fields program is supported with funding from Washingtonā€™s Climate Commitment Act. The CCA putscap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at www.climate.wa.gov.
Karen Hills
Sustainable Farms and Fields Program Manager, Washington State Conservation Commission
This article was published by the Washington Soil Health Initiative. For more information, visit wasoilhealth.org. To have these posts delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to the WaSHI newsletter. To find a soil science technical service provider, visit the Washington State University Extension website or the Washington State Conservation District website.