Funding Agricultural Replacement Measures for Emission Reductions (FARMER) Program
California’s agricultural industry consists of approximately 77,500 farms and ranches, providing over 400 different commodities, making agriculture one of the State’s most diverse industries. Producers, custom operators, first processors, and rental companies own and operate approximately 160,000 pieces of off-road, diesel-fueled, mobile agricultural equipment statewide, in addition to stationary equipment, and on-road vehicles used in agricultural operations. Even with increasingly stringent emission standards on engine manufacturers, emissions from these vehicles and equipment are a significant source of air pollution. Reducing these emissions is necessary to meet federal ozone and particulate matter air quality standards.
In recognition of the strong need and this industry’s dedication to reducing their emissions, the State Legislature allocated $135 million to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) from Fiscal Year (FY) 2017-18 through Assembly Bill (AB) 134 (Committee on Budget, Chapter 254, Statutes of 2017) and AB 109 (Ting, Chapter 249, Statutes of 2017). The Legislature directed the use of the monies to “reduce agricultural sector emissions by providing grants, rebates, and other financial incentives for agricultural harvesting equipment, heavy-duty trucks, agricultural pump engines, tractors, and other equipment used in agricultural operations.” CARB staff has developed the Funding Agricultural Reduction Measures for Emission Reductions (FARMER) Program to meet the Legislature’s objectives and help meet the State’s criteria, toxic and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals.
Funding for the FARMER Program has continued with an additional $132 million allocated to CARB from the State Legislature’s FY 2018-19 budget.
The Shared Allocation Pool (SAP) is specifically designated for the 18 Air Quality Management and Air Pollution Control Districts (districts) with less than one percent of the statewide agricultural equipment emissions inventory, to ensure farmers in those districts have the opportunity to access FARMER funding and to streamline the implementation of the FARMER Program. The SAP will be managed by Placer County Air Pollution Control District (Placer APCD) in accordance with the grant provisions outlined in the agreement between the CARB and Placer APCD. It should be noted that while Placer APCD will act as the overseer of this program, CARB may terminate this grant upon thirty days’ written notice to Placer APCD, as stated in the Grant Agreement. CARB also reserves the right to audit Placer APCD at any time throughout the duration of this grant.
The FY 2018-19 pooled funding consists of $4.6 million for equipment and project related costs.
Any of the following 18 Districts may participate in the FARMER Shared Allocation Pool with Placer APCD:
| Amador County APCD | Modoc County APCD |
| Antelope Valley AQMD | Mojave Desert AQMD |
| Calaveras County APCD | North Coast Unified AQMD |
| El Dorado County AQMD | Northern Sierra AQMD |
| Great Basin Unified APCD | Northern Sonoma County APCD |
| Lake County AQMD | Placer County APCD |
| Lassen County APCD | Shasta County AQMD |
| Mariposa County APCD | Siskiyou County APCD |
| Mendocino County AQMD | Tuolumne County APCD |
Applicant Process
Applications accepted for the Shared Allocation Pool on the following schedule:
| Funding Round | Application Period |
| Round 1 | Feb 1, 2020 – March 1, 2020 |
| Round 2 | May 1, 2020 – July 1, 2020 |
| Round 3 (if necessary) | Aug 1, 2020 – Sept 1, 2020 |
- Applicants must complete and submit the appropriate FARMER application to their local Air Pollution Control or Air Quality Management District to be considered for funding:
- The local district will review the applications for completeness and forward eligible applications to Placer County APCD for review.
- Placer County APCD will provide the local district with a list of projects recommended for funding, along with maximum funding award amounts.
- The local district will contact applicants regarding award status
Resources
FARMER Shared Allocation Pool Policies and Procedures Manual: Click Here
Air District Look-Up: https://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/moyer/source_categories/map.htm
Air District Contacts: https://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/moyer/air_district_contacts.htm
FARMER Website: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/farmer-program
FARMER Guidelines: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/documents/farmer-program-guidelines
Carl Moyer Website: https://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/moyer/moyer.htm
Carl Moyer Guidelines: https://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/moyer/guidelines/current.htm