FARMER Program

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 is dependent on the State Legislature’s annual budget and may vary from year to year.

The Shared Allocation Pool (SAP) is specifically designated for the 17 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 is managed by Placer County Air Pollution Control District (Placer APCD) in accordance with the grant provisions outlined in the agreement between the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Placer APCD.

Any of the following 17 air districts may participate in the FARMER Shared Allocation Pool with Placer APCD:

  • Amador County APCD
  • Antelope Valley AQMD
  • Calaveras County APCD
  • Eastern Kern County APCD
  • El Dorado County AQMD
  • Great Basin Unified APCD
  • Lake County AQMD
  • Lassen County APCD
  • Mariposa County APCD
  • Mendocino County AQMD
  • Modoc County APCD
  • North Coast Unified AQMD
  • Northern Sierra AQMD
  • Placer County APCD
  • Shasta County AQMD
  • Siskiyou County APCD
  • Tuolumne County APCD

Applicant Process 

Applications will be accepted for the Shared Allocation Pool from August 1, 2022 – August 31, 2022.

  • 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

Air District Look-Up: https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/california.air.resources.board/viz/shared/N896MXN2X

Air District Contacts: https://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/moyer/air_district_contacts.htm

CARB FARMER Website: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/farmer-program

CARB FARMER Guidelines: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/documents/farmer-program-guidelines

CARB Carl Moyer Website: https://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/moyer/moyer.htm

CARB Carl Moyer Guidelines: https://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/moyer/guidelines/current.htm