Modesto area’s congressman seeks $2.5 billion to help farmers combat climate change
Agriculture would get about $2.5 billion over five years for efforts against climate change under a bill from Rep. Josh Harder, D-Turlock.
The money would help farmers take steps such as capturing carbon in trees and soil, switching to low-emission tractors and turning cattle manure into energy.
The bill would direct $25 million to projects that convert tree nut shells and related waste into fuel through a process known as pyrolysis.
Harder first proposed the bill in August 2020 as House Resolution 7482, but it did not move past committee. He reintroduced it on July 28 and noted support from an almond industry leader and an environmental group.
“Farmers are always treated like the enemy when it comes to climate change – and that’s just not how it works,” Harder said in a news release from his office.
“Folks in the Valley want to be on the cutting edge of climate-friendly farming, and so many of our folks are already on the road to get there.”
Support from almond industry
The bill takes aim at the carbon dioxide and other emissions behind a general warming of the planet. Farmers could help by reducing their use of fossil fuel in tractors and other equipment. They also could manage their land in a way that helps plants and soil absorb carbon.
Dairy farmers could capture methane from manure, another factor in climate change, and generate energy that replaces fossil fuels.
The bill would provide $500 million a year through 2027 for a general effort by agriculture. Another $5 million a year would go to pyrolysis projects using tree nut waste such as shells and pruned branches. The process used heat to create both fuel and a substance that enhances soil.
The Central Valley grows the vast majority of the nation’s tree nuts, mainly almonds, walnuts and pistachios. Pyrolysis projects could help it deal with a phaseout by 2025 of open burning of orchard waste.
The bill has support from Elaine Trevino, president and CEO of the Almond Alliance of California, based in Modesto.
“California’s almond growers are proud to be innovators who are constantly looking to put everything we grow to its highest and best use,” she said in the release.
Nut growers also can aid the climate by grinding up pruned branches and tilling them into the soil.
Environmental group’s endorsement
Harder calls his plan the FARM Act, which stands for Future of Agricultural Resiliency and Modernization.
The release notes support from Madeleine Foote, deputy legislative director for the League of Conservation Voters.
“Rep. Harder’s FARM Act is an important piece to solving the climate crisis by acknowledging the critical role farmers, farmworkers and the agricultural sector must play in tackling climate change,” she said.
This story was originally published August 2, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
