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CDFA details Tribal Food Sovereignty Grant Program and asks tribes to weigh project scale
Summary
CDFA announced a new Tribal Food Sovereignty Grant Program funded at $15 million by the 2024 bond act, saying it will support tribal stewardship, cultivation and distribution — including land acquisition — and asked tribes whether to prioritize a few larger projects or more smaller projects statewide.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture introduced a new Tribal Food Sovereignty Grant Program that CDFA said will be funded with $15,000,000 allocated by the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024 and will support California Native American tribes in defining and rebuilding tribal food systems.
"It will support California Native American tribes in defining their own food systems, encompassing stewardship, cultivation, harvesting, production and distribution," said Lauren McCauley, program manager for the Tribal Food Sovereignty Grant Program at CDFA’s Office of Grants Administration.
McCauley said the program is still under development but that CDFA plans to release a draft request for proposals in fall 2026 with time for public feedback, incorporate comments and release the final RFP in winter 2026 or early 2027, followed by an extended application period. She said the program could include ancestral land return and tribal land acquisition projects.
CDFA staff asked tribal participants for feedback on project scale given the program’s total funding of $15,000,000: whether the state should support a few larger land-acquisition projects (for example, three or four projects) or fund a greater number of smaller projects statewide. A CDFA questioner invited ideas about the kinds of projects tribes would propose and requested input on statewide benefit versus project count.
McCauley said CDFA will use the consultation feedback to shape program goals and asked tribes and tribal organizations to submit ideas during the consultation window, which is open through Sept. 4. The department also announced a second Zoom roundtable on Thursday, Aug. 13 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. for additional input.
The program is in design; CDFA asked for tribal feedback before finalizing program goals and RFP details.
