David Viguie of Viguie Farming is revitalizing soil health on 44 acres of a 28-year-old French prune orchard located in the city of Winters. Prior to receiving a Healthy Soils Program grant, David conventionally farmed his orchard. In his pursuit to restore the property's soil health, David applied to the Healthy Soils Program and received a $38,378 grant from California Climate Investments to achieve his goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing soil carbon by removing a prune orchard through whole-orchard recycling.
“At Viguie Farming, we strive to find sustainable solutions to challenging issues that face our industry, particularly in the space of water and soil quality,” says David about this project. “We believe these practices not only move our sustainability goals in a positive direction but will also serve as a resource for surrounding growers.”
Whole-orchard recycling is the most recent practice that is eligible for funding through the Healthy Soils Program. According to California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Environmental Farming Act Science Advisory Panel, whole orchard recycling is “a practice which consists of the chipping of woody perennial crops at the end of their agronomic life cycle. The wood chips are incorporated into the soil of the fields where the trees stood, which may be fallowed or continue agronomic production under minimum-tilled perennial crops.” Whole orchard recycling is part of the healthy soil practices funded through the program, helping sequester carbon in soil and providing greenhouse gas benefits.
David’s trees were removed and chipped, then the woodchips were spread uniformly back on to the field and incorporated to a depth of at least six inches. A new almond orchard was planted afterwards. The new trees are being maintained using minimum tillage practices and following newly established nutrient management guidelines. David appreciates the environmental co-benefits of whole-orchard recycling.
“There are numerous benefits of whole-orchard recycling including increase in soil carbon, water and nutrient retention, and microbial biomass, improvement of soil structure, and reductions in nitrate leaching.” Since whole-orchard recycling also replaces the traditional method of burning old orchard trees, David's Healthy Soils Program project provides important environmental co-benefits such as reducing emissions of harmful particulate matter.