Current Projects

Lake Sonoma West, Bureau of Reclamation, WaterSmart, Cooperative Watershed Management Program | 2025-2027

Building on previous work in the Lake Sonoma area, Ag Innovations won a US Bureau of Reclamation grant to support the development of a community-driven Lake Sonoma West Watershed Plan. Ag Innovations brings together local residents and Tribal representatives, land managers, nonprofits, community organizations, and agency partners through a Watershed Group and a Technical Advisory Group, coordinating and facilitating both groups to guide development of the Watershed Plan. The plan will address key watershed priorities, including wildfire resilience, forest health, and water quality and supply. In addition, Ag Innovations is conducting outreach in the Gualala area to engage stakeholders and align efforts with the existing Gualala River Watershed Management Plan.

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Advancing Soil Health in Arid-Land Agricultural Systems, Convening | 2025-2026

Ag Innovations designed, facilitated, and documented a two-day convening to help the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research and the University of Arizona shape a research program for arid and semi-arid agriculture. Through an engaging, structured process, Ag Innovations brought together leaders from agriculture, academia, business, and philanthropy to align on priority research needs, define success criteria, and identify next steps. The convening fostered meaningful cross-sector collaboration and produced actionable insights, translating complex discussions into clear guidance that now informs a broader research roadmap for building resilient agricultural systems in desert environments.

California Farm Demonstration Network Evaluation | 2025

Ag Innovations conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the California Farm Demonstration Network (CFDN) to assess how effectively the network advances climate-smart farming practices in California. This included 21 in-depth interviews with farmers and technical assistance providers, synthesis and analysis of interview results, and tailored recommendations based on experience building and supporting networks. The evaluation focused on understanding network functionality using the Collective Impact framework and produced a detailed report and summary presentation for CFDN partners, offering actionable guidance to strengthen and sustain the network’s impact.

Convening, Russian River Confluence | 2025

Ag Innovations designed and led a full-day convening for the Russian River Confluence, a collaborative partnership of over 30 agencies, Tribes and nonprofits focused on advancing shared goals for watershed health and resilience. Through skilled facilitation, Ag Innovations supported relationship-building, collective learning, and strategic coordination across the network. This convening informed key elements of the Confluence’s first strategic plan and network charter, helped members align on the Confluence’s priorities, and provided guidance on the future of the Russian River Monitoring Program.

Lake County Firesafe Council Preparedness, Engagement, Action, Resiliency (PEAR) Forum and Strategic Planning | 2024-2025

Ag Innovations brought together more than 40 community members, agency staff, CBOs, and other key leaders for two full-day workshops to deepen wildfire-resilience efforts across Lake County. The workshops outlined wildfire resilience work for the year ahead by refining and reinforcing organizational roles and communication on fire resilience, and identifying opportunities for collective action. The workshops led to the creation of a community-driven vision and shared indicators of success for fire preparedness and forest health in Lake County. Ag Innovations also provided strategic planning support to the Lake County Fire Safe Council as the Council assumed a formal role in coordinating collaborative wildfire resiliency efforts.

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Bungalow Resilience and Fuels Reduction Planning Project | Sierra National Forest, Fresno County | 2024 – 2025

Ag Innovations coordinated and facilitated the Dinkey Collaborative Group, a coalition of more than 90 members representing community-based organizations, universities, forest products companies, local Tribes, and environmental and recreation groups as part of the Bungalow Resilience and Fuels Reduction Planning Project. Through this collaborative process, Ag Innovations helped the group reach consensus on a recommendation to the USDA Sierra National Forest on a proposed forest management action for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis. The project is focused on restoring forest habitat and implementing vegetation management practices to reduce wildfire risk, strengthen forest ecosystem health, and protect neighboring communities in the Sierra National Forest.

Underrepresented Communities, California Tribes, and Small Farmers Groundwater Technical Assistance Program | 2024-2025

Ag Innovations partnered with Audubon California and The Nature Conservancy to provide customized stakeholder engagement and technical assistance to the Vina and Yolo Groundwater Sustainability Agencies and environmental stakeholders. Ag Innovations designed and facilitated an informational webinar and two in-person workshops. The workshops included site visits, practice applying technical tools, and in-depth dialogue between GSA staff and environmental stakeholders, including local Tribal partners and NGOs. These initial engagement events laid the groundwork for ongoing, focused, collaboration among key parties.

California Biodiversity Network Workshop Facilitation | 2024

Ag Innovations partnered with the California Biodiversity Network to convene a day-long workshop to establish criteria for integrating working lands and other effective conservation measures into California’s 30×30 framework. Ag Innovations supported the effort by identifying key stakeholders and organizing and facilitating the event. During the workshop, participants discussed the importance of conserving working lands in relation to 30×30 objectives, identified key regions, and reviewed existing frameworks to recognize their contributions. The convening helped advance shared understanding and informed the development of criteria to better integrate working lands into statewide conservation planning.

California Indian Museum and Cultural Center (CIMCC) Strategic Plan | 2024

Ag Innovations supported the development of a 5-year strategic plan for the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center (CIMCC), an organization that promotes education on California Indian history through an Indigenous lens and provides training in museum direction, curation, design, and interpretation to Native Americans. By designing and facilitating a series of interviews, committee meetings, and a Board and staff retreat, Ag Innovations created space for CIMCC to develop a clear, targeted strategy informed by the collective intelligence of its community.

Tule Subbasin Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program | 2023-current

Ag Innovations is supporting the Tule Subbasin Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP), an initiative funded by the CA Department of Conservation, by facilitating a complex partnership of local and regional organizations, including Groundwater Sustainability Agencies, environmental groups, Land Trusts, and community-based organizations. The program is designed to engage farmers, landowners, and disadvantaged communities to collaboratively shape and implement projects to repurpose agricultural land in the San Joaquin Valley. Ag Innovations’ work has focused on coordinating outreach and engagement efforts across the network and on the ground, designing and facilitating in-person community advisory meetings, and building capacity within partner organizations to support the ultimate goal of achieving groundwater sustainability while maintaining the viability of the region’s agricultural land.

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Sonoma County Food Distribution System Assessment | 2023-2025

Ag Innovations conducted a comprehensive Food Distribution System Assessment across Sonoma County to identify gaps in services and unmet community needs through interviews with over 40 local food service providers and food system experts, multiple focus groups with community members experiencing food insecurity, and a thorough review of existing data and literature. Based on the evaluation’s findings and guidance from two advisory groups comprised of community and County leaders, Ag Innovations developed an in-depth report outlining recommendations for the County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors to improve the distribution of resources for food and nutrition programs serving Sonoma County residents. The Board adopted the assessment in February 2025. Read the full report.

Carbon Cycle Institute/California Resource Conservation District Hub Cohort and Policy Workgroup Facilitation | 2023-2024

Ag Innovations convened, coordinated, and facilitated a Policy Workgroup as part of a 3-year initiative focused on building the regional capacity of resource conservation districts (RCDs) to scale their climate-resilient agricultural programs and engage in regional and state policy and program development. As part of this work, Ag Innovations supported the group in developing and taking action on California ag and climate policies in partnership with the Carbon Cycle Institute, the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, The Climate Center, RCD leadership, and the Regional Carbon Farming Hubs.

Carbon Cycle Institute/California Resource Conservation District Hub Cohort and Policy Workgroup Facilitation | 2023-2024

Natural and Working Lands Retreat Facilitation | 2023

Ag Innovations designed and facilitated a two-day retreat with the Natural and Working Lands (NWL) Coalition, a group of NGOs focused on developing a strategic approach to highlight and expand the contributions of natural and working lands in order to increase carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This effort led to Ag Innovations to support the ongoing facilitation of the NWL Coalition.

Putah Creek Water Management Stakeholder Engagement | 2022-current

Ag Innovations is collaborating with the Lower Putah Creek Coordinating Committee and the Solano County Water Agency to address water management challenges affecting Putah Creek–a major stream in Northern California–as part of the Putah Creek Water Management (PCWM) initiative. Ag Innovations supported the development of a stakeholder engagement strategy and led outreach efforts, including interviews, focus groups, four public events, a technical summit, and partnerships with 16 community organizations to share project information. These activities generated valuable insights to inform key water management decisions, helping address local environmental and agricultural issues. Through this engagement, Ag Innovations ensured active stakeholder participation, which helped align PCWM’s strategy with the community’s needs and inform the PCWM Implementation Plan.

Environmental Justice Outreach for Delta Conveyance Project | 2020-current

Ag Innovations leads environmental justice outreach and a community benefits program for the proposed Delta Conveyance Project (DCP) throughout the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta area. Over the past five years, Ag Innovations has engaged more than 25,000 Delta residents through grassroots efforts, including participation in over 50 community events and presentations to more than 15 community-based organizations. This outreach supports community understanding of DCP updates and opportunities to participate in public comment processes. Key project deliverables include coordinating and analyzing a trilingual environmental justice survey to assess community needs, priorities, and demographics, with findings published in a full report and executive summary available online here. Ag Innovations also facilitates community benefits program meetings with Delta residents to develop community benefit agreements that address potential adverse impacts of the proposed DCP’s construction.

Tulare Basin Watershed Network | 2019-current

The Tulare Basin in the San Joaquin Valley struggles with social equity imbalances, critical groundwater overdraft, and reduced watershed health. Since 2019, Ag Innovations has offered facilitative backbone support for the Tulare Basin Watershed Network (TBWN), a coalition of leaders and practitioners from the agriculture and food industry, water management, ecological and conservation groups, and socio-economic interests who are seeking to protect and enhance the watersheds and resources throughout the entire Tulare Basin. Ag Innovations supports the Network in helping all parties collaborate more effectively to amplify multi-benefit, landscape-scale solutions that generate and purify new water supplies, significantly reduce demand, and address upper watershed risks. The work of this Network has led to the development and implementation of an integrated watershed management plan, a multi-benefit land repurposing program in the Tule Subbasin, and a watershed indicators project. The initiatives share an overarching goal of achieving ecosystem and watershed resilience, as well as socio-economic sustainability by 2040.

FireSmart Napa | 2019-2023

Ag Innovations developed The FireSmart Playbook: Developing Community Resilience at the Wildlands-Urban Interface to help communities in Napa strengthen wildfire preparedness and reduce risk. Grounded in interviews with wildfire experts, research on proven best practices, and close collaboration with local stakeholders, the project provided communities with practical strategies to reduce wildfire risk.

The Playbook highlights collaborative leadership, sustainable land management, and community-driven action as essential elements of resilience at the wildland–urban interface. By equipping residents and organizations with tools, resources, and a shared framework for action, it supports long-term partnerships and proactive approaches to wildfire preparedness – empowering communities to build safer, more fire-adapted landscapes. This project was funded by the PG&E program Better Together Resilient Communities.

Firesmart Lake Sonoma | 2018-current

Ag Innovations partnered with Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) to develop a community mobilization strategy to prepare for, respond to, and recover from wildfires. This partnership combined Ag Innovation’s two decades of experience facilitating complex collaborations with Sonoma Water’s scientific expertise and relationships with local government leaders and fire agencies. Together, they fostered collaboration among neighbors and agencies to advance fire resilience, watershed health, and emergency preparedness across Sonoma, Mendocino and Napa counties. This effort led to a $500,000 Cal Fire Grant to support local fire projects and agencies, a second grant to Ag Innovations to work in Napa, and a 2025 grant award from the Bureau of Reclamation to develop a watershed group and watershed plan. This pilot project was made possible through the support of the PG&E Foundation’s Resilient Communities Better Together Program.

Groundwater Leadership Forum | 2018 – current

Ag Innovations facilitates the Groundwater Leadership Forum (GLF), a collaborative of Water Foundation grantees advancing the just and sustainable use of groundwater in California, with a focus on elevating underrepresented groundwater users. The GLF bridges environmental justice and conservation by identifying opportunities for coordinated action, including a systems-level evaluation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and strategies to strengthen its implementation.

Over the past three years, the GLF submitted 159 comment letters on every high- and medium-priority Groundwater Sustainability Plan statewide. This work helped secure a $2 million grant from the Department of Water Resources to support drinking water and environmental considerations in groundwater management, and contributed to advocacy that resulted in nearly $500 million in the 2022 state budget for priorities such as groundwater recharge, drought response, land repurposing, technical assistance for small farmers, and fish and habitat protection. Through this work, the coalition has played a meaningful role in shaping SGMA implementation statewide. This initiative builds on an earlier project facilitated by Ag Innovations that developed a systems map of groundwater management actors, which continues to serve as a resource for identifying strategic leverage points to advance sustainable groundwater governance.

California Water Action Collaborative | 2015 – current

Water scarcity in California is worsening due to unsustainable water use and declining supply reliability. Worsening droughts, intensifying wildfires, and degradation of freshwater ecosystems, all amplified by climate change, are further threatening water supplies for people and nature. To address these growing challenges, an unlikely coalition of NGOs and corporations came together in 2014 to form the California Water Action Collaborative (CWAC). Ag Innovations facilitates this network of over 30 organizations, including food and beverage companies, high-tech firms, and agricultural and packaged-goods producers, helping them learn together, collectively develop projects, and advance innovative solutions to improve water security and resilience across California. Through the implementation of 28 collaborative water stewardship projects, CWAC has saved 11,000 acre-feet of water through conservation and efficiency, restored 2,538 acres of forest and meadows in source watersheds, recharged 18,000 acre-feet of water into groundwater aquifers, and sequestered 3 million metric tons of carbon between 2020 and 2025.

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Solano Subbasin SGMA Implementation | 2015-current

Ag Innovations led a collaborative planning and public engagement process to understand groundwater user needs and develop a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for the Solano Subbasin. This work included a stakeholder assessment, facilitation of a Community Advisory Committee and public town halls, and creation of targeted outreach materials for farmers and local businesses, Tribal partners, Spanish-speaking neighborhoods, and the broader community. Engagement of disadvantaged communities was central to the process and included research, interviews, surveys, and focus groups, along with accessible meeting formats offering childcare, food, and translation, outreach through community events, and bilingual materials, webinars, and a Spanish-language website. Building on these efforts, Ag Innovations now leads implementation of the planning process by coordinating stakeholder engagement, facilitating ongoing public input, and supporting collaboration across agencies and basin boundaries.