Eat Crops Don't Breathe Crops!

Welcome to Eat Crops Don't Breathe Crops!

This website aims to inform the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) Community of the dangers of agricultural open burning, bring together resources for small farms, increase community engagement surrounding this issue, and increase representation for small farms. Agricultural burning is a persistent issue in the Valley because it is currently the most affordable option for agricultural waste disposal. The SJV Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) has plans to phase out agricultural open burning by 2025 by providing financial incentives for alternatives to burning. Unfortunately, the funds are being disproportionately allocated to big farms and are difficult for small farms to access. This website brings together resources for small farms to easily access these incentives. We hope that an increased level of resource application to small farms and of community engagement will instill long-lasting, transformative change in the SJV by expediting and enforcing the phaseout of agricultural burning and increasing the representation of small farms.

What is Agricultural Burning?

• Agricultural burning is the most common way to dispose of agricultural waste (dead crops, unsellable parts of crops, etc.) in the San Joaquin Valley.

Why is Agricultural Burning bad?

• It releases lots of smoke into the air that contains toxic pollutants that are very bad are for human health and contribute to climate change.

Why is agricultural burning happening?

• It is currently the most affordable option for agricultural waste disposal.

What are the alternatives?

• There are lots of new technologies for clean agricultural waste disposal! Click here to learn about them.

Why are small farms having a harder time phasing out agricultural burning?

• Less government funding has been allocated to small farms and the process to apply and receive this funding is very complicated and time-consuming. Small farms already have fewer resources than big farms and many do not have the time to engage in the over-complicated process. This website streamlines the application and allows small farms to take advantage of government incentives.

• Big farms have a lot more financial wealth and the government has always given them more advantages, increasing the financial and resource disparity between big and small farms. If small farms are unable to access the alternative waste disposal incentives by 2025, they may face fiscal penalties, increasing the disparity. This website is one step in reducing that inequality.