OTTAWA — Producers looking to switch to a no-till operation, put together a marketing plan, plant cover crops or put in a quarantine area for sick animals may be able to get some government cash in the new year to help them do it.
The Canadian Agricultural Partnership, launched in 2018, is the program that does it. Like its predecessor, Growing Forward 2, it’s a five-year, $3-billion cash-injection frameworks designed to ease investment in the ag industry in various ways, including strategic investments and cost-sharing initiatives. It’s also the fund that the various Business Risk Management programs live under.
The province announced intake for 2020 would open Jan. 8 and close Jan. 29.
Those cost-sharing programs include a number of resources directly for farmers, including farm-improvement projects. More details are available online at www.ontarioprogramguides.net.
Here’s a line-by-line explanation of the different project categories, with the 2018 cost-share breakdown as well. Not all programs will necessarily be eligible for farmers to apply for or have the exact same cost-share breakdown. Check the link above after Jan. 8 to confirm.
Economic Development
Financial analysis: Hiring someone to do an analysis of your farm’s finances.
Business Plans: Help cover the cost of hiring someone to put together a business plan for the farm.
Marketing Plans: Don’t have one? Get one at a discount.
Market Products in Canada: Want to sell more domestically? Have a business plan? The government will help you put it into action.
Market Products Internationally: Want to export more? Have a business plan? The government will help you put it into action.
Develop new products or processes: If you want to start a value-added operation or directly market an ag product.
Labour productivity plans: Third-party labour analysis on where your farm can become more efficient.
Technology/equipment to improve productivity: Has to be new, meaning less than 20 per cent of Ontario producers can be using it.
Environmental stewardship
Nutrient management/soil health planning: Putting together your first nutrient management plan? The government will help you hire the CCA.
Cover Crops: One of the more popular programs for producers who haven’t had cover crops more than three times in the last five years.
Riparian buffer strips: If you farm near a waterway and are putting in buffer strips or trees.
Windbreaks/windstrips: If your soil’s at risk from wind erosion, either install windbreaks or upgrade ones you already have.
Fragile land retirement: If you’re cropping severely compacted or eroded land, the government will help if you give it back to nature and help shore it up.
Water wells: Sealing old wells or protecting existing wells from contamination: Installing seals, replacing caps, extending casing.
Erosion Control Structures: Stabilizing shorelines, controlling grades, and other methods of reducing erosion on cropland.
Nutrient recovery from washwater/wastewater: For greenhouses, dairy and poultry operations.
Tillage/nutrient equipment application equipment modification: Modifying your equipment to work in a no-till situation.
Equipment modifications to reduce soil compaction: Inflation/deflation systems for tires, new tires that can run on lower pressure.
Adding organic amendments to soil: If you have low organic matter or phosphorus, they’ll help cover the cost of bringing that up.
Equip modifications to improve manure application: If you spread manure and you’re looking to invest in better methods, like direct injection.
Manure storage improvement: If you need to upgrade your system to comply with the nutrient act regulations, they’ll help pay for it.
Runoff control for livestock facilities: If your yard needs work to keep clean water out of it and make sure runoff ends up in a treatment or storage area.
Protection and Assurance
Animal Health
Education, training, assessment, planning: Can include biosecurity upgrades or integrated pest management assessments, planning or training.
Defining zones and controlled access points: Trying to add some new biosecurity systems, training, or building something to help with biosecurity.
Establishing cleaning/disinfecting practices: Building facilities/ implementing new practices for biosecurity on the farm.
Establishing isolation/segregation facilities: Quarantine areas for sick animals, or segregation areas for vulnerable animals like newborns.
Prevent access by wildlife, pests, rodents: Put in gravel, install plastic curtains on barns, put in pest control devices or take pest control training.
Health management: Buying equipment to monitor/manage animal health, or get lab testing done for disease.
Establishing facilities to manage deadstock: Put in a composter or incinerator, or even just a freezer.
Equipment to improve animal handling: Chutes, head gates, or better castration/dehorning/euthanasia equipment.
Construction/technology for animal housing: New bedding, feeding/watering system, enrichment, group housing are some examples.
Traceability equipment: Buying equipment to improve traceability on a livestock farm, ie. tracking product from farm to fork.
Traceability system improvements: If you know what you’re improving, the government will help. Training, water treatment, pest control, etc., as long as it’s under a food safety or traceability lens.
Food safety/traceability pre-audit, assessment, training: Livestock, except dairy, aren’t eligible. Cost-share to hire a third party to find ways to improve traceability or food safety on the farm.
Food safety/traceability training and education: Doing a course on it? The government will help pay.
Food safety equipment: Buying equipment to reduce/eliminate food safety hazards.
Traceability equipment: Buying, installing or upgrading traceability equipment, or training on how to use it.
Food safety/traceability system improvements: If you know what you’re improving, the government will help. Training, water treatment, pest control, etc., as long as it’s under a food safety or traceability lens.
Plant health
Education, training, assessment, planning: Can include biosecurity upgrades or integrated pest management assessments, planning or training.
Isolation, sanitation and controlling work flow: For managing high-risk areas in your field/facility. Can include installing signage and fencing, insect-proof barriers, or putting in sanitizing equipment to mitigate risk.
Preventing access by wildlife, pests and rodents: Screening on a production facility like a greenhouse, or putting in pest monitors or doing pest control training.
Plant pest monitoring and management tools, treatment equipment: Buying equipment and technology to monitor pests or install dust deflectors.
Elimination of potentially contaminated plant and soil: Eliminating soil materials like fungus spores or pests that threaten plant biosecurity.
Installation of continuous rinse systems: A relatively new system that flushes pesticide sprayers quickly, without having to leave the field.
Traceability equipment: Buying equipment to improve traceability on a non-livestock farm, ie. tracking product from farm to fork.
