Adding permanent plantings on the farm is a great project with all kinds of benefits. In east central Ontario, five regional Conservation Authorities have tree and shrub seedling programs! Contact your CA to participate.
But be sure to prioritize areas of the farm that are marginal for agriculture or need protection - because protecting our farmland is important to Ontario's food security!
Click the link for a detailed flyer with contact information.
On March 23, 2022, the ECFSC hosted the Demystifying Soil Health Supports for Farmers webinar, a comprehensive overview of the resources and tools available to farmers to sustainably manage their most important resource - their soil. This project leveraged the knowledge and expertise of the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, the Ontario Soil Network, Regeneration Canada, the Savory Institute, OMAFRA, local Conservation Authorities. You can find the contact information for the presenters on our Resources and Contact Us pages.
Here is a link to a recording of the webinar in case you missed it live: Demystifying Soil Health Supports for Farmers
From the OSCIA - Producers are invited to attend FREE (fourth edition) Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) two-day workshops to assess your farm business, learn more about on-farm environmental best management practices, develop Action Plans and learn more about cost-sharing opportunities. There is a EFP workshop being offered at the Douro Community Centre on August 20th at 10am. Please visit the OSCIA website here for more information or to register.
Prepare now to submit your project for review starting March 22. Ontario and the federal government have announced that between March 22, 2019, and May 6, 2019, farmers and other businesses will be able to once again apply for support under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership for projects to boost innovation, economic development, environmental stewardship and food safety. For a detailed list of Producer categories please click here.
Note: this is in addition to the recent announcement of the East Central Farm Stewardship Fund, which has already begun. Funding may be requested from both sources if projects qualify for both.
If you are a farmer or own farmland, the new East Central Farm Stewardship Fund offers you access to additional funding and technical support for your on-farm clean water projects in 2019 and 2020. This funding program is delivered through the East Central Farm Stewardship Collaborative (ECFSC) which operates in Northumberland, Peterborough and Hastings Counties, the City of Kawartha Lakes and Durham Region.
The ECFSC partners work directly with you to support the agricultural use of your land, while helping you to access funding and technical assistance to complete your project. Currently, on-farm clean water projects are our funding priority and include the following:
fencing livestock out of waterways,
providing alternate watering sources for livestock
planting vegetative buffers alongside watercourses and ponds
installing eavestroughs and diversions around barnyards
planting cover crops
restoration of wetlands
This grant can also be added to other sources of funding. Contact any member of the Collaborative for details. Visit ecfarmstewardship.org for contact information or to complete an online application in minutes.
Have a planting project? Winter is also the right time to contact your local Conservation Authority about tree seedling sales!