The East Central Marginal Lands Initiative | East Central Farm Stewardship Collaborative

What is the goal of RALP-MLI?

The Resilient Agriculture Landscape Program Marginal Lands Initiative is a cost share program that focuses on creating or enhancing natural features on marginal agricultural lands to cut greenhouse gas emissions, boost carbon sequestration, improve soil health, reduce nutrient losses and enhance ecological goods and services, like pollinator habitat and biodiversity and other benefits to wildlife.

What are “marginal agricultural lands”?

“Marginal Agricultural Land” means agricultural land in capability classes 4-7 in the Canada Land Inventory (CLI) rating system and agricultural land in close proximity to surface water or other existing natural features such as wetlands or grasslands.

Who is delivering this program?

The East Central Farm Stewardship Collaborative has received funding from Conservation Ontario to deliver funding under their Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP) Marginal Lands Initiative (MLI) throughout east central Ontario. In our region, we are calling the Program the East Central Marginal Lands Initiative.

The East Central Farm Stewardship Collaborative is a network of partner organizations including Conservation Authorities and agricultural organizations, government organizations and environmental NGOs supporting sustainability on farms in the east central region of Ontario.

Farmers can work with any member of the Collaborative that serves their specific location.

In addition to the funding listed below, member organizations of the Collaborative may be able to make additional financial contributions to a project.

Eligible Projects

Strip planting of perennial cover to create grassed waterways or to manage salinity within a field (include terraces and farmable berms)	Up to 80% up to $5,000 per project
Convert marginal and high-risk annual cropland to permanent grassland (or perennial biomass crops; includes establishment of native or tame forages)	Up to 80% up to $5,000 per project
Creation or widening of buffers (trees or shrubs) in agricultural fields adjacent to surface water sources, as well as other actions to protect existing riparian areas such as reshaping of edges and fields	Up to 80% up to $10,000 per project
Establishment of pollinator strips or other perennial cover for pollinator habitat or other biodiversity purposes in fields or field margins of existing cropland (area planted with high value plants that pollinators like)	Up to 80% up to $5,000 per project
Establishment of shelterbelts for farmyards, livestock facilities, and fields as well as intercropping with trees on annual cropland	Up to 80% up to $10,000 per project
Planting of trees or shrubs on marginal or high-risk cropland Up to 80% up to $10,000 per project	Up to 80% up to $10,000 per project

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

own or rent marginal agricultural land
have completed or in-process Environmental Farm Plan 5th edition
have a Farm Business Registration Number

Please contact us if you have questions about any of these requirements

Next Steps

Complete the ECFSC intake form here

You will be contacted by the appropriate member of the ECFSC and receive further information.