Environmental Farm Plan process altered

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

by SUSAN MANN

After almost 20 years being part of the Ontario landscape, the Environmental Farm Plan program has matured and farmers will notice some changes as they go through the process from now on.

Harold Rudy, executive director of the organization administering the program, the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA), says “from our perspective it’s full steam ahead but (the process is) somewhat different.” The most significant change is how projects will be funded.

Mark Wales, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, has concerns about the changes. During the past five years, the environmental farm plan program had specific funding for a list of eligible best management practices projects.

Now there isn’t funding earmarked just for the environmental farm plan program, he says. Instead non-business risk management government funding under Growing Forward 2 (cost shared between the province and the federal government) is now focused on several different areas: environment and climate change, animal and plant health, market development, labour productivity enhancements, assurance systems (food safety, traceability and animal welfare), business and leadership development, and innovation.

Susan Murray, Ontario agriculture ministry spokesperson, says by email money under Growing Forward 2 that’s available for non-business risk management programs has been doubled compared to the previous Growing Forward program. Those funds will support projects in the focus areas listed in the previous paragraph. She didn’t say how much of this money is just for environmental farm plan projects and how that funding allotment compares to previous funding.

Rudy says some observers may perceive that the environmental farm plan program has been axed but that’s not the case. Instead the program has matured “to the point where we can start to change the process.”

The environmental farm plan is “by far” the best program to define best environmental practices, he says.

How will the changes impact farmers? Rudy says farmers will be forced to do better preparation to get funding and the approved projects will be better focused on meeting the needs of both farmers and the focus areas identified by the federal and provincial governments. (see above).

Murray says by email “we anticipate that many of the projects previously funded under EFP (Environmental Farm Plan) will continue to be funded.”

Wales says if that’s the case then “I’m good with it.”

Lorne Small, president of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, agrees. “If you had a good project in the past and you still have a good project, you’ll still get the funding.”

But Small says to get any funding under Growing Forward 2, not just environmental farm plan money, farmers will have to write a good proposal.

As part of the voluntary environmental farm plan process since 1993, when it was first implemented, farmers attend a workshop and then complete an assessment of up to 23 different areas on their farms, highlighting environmental strengths, identifying areas of concern and then outlining action plans with timetables to improve environmental conditions. Peer review committees assessed plans.

Funding for environmental projects was shared between the federal and provincial governments and the farmer. Rudy says during the past eight or nine years government funding of $100 million has led to farmers investing another $200 million.

Wales says “the commodities and farm organizations created this program 20 years ago as a way to be proactive on environmental stewardship.” Other provinces adopted the leading-edge program Ontario created, he says.

Rudy says most Ontario producers, about three-quarters, have gone through the program at least once since it was first implemented. “We’re trying to make it more convenient, more flexible and give farmers as many options as possible to keep their own EFP up-to-date.”

Rudy says the latest edition, version four, of the workbook was released this year with about 20 per cent new content. The peer review process has also been changed to make it more streamlined.

Instead of peer review committees, OSCIA workshop leaders will review farmers completed plans and suggest changes, he says.

Murray says environmental farm plan program workshops continue to be free of charge for Ontario farmers. Funding under Growing Forward 2 is available for farmers wanting to implement specific elements of the environmental plans, including nutrient management assessments, water and/or energy audits.

This fall, funding will be available for environmentally focused project proposals, including those from an approved environmental farm plan, she says.

Rudy says as part of Growing Forward 2, the government has already publicly announced the capacity building portion for farmers. Capacity building refers to work farmers may want to do on education, skills development, training, assessments and planning. “It’s not for the physical implementation” just for preparing, he says. The capacity building money is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Money for project implementation will be available in late summer or in the fall.

For example, if someone wanted to build an erosion control structure they might need permits and an engineered design. “We would expect people to come this fall with that work all done and show evidence they’re prepared to implement it,” he says.

Compared to how environmental farm plans were funded previously, Rudy says the change is the implementation money will be available based on the merit of the project. The provincial agriculture ministry and OSCIA are now working out the criteria for the merit-based system.

Wales says “we haven’t yet seen the merit-based process.” But in making a change in how farmers access funding, governments must ensure the process is clear, transparent “and farmers can accept it as a fair process.”

He notes that he and other farm leaders are attending a meeting Thursday where Ontario agriculture ministry staff will clarify details about how projects under Growing Forward 2 are being funded.

Rudy says OSCIA is working to have the environmental farm plan workbook that farmers complete available online but it will be a while before that’s possible. But farmers can sign up for workshops online. OSCIA has five workshop leaders across Ontario to run the workshops and it’s in the process of hiring up to another 12 workshop leaders who will lead other programs in addition to environmental farm plan.

Small says he completed the environmental farm plan process twice. The first time was when the program was first launched because he wanted to learn about the process.  He didn’t apply for funding at that time but did apply to fund a composter the second time he took it. “It was a good course and I really enjoyed it,” Small says of the first course.

The second time he took it was in 2006 and “everyone at the meeting was focusing on how to qualify for money and I found that a bit perverse,” he says. “You’re here to reduce your footprint on this earth and not just get government money.”

To register for environmental farm plan or other OSCIA workshops, go to: www.ontariosoilcrop.org.  BF