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Accessing the On-Farm Climate Action Fund

The federal government has created the OFCAF program to help farmers tackle climate change. This is a great opportunity for new farmers to access funding for infrastructure, consultation and management practices. The objective of the Fund is to support farmers in adopting beneficial management practices (BMPs) that store carbon and reduce greenhouse gases, specifically in the areas of:

  1. Nitrogen management, examples include costs associated with:
    • consulting, agronomic services and creating fertility plans
    • soil testing and mapping
    • applying manure and composts (potential for equipment costs)
    • planting legumes
  2. Cover cropping, examples include costs associated with:
    • consulting, agronomic services and creating cover cropping plans
    • seed
    • planting
  3. Rotational grazing, examples include costs associated with:
    • consulting and creating grazing management plans
    • infrastructure (fencing, watering systems, renewable energizer sources)
    • improving pasture

The Fund is being administered by different delivery agents across Canada. You must submit an application that undergoes a review and approval process. The project details below may be subject to change so we highly recommend reaching out to the organization with your ideas before you apply. Each organization has staff that can help you through your application and answer any questions you have.

Below you can find information on which organization is administering these  funds in your regional area and more information about eligibility.

British Columbia –

B.C. Climate Agri-Solutions Fund 

Deadlines: June and September 2023

Eligibility & Further Details:

  • Applicants must be appropriately registered, licensed and/or certified to conduct business in British Columbia.
  • Applicants must have the ability to cover 30% of their project costs (cost share ratio is 70/30)
  • Up to $30,000 for Nitrogen Management projects, $30,000 for cover cropping and $20,000 for rotational grazing. (Max. $75,000 per farm)
  • Each project must be reviewed and approved by a registered professional Agrologist or undergo a technical review.

To apply visit – https://bccaf.ca/

Canadian Forage and Grassland Association

Deadline: Ongoing

Eligibility & Further Details:

  • Applicants must be can be either individual producers, incorporated farms or partnerships
  • Applicant must produce a primary agricultural product with a gross income of greater than $10,000
  • Applications must have an accompanying rotational grazing plan.

To apply visit – https://www.canadianfga.ca/en/projects-projets/farm-climate-action-fund/

Alberta –

RDAR

Deadline:November 30, 2023

Eligibility & Further Details:

  • Applicants must be an active producer, including proprietorship, corporation, or registered partnership, that can demonstrate a minimum of $25,000 of gross farm income in Alberta.
  • Applicants must have the ability to cover 15% of their project costs (cost share ratio is 85/15) with a maximum grant payment of $75,000

To apply visit – https://rdar.ca/ofcaf/

Canadian Forage and Grassland Association

Deadline: Rolling

Eligibility & Further Details:

  • Applicants must be can be either individual producers, incorporated farms or partnerships
  • Applicant must produce a primary agricultural product with a gross income of greater than $10,000
  • Applications must have an accompanying rotational grazing plan.

To apply visit – https://www.canadianfga.ca/en/projects-projets/farm-climate-action-fund/

Saskatchewan –

Canadian Forage and Grassland Association

Deadline: Rolling

Eligibility & Further Details:

  • Applicants must be can be either individual producers, incorporated farms or partnerships
  • Applicant must produce a primary agricultural product with a gross income of greater than $10,000
  • Applications must have an accompanying rotational grazing plan.

To apply visit – https://www.canadianfga.ca/en/projects-projets/farm-climate-action-fund/

Manitoba –

Prairie Watersheds Climate Program

Deadline: Ongoing

Eligibility & Further Details:

  • Applicants must be an individual, a corporation, partnership or co-operative that carries out business in Manitoba
  • Producers must contribute at least 15% of the total project cost as an in-kind contribution to the project (cost share ratio is 85/15)
  • Up to $30,000 for Nitrogen Management projects, $75,000 for cover cropping and $35/acre,  $50,000 for rotational grazing (Max. $75,000 per farm).
  • Some specific activities have more restrictions – see application forms for details
  • Landlords and tenants both cannot apply for funding on the same piece of land.

Find more details in this factsheet. 

To apply, contact your local regional watershed district. Each watershed district may have different eligibility criteria.

Assiniboine West Watershed District – https://www.myawwd.ca/programs/forms/
Central Assiniboine Watershed District – https://centralassiniboinewd.ca/prairie-watershed-pwcp
East Interlake Watershed District – https://www.eastinterlake.ca/grow-pwcp-enhancement–protection-program.html
Inter-Mountain Watershed District – https://www.imwd.ca/application-forms.html
Northeast Red Watershed District – https://www.northeastred.ca/
Pembina Valley Watershed District – https://www.pvwd.ca/programs
Redboine Watershed District – https://redboine.com/programs/
Seine Rat Roseau Watershed District – https://srrwd.ca/programs/pwcp/
Souris River Watershed District – http://srwd.ca/our-programs/
Swan Lake Watershed District – http://www.swanlakewatershed.ca/programs.html
West Interlake Watershed District – https://wiwd.ca/
Westlake Watershed District – https://westlakewd.com/programs
Whitemud Watershed District – https://whitemudwatershed.ca/programs/

Ontario –

Ontario On-Farm Climate Action Fund

Deadline: Closed. Check back to find out when it opens.

Eligibility & Further Details:

  • Applicants but have a farm business registration number, a cultural exemption letter for First Nations Farmers OR 25 acres of land assessed as a farm or under. Applicants must have a valid Premise ID.
  • Applicants must participate in a Knowledge Sharing Event before they can be considered for an application
  • Applicants must have the ability to cover 35% of their project costs (cost share ratio 65/35 ) up to a maximum cost-share payment of $20,000 per project

To apply visit – https://programguides.ontariosoilcrop.org/program/?cat=on-farm-climate-action-fund

Quebec  –

L’union des producteurs agricoles

For information – https://www.upa.qc.ca/en/producteur

Canadian Forage and Grassland Association

Deadline: Rolling

Eligibility & Further Details:

  • Applicants must be can be either individual producers, incorporated farms or partnerships
  • Applicant must produce a primary agricultural product with a gross income of greater than $10,000
  • Applications must have an accompanying rotational grazing plan.

To apply visit – https://www.canadianfga.ca/en/projects-projets/farm-climate-action-fund/

Maritimes –

New Brunswick Soil and Crop Improvement Association

Deadline: July 31, 2023 & November 30, 2023

Eligibility & Further Details:

  • All agricultural producers, groups of agricultural producers or cooperatives with a New Brunswick Registered Professional Agricultural Producer number are eligible
  • Applicants must have the ability to cover 30% of their project costs (cost share ratio 70/30 unless otherwise stated)

To apply visit – https://www.nbscia.ca/ofcaf-program-registration/

On-Farm Climate Action Fund for Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador

Deadline:

Eligibility & Further Details:

  • Farmers, co-operatives, and non-profit organizations such as agricultural industry associations are eligible.
  • Applicants must have the ability to cover 75% of their project costs (cost share ratio 75/15).
  • Maximum funding varies depending on Gross Farm Revenues.

To apply visit – https://ofcaf.perennia.ca/

Prince Edward Island Federation of Agriculture

Applications Open: April 1st, 2023

Eligibility & Further Details:

  • Mi’kmaq First Nations and other Indigenous Organizations, Agricultural producers or groups of agricultural producers and Community Pastures are eligible
  • Funding varies per activity

To apply visit – https://peifa.ca/ofcaf/

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