Producers applying for CAFSP often underestimate the value of supplying their own labour and equipment
The Canada-Alberta Farm Stewardship Program (CAFSP) has proven itself a valuable resource for Alberta producers wishing to make environmental improvements on their farms and ranches. But like any cost-share program, the producer is often left with an important question: "How do I come up with my share of the money?"
"The CAFSP program shares 30 or 50 percent of the cost of approved projects with producers, but that means the producer still has to come up with the other 70 or 50 percent for projects that can sometimes be quite costly," says Bob Cameron of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (AAFC – PFRA), which delivers CAFSP.
But since CAFSP accepts labour and equipment use as part of the producer's investment in the cost-share arrangement, farmers may have more money in their pockets for applying to CAFSP than they think, says Cameron.
"Obviously, the biggest potential for this is on Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) for which producers supply a lot of personal labour and use of their own equipment, so it's important to know CAFSP policies in order to get the most value from the program."
The first step for producers wishing to receive CAFSP funding is to develop an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP). An EFP is a free, confidential and completely voluntary self-assessment of the environmental strengths and weaknesses of a farm or ranch.
The EFP process begins with two half-day workshops followed by a peer review of a producer's farm plan for additional input and advice. Once an EFP is deemed appropriate by the review committee, the producer is eligible for up to $50,000 for a wide range of on-farm environmental improvements through CAFSP.
CAFSP accepts labour contributions at $20/hr for the producer's own work on an approved project. That's an increase of $8 from when the program was introduced - a change made to more fairly compensate producers for their work on CAFSP-supported projects.
"The value of labour on a project that takes an entire summer to do, such as moving a corral, can be substantial," says Cameron. "Depending on the project, it can add up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars — producers will want to recoup some of that outlay if possible."
Equipment use counts towards a producer's contribution for a wide variety of projects, including those involving fencing, farmyard runoff control, livestock confinement facilities and more.
"This is based on two principles," says Cameron. "One, it's compensation for the wear-and-tear on producers' equipment. Secondly, it's based on the fact that if producers did not already have access to the equipment necessary to complete the project, they would have to go out and buy it or rent it."
Contribution values for equipment are set according to the custom rates established in the Alberta Farm Operations Cost Guide. "For example, the hourly cost of using a four wheel drive, 275 horsepower tractor can amount to as much as $143," says Cameron.
More information on the CAFSP program is available by calling the program office toll-free at 1-800-667-8567. Information on the EFP program is available at the AEFP Web site, located at www.AlbertaEFP.com. Additional information on custom rates can be found in the Alberta Farm Operations Cost Guide, available on the Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Web site at www.ropintheweb.com.
This article is reprintable with credit to AEFP as follows "Reprinted courtesy of the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan Company; www.albertaEFP.com".
