Being concise, staying positive and working with the review committee can lead to faster approval of Environmental Farm Plans
The peer review process is recognized by many producers who have developed Environmental Farm Plans (EFPs) as the most important stage in the EFP process. It is in that final stage before approval that producers often receive the most candid and helpful input into their farm plans.
Ultimately, though, most producers want their EFPs to be approved quickly in order to receive Canada-Alberta Farm Stewardship Program (CAFSP) money and technical support as soon as possible. And that means making sure the EFP is as clear and concise as possible before being presented to the review committee.
Barb Clark, a regional review committee member for the Northwest EFP region, says being concise is key to a timely and smooth peer review process. "Producers need to make sure their EFP describes the actions they want to take as thoroughly and accurately as possible. That makes it easier for us to decide whether it's on the right track or needs to be returned for a few adjustments."
Workshop facilitators are available to help producers refine their EFPs before they're presented for review. "Because facilitators are the ones who actually present a producer's EFP to the review committee, the facilitator also needs to be clear on what the producer wants to do," says Mike Slomp, executive director for the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan Company (AEFP). "It really just comes down to following the whole process and going to available resources for help when needed."
The EFP process begins by attending the first of two locally held workshops. With the assistance of a trained facilitator and technical assistant, participants learn how to use the EFP workbook and then, on their own time, develop a plan to address areas of environmental risk.
"Workshops give producers a chance to look at their operations from a fresh point of view and sit down with a bunch of guys who are doing the same thing," says Clark. "Farmers and ranchers don't 'go home' from work like most people. They wake up in the morning and they're already at the office. Workshops allow producers to step back and look at their operations more objectively."
The participant's EFP is then presented verbally and confidentially to the review committee by the facilitator, who returns the comments and suggestions of the committee in writing to the participant. "At no point in the process are we able to link the information in the EFP to an individual farm or ranch," says Clark.
Once the EFP is approved by the committee, the producer receives a completion certificate and an EFP farm gate sign to indicate participation in the program.
"Part of the value of the local review committees is that we are producers ourselves," says Clark. "Because we have developed EFPs of our own, we are in a position to offer input that addresses the unique needs of individual operations. We also understand the specific challenges producers may face in their areas and provide coaching based on that knowledge."
"Peer review is essentially a coaching process," says Slomp. "Coaching has become a popular training approach in the business arena generally. Like sports, coaching is used even when skills are strong — even the great players have coaches to improve their efforts. The EFP review process is based on the same values — direct, honest feedback in a confidential environment."
Although there are circumstances in which the review committee may turn down a proposed EFP, Clark says they are very rare. "This mainly occurs when participants are simply not interested in making the changes identified in their EFPs. The vast majority of EFP participants want to make changes that can improve their operation's environmental profile, having already proven that by developing an EFP. That's why we always try to find ways to enable them to make the specified environmental changes."
If the review process is a learning process for the producer, it is also one for those who sit on review committees. "Creating a plan is not always about having the answers; sometimes it's about asking the questions that often accompany increased awareness," says Clark. "The same can be said for reviewing an EFP."
This is rarely more evident than when an EFP is presented on behalf of a type of farm operation committee members are not familiar with. "We don't deal with just one type of producer; we're dealing with everything from an acreage owner with a few horses to people seeding 6,000 or 7,000 acres," says Clark.
"Fortunately, we have a good mix of operations represented on our committee. And in those cases where we run into something we don't have a clue about, we take a dip into our 'know box' of written resources or defer to technical people who understand that particular kind of operation."
More information on the EFP program is available on the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan Company Web site at www.AlbertaEFP.com or by calling toll-free 1-866-844-2337. For more information on CAFSP, call the program office toll-free at 1-800-667-8567.
This article is reprintable with credit to AEFP as follows "Reprinted courtesy of the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan Company; www.albertaEFP.com".
