Farm stewardship funding and technical assistance helped northwest Alberta producer Don Plantinga tackle his drainage headaches
Don Plantinga had a problem. A portion of the feedlot on his mixed farm near Neerlandia, Alberta, had become a virtual liability. Not only was the nearly impassable access to the area a drain on equipment, but the lack of a drainage ditch was causing fresh run-on to enter his corrals.
As moving his cattle elsewhere was not an economically feasible option, Plantinga decided the better solution was to build a drainage ditch in a loop around the feedlot and build a brand new gravel road to ensure better access. But like many producers, lack of funds limited his ability to take action on the problem.
However, with the help of financial and technical support from the Canada-Alberta Farm Stewardship Program (CAFSP), Plantinga was recently able to complete his run-on control project. The CAFSP cost-share program offers up to $50,000 to producers for a variety of on-farm environmental improvements to producers who have developed an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP).
Plantinga's project stands as an example of how CAFSP can help producers complete projects that hold both short and long term value for their operations. "The feedlot is a lot dryer now," he says. "The fresh water goes where it needs to go and the manure water goes where it needs to go. It's made life a whole lot easier."
The process of developing a CAFSP-approved project is a basic one, but one which requires a knowledge of the fundamentals. The first step is to develop an EFP.
The EFP process begins by attending two free, half-day, community-based workshops and continues by working with AEFP facilitators and technical assistants to develop a farm plan tailored to the individual farm or ranch. The EFP is then presented for peer review by a committee that offers suggestions on how to best implement the changes outlined in the plan.
Upon receiving a completion certificate, the producer is eligible for CAFSP funding. Key to the CAFSP application process is making sure the application is backed up by the necessary documents. In the case of many large scale projects, including Plantinga's run-on control project, that involves recording the crucial data, contracting an engineer, and possibly looking to CAFSP for technical assistance.
"The first thing I did was contact a CAFSP coordinator. I told him what I hoped to do, took some pictures of the site, got an engineer out here to determine the slope, put all the information together and made my application. There wasn't a lot of backtracking or red tape involved; it was a really smooth process."
Bob Cameron, program manager with the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (AAFC-PFRA), which delivers CAFSP, says complete information is key to that smooth process. "Making sure the details of the proposed project are as clear and complete as possible increases the possibility of receiving funding as quickly as possible."
Alberta producers applied for $8.4 million in CAFSP funding over the 2005-06 year, the first year in which the funding was made available to farmers and ranchers who have completed EFPs.
The projects eligible under CAFSP are divided into 26 categories, with each category including a number of Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs). These BMPs are outlined in the EFP workbook producers receive when they attend the first EFP workshop. One example of a BMP is the diversion of run-on water away from pens, as in Plantinga's project.
"A major step towards understanding the potential of CAFSP is becoming familiar with these BMPs, determining which ones hold the most value for your operation, and translating them into projects eligible for CAFSP funding," says Cameron.
Each category has a maximum amount of dollars available associated with it. "That means producers can receive funding for a number of projects within that $50,000 limit," says Cameron. "However, it's important to note that each project requires its own application."
For further information on CAFSP, call the program office toll-free at 1-800-667-8567. 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.
This article is reprintable with credit to AEFP as follows "Reprinted courtesy of the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan Company; www.albertaEFP.com".
