When first-time ranchers Claude and Deborah Mindorff of Tilley, Alberta decided to complete an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP), there wasn't much doubt about how they would do it. They feel their farm is a family affair, so in their minds their EFP should be a family affair as well.

"Deborah would learn something at a workshop, share that information with me, and then we would get the kids excited about making environmental improvements," says Claude. "There was education happening on multiple levels."

The Mindorffs' case highlights a common question among producers planning on developing an EFP, says Dan Moe, a workshop facilitator and regional team leader for the EFP program in the Central Region: Who is the best person to do the EFP?

"The fact is that a number of people other than the farm owner, including renters, staff and family members, can participate or be key players in the process. Just as the Mindorffs thought from a family perspective, there are ways to get other people involved. Ultimately, it's your EFP – who does it depends on the operation and its needs."

Owners. The owner of a farm operation is usually the person who does an EFP, says Moe. "If not, they are generally the ones who explore other options and decide who else on the farm would be the best person to oversee and manage the process."

Singles, couples or families. Although environmental stewardship has grown rapidly as a priority for many producers, in the big picture it is still a relatively new area for some farmers and ranchers. For this reason, producers of all sizes are choosing to develop an EFP to gain a better knowledge of the issues involved. Many of these producers, such as the Mindorffs, choose to tackle the EFP process as a family or as a couple.

"Walking through the process as a team can not only give the owner or primary manager a sense of the environmental strengths and risks on the farm, but can also help those on the farm who do not always play a direct role in the day-to-day matters of farm management become involved and learn about the farm operation in the process," says Moe. "It shows that the development of an EFP is not always business driven."

Renters. Perhaps the most common question asked by producers developing an EFP is whether the landowner or the renter should do the plan. "Although the ultimate answer to that question depends on the situation, one general rule of thumb we use is 'sphere of influence,'" says Moe.

"Sphere of influence simply means who is going to be most affected by on-farm environmental action or a lack of action? Who is ultimately responsible if something goes wrong? Those are the kind of questions producers should ask themselves."

Although the renter is the person who makes the day to day management decisions over the practices that happen on the farm, he or she may not be able or willing to make major capital changes to the farm, says Moe. "For that reason the landowner could or should be part of the EFP learning process. By being part of the learning process they will have a better understanding of the value and need for improvements."

Staff. The same rule of thumb can apply to staff as well, says Moe. "While it's likely that, on most operations, management will provide direction on any action driven by an EFP, staff members will often be the ones with a direct connection to the day-to-day implementation of these changes. For this reason, it may be appropriate to have them either attend workshops with managers or be the key drivers of the process on the farm."

Professional resources. The use of off-farm professionals in the development of an EFP is another question that comes up. "There's no clear answer to this question. The EFP program has been designed with a focus on the needs of those most directly involved in the farm," says Moe. "The feeling has been that the greatest benefit from the effort will come if someone directly involved with farm management completes the EFP."

Facilitators can help

The EFP team has dealt with this question often enough that they can help people decide an approach that best fits a situation, says Moe. For information on workshop dates and locations across the province as well as contact information for workshop facilitators in your area, visit the AEFP Web site at www.AlbertaEFP.com.

This article is reprintable with credit to AEFP as follows "Reprinted courtesy of the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan Company; www.albertaEFP.com".