$200,000 for 19 farm projects in Haldimand and Norfolk

Monte Sonnenberg
Sep 16, 2020  •  September 16, 2020  •  1 minute read
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has announced funding in the amount of $200,000 for 19 farm-based enhancements in Haldimand and Norfolk counties. File photo

Nineteen projects in Haldimand and Norfolk will share in $200,000 from the latest round of funding under the federal-provincial Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

However, because the projects are related to private farm operations, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will not identity the recipients. Instead, the ministry only will describe the nature of the projects approved.

These include “adding organic amendments to soil, business plans, cover crops, equipment modifications to reduce soil compaction, erosion control structures, marketing plans, food safety equipment, establishing cleaning and disinfection practices, tillage, and nutrient-application equipment modifications.”

Ontario Agriculture Minister Ernie Hardeman was in Simcoe two weeks ago to announce similar funding for upgrades to two local businesses – R. Fiedler Meat Products and VG Meats, both of Simcoe.

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Ministry spokesperson Michael Lofquist explained Friday that the residential component of the farm grants imposes constraints on publicity.

“The privacy aspect is a long-standing approach,” Lofquist said in an email. “Unlike the businesses you mention, which are businesses at business locations, these are farms, which are both businesses and homes. For privacy, in this case we provide aggregate amount and project categories.”

The total value of CAP funding in the latest round of announcements is $7.9 million. The total number of projects approved is 670.

“Agriculture is a global industry, and farmers in Haldimand-Norfolk must compete against the world,” local MPP Toby Barrett, legislative assistant to Hardeman, said in a news release.

“Providing these funds is important to keep our farmers on a competitive footing at a time when a lot of traditional marketing is out of play.”

Other farm-based initiatives include improving food traceability systems in case of recall, upgrades to animal-handling equipment, and stronger biosecurity measures.

Examples of farm-based projects approved include improvements to food safety systems that meet or exceed international standards, the planting of over-wintering crops to improve soil health and reduce erosion, strategies to reduce pest damage in greenhouse operations, and new product development.