KAWARTHA LAKES- Some good news for area farmers. The Kawartha Farmland Stewardship Fund is offering grants to eligible farmers for projects that help protect the health of local waterbodies and agriculture.
“This is a great opportunity for farmers in the eligible area to receive substantial funding for projects that help project the health of local waterbodies and ensure agricultural best management practices are in place to sustain communities, maintain healthy lakes, and protect our local economy,” said Stewardship Outreach Technician Kelly Gibson.
Grants are available to assist farmers in the Staples River and Talbot, Balsam, Raven, Mitchell and Canal Lakes area of Kawartha Lakes to implement practices that minimize nutrient and sediment input to local waterbodies. Eligible projects include restricting livestock from access to water, managing contamination from agricultural sources, shoreline erosion control and shoreline naturalization, tile drain control boxes, planting native trees and shrubs, farm well upgrades and decommissioning, fuel and chemical storage and handling, agricultural land erosion control structures and more.
“There is a specific boundary area for the funding currently available through the Kawartha Lakes Farmland Stewardship Fund,” explained Holly Shipclark, Stewardship Coordinator. “We have a number of programs to support projects across our watershed and I would encourage anyone with a potential project to contact us at Kawartha Conservation to see what funding programs may be available to assist them.”
The Kawartha Lakes Farmland Stewardship Fund provides grants of $1,000 to $15,000 depending on the project, covering up to 75 per cent of the total project cost.
The funds are provided by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. If you have a project you think may be eligible contact Kelly Gibson at 705-328-2271 Ext. 242 or email kgibson@kawarthaconservation.
For a map of the eligible area and for additional information or an application form, visit us Online at our website www.KawarthaConservation.com/
</pphoto credit: joeldinda Stripey via photopin (license)
