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Program Details

Program Details2023-06-21T20:43:11+00:00

HELPING FARMERS TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE BY ADOPTING

Beneficial Management Practices

The BC Climate Agri-Solutions Fund (BCCAF) provides cost-shared funding to eligible producers and supports the training of certified crop advisors and agrologists as well as information sharing throughout the agricultural community. The objective of BCCAF is to support farmers in adopting beneficial management practices (BMPs) that store carbon and reduce greenhouse gases, specifically in the areas of:

  1. Nitrogen Management
  2. Cover Cropping
  3. Rotational Grazing

These practices also provide other environmental benefits such as improved biodiversity and soil health. Other activities to support the adoption of beneficial management practices, such as outreach, education and training are also supported.

Approved projects will have four months from their project start date to incur the costs of their activities and submit a final report with cost documentation (receipts/invoices). Recipients will then receive partial reimbursement for accepted expenses. Actual implementation of project activities may occur up to one calendar year from their project start date. No extensions will be considered; if projects cannot be completed within the timeframe applicants are encouraged to apply in the next intake window.

Eligible Participants

All farms in BC that can implement a prescribed BMP and have the ability to cover 30% of their project costs are eligible to apply for BCCAF funding. Applicants must be appropriately registered, licensed and/or certified to conduct business in British Columbia. Each BMP must be reviewed and approved by a registered professional Agrologist. If an applicant has not consulted with an Agrologist prior to applying the application will undergo additional technical review.

Applications will be accepted by IAF in January, June and September 2023, subject to available program dollars.

Note: Funding is intended to increase new adoption of BMPs; farmers cannot receive funding for a BMP where it is already in use.

Max. Funding Amounts

Eligible farm businesses can apply for a maximum cost-shared funding in each category over the 2022/23 and 2023/24 program years:

  • Nitrogen Management – $30,000
  • Cover Cropping – $30,000
  • Rotational Grazing – $20,000

The cost share ratio is 70/30 for all BMP categories, meaning that 70% of the eligible costs for approved projects can be covered by BCCAF funding, up to the maximum funding amount for that category. The remaining 30% must be provided by the applicant.

Successful applicants will have up to four months to incur project costs and submit all expenses and up to one year to complete project activities.

The total program funding maximum is $75,000.

Eligible Activities & Expenses

Nitrogen Management

Eligible Costs:
  • Regular fertilizer and inhibitor price difference
  • Plan, assessment, design work and consultancy fees and cost of other agronomic support/technical training
  • Soil testing and soil mapping costs

  • Offsetting higher cost of synthetic fertilizer substitutes (manure, compost, digestates), where applicable and higher prices of fertilizer in the spring if applicable

  • Seed and planting costs to increase legumes in rotation

  • Cost of fertilizer application equipment and equipment upgrades to allow for banding, side dressing and injection. If applicable, costs for using equipment and the associated fuel required for the additional fertilizer application

  • If transitioning to manure, costs associated with spreading, using hoses or equipment for shallow incorporation (to avoid volatilisation)

Cover Cropping

Eligible Costs:

  • Costs related to agronomic services

  • Seed costs with regionally and commodity appropriate seed.

  • Cost of planting

Rotational Grazing

Eligible Costs:

  • Costs related to rotational grazing infrastructure (e.g. cross fencing, wildlife friendly fencing, temporary fencing, and waterers, including remote watering systems when powered by renewable energy)

  • Improved pasture composition (seeding costs for alfalfa, sainfoin, etc.)

  • Grazing management plans, technical assessments or engineered designs

Ineligible Costs, Limitations & Explanations

For all BCCAF funding projects, GST is not eligible for reimbursement.

Nitrogen Management

Ineligible costs, Limitations and Explanations:

  • Costs related to the management of nutrients other than nitrogen are not eligible

  • In the case of transitioning to better manure management, only activities that improve manure incorporation in the soil are eligible. Injection is preferred; however, if equipment for this is not available, other methods of incorporation as soon as possible after application are also eligible

Cover Cropping

Ineligible costs, Limitations and Explanations:
  • Costs for cover crops where growing and leaving cover crops undisturbed over-winter is not new and has been a routine practice used by the farmer
  • Costs related to mechanical or chemical termination of the cover crop
  • Fertilizer and crop protection costs

  • Costs related to rejuvenation of existing forages, pastures or hay land

  • full-season cover crops, with the exception of cover crops that are under-seeded with the main crop at seeding (i.e. inter-cropping)

Rotational Grazing

Ineligible costs, Limitations and Explanations:

  • Perimeter fences if construction is not aligned with grazing plan

  • Removing or replacing old or existing fences

  • Non-renewable power sources such as generators

  • Used fencing materials
  • Texas gates

  • Portable livestock corral panels

  • On-going maintenance

Ready to Apply?

Applications are closed.

IAF had expected to have a June 2023 intake for cost-shared funding applications, however; this intake was not held due to program funding being fully committed through earlier intakes. If funding becomes available, we will announce further intakes, but no further intakes are currently planned.

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A collection of resources summarizing information learned during projects. We hope these resources will assist all BC Farmers and Ranchers mitigate climate change on their operation(s).

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© Copyright 2022 - 2021| Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC | All Rights Reserved

The Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC (IAF) is honoured to reside and operate across traditional and unceded Indigenous territories throughout British Columbia.

Funding for the BC Climate Agri-Solutions Fund has been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Climate Solutions – On-Farm Climate Action Fund.

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