Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives

September 2009

Programs and Services

Environmental Farm Plan Program

PURPOSE
Environmental sustainability is a provincial priority and this program is designed to help producers meet environmentally sustainable targets. These targets include:

• improved stewardship of land, water, air and biodiversity resources used in agriculture
• increased Canadian and international confidence that the Canadian agriculture and agri-food sector is producing food that is safe and environmentally sustainable

The goals of the initiative are to:

• establish principles of environmental action
• achieve measurable progress in meeting environmental goals for the landscape
• reinforce public confidence that Manitoban/Canadian agriculture resources are being managed in a sustainable fashion
• brand Manitoba and Canada as producers of safe, high quality food using environmentally sustainable systems
• support producers and land owners in taking actions to reduce the risk to the environment from agricultural operations

WHO QUALIFIES
Individuals, partnerships and operations incorporated under federal and/or provincial laws. Applicants must own, rent, lease, manage or control agricultural land used to produce agricultural products.

The Environmental Farm Plan Program is funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) through the environment suite of Growing Forward and is administered by Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI), through the Agri-Environment Knowledge Centre (AEKC). The program will be delivered provincially by the Growing Opportunities (GO) teams with assistance from the AEKC.

To participate in the Environmental Farm Plan (EFP), a producer can voluntarily register for an EFP workshop with their local Growing Opportunities (GO) office. The EFP process consists of two half-day workshops, typically held two weeks apart, where the producer completes a self assessment (the EFP workbook) of his or her farming operation. Upon completion of the EFP workbook, the producer can choose to have his or her workbook reviewed by a third party reviewer. Once the review is completed, the producer will receive a Statement of Completion granting the applicant access to the Environmental Farm Action Program and Manitoba Sustainable Agriculture Practices Program programs.

Program Terms and Conditions

Premises ID Application Guidelines

CONTACT
Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives Growing Opportunities Office; or call Manitoba Government Inquiry at 1-866-626-4862 for the GO Office nearest you.