Growing Forward 2 – A Basic Overview for Hog Producers

Looking ahead will your farm operation need succession planning to help transfer ownership to the next generation, to generate a business plan to help navigate the next five years, to improve animal housing to provide more space or freedom of movement or to assess on-farm biosecurity risk? Funding assistance for these types of projects and others is available through Growing Forward 2 (GF 2).

This article highlights the basic requirements needed to apply for GF 2 funding assistance and examples of possible projects in the 6 programme areas that may be of benefit to hog producers.

For complete programme details please visit the GF2 website at: Ontario.ca/growingforward2

Who can apply?

Established or new farm businesses who produce agricultural commodities in Ontario:

• File business and /or farm income /loss taxes in Ontario
• Have a Premise Identification Number
• Have a valid Farm Business Registration Number (FBRN) or equivalent

It is also open to new producers who meet the “new producers” programme criteria list in the application.

All producers must register to apply for any GF2 programme but you need only register once. Growing Forward 2 can provide funding assistance to Ontario hog producers in many different ways to support any of the 6 programme Areas of Focus listed below:

1. Environment and Climate Change
2. Assurance Systems (Traceability, Food Safety, and Animal Welfare)
3. Market Development
4. Animal and Plant Health
5. Labour Productivity Enhancement
6. Business and Leadership Development

All these above Areas of focus can be coupled with the Innovation component and receive additional funding.

GF 2 has two main sections of funding assistance that producers can access Capacity Building and Implementation. Producers can receive up to a maximum of $350,000 in total for the two sections during the programme’s five year time frame.

Capacity Building Funding Assistance: producers can take advantage of education and training opportunities to better understand the best management practices and tools that can help them manage the day-today operations. Producers can access advisory and or consulting services to assess their operations and the market place to identify where improvement opportunities exist and better plan for their future.

These activities are

• Education, skills and training
• Assessments and audits
• Planning

Approved applications that meet the criteria can access 50 per cent cost share in this area. Some possible Capacity Building projects for hog producers are:

Environment and Climate Change

• Nutrient Management Planning – Consultant services design work for manure storage system, certified consultant fees to develop nutrient management strategy or plans (first time only)
• Assessment /Audit –Energy Use Assessment would provide funding for professional engineer or qualified technical services to perform an energy audit that could recommend opportunities to improve energy use.

Business and Leadership Development

• Farm Financial Assessments
• Business Planning
• Succession Planning

Implementation Funding Assistance: funding approval will depend on the merit of the project. Those with the highest merit ranking will receive funding. The projects should show that they have used the Capacity Building resource to develop and plan the project. It is recommended that producers participate in the Capacity Building process to help develop the project implementation plan.

Approved applications can access 35 per cent cost share.

Note: if the proposed project is innovative it may qualify for 50 per cent cost share.

Some possible Implementation Funding projects for hog producers are:

Environment and Climate Change

• Nutrient Management – liquid manure storage improvements

Animal Welfare

• Improvements to animal housing – modification to existing structures to provide more space or freedom eg. Stall conversion, while maintaining current level of production
• Improvements to animal handling procedures – humane handling methods procedures and modifications to existing structures to facilitate animal movement to reduce stress (load out areas, ramps)

Animal and Plant Health

• Animal Health/Plant pest monitoring and treatment equipment – on farm health management tools and equipment including, needle-less or multi-does injectors and applicators, scales or metering equipment
• Modification of existing structures to improve control of environmental conditions and air quality- ventilation upgrades, air filtration systems

These are just a few examples of possible Growing Forward 2 projects.

Important dates:

26 June 2013 - ongoing - Application intake for Capacity Building funding assistance
16 December 2013 to 30 January 2014 - Application intake for all clients for Implementation funding assistance

For complete programme details please go to Ontario.ca/growing forward2.