Big Lakes County advises agricultural producers the On-Farm Efficiency Program (OFEP) reopened April 1.
The program is a cost-shared 50 per cent applicant and 50 per cent grant to a maximum of $150,000, says a notice posted on the Big Lakes website April 3.
The program has four streams. Maximum funding for each stream over the duration of the program is:
- $50,000 for smart farm technology.
- $50,000 for energy efficiency.
- $2,000 for farm security.
- $100,000 for efficient grain handling.
Eligible purchases are retroactive to April 1, 2023.
The program is part of the federal-provincial Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
To be eligible, applicants must have a current Environmental Farm Plan or must submit one along with the final report of the project.
Producers are encouraged to apply as soon as possible since the program receives a high number of applications.
The purpose of the program is to support producers in achieving environmental benefits by improving the efficient use of agricultural inputs, states information on the Government of Alberta website.
Those practices contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing emissions, minimizing chemical runoff and promoting efficient use of natural resources.
New technologies that are progressive, commercially available and that have already been successful in Alberta are most likely to be successful in applications.
For more information, phone 310-FARM, email ofep@gov.ab.ca or phone Big Lakes County at (780) 523-5955.