by OMAFRA Ag Rep Brian Bell
Trillium project
This project will support farmers, producers and value-added processors in the LaCloche Manitoulin area with capital in the form of loans, workshops and mentoring for start-up and expansion. The workshops and mentoring are flexible based on the individual business needs and will include support in the areas of business development, financial evaluation and feasibility, analysis and skills development, navigating agricultural regulations, accessing other agricultural support programs, market development, meeting supply and packaging requirements and practical skills as required. The project is funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation and is being managed and delivered by LAMBAC in collaboration with Eat Local Sudbury Co-operative and OMAFRA. For more information contact Maureen Strickland at LAMBAC, Brian Bell at Omafra or Peggy Baillie at Eat Local Sudbury Co-operative.
Growing Forward 2 (GF2) workshops scheduled for
Manitoulin this winter
Environmental Farm Plan Workshop: February 2 and 10, Growing Your Farm Profits: February 11 and 18, and Maximizing Your Traceability Investment: March 3 and 10. For details of the workshops and to register, please contact Mary Scott at 705-377-4928, or registration.wildapricot.org/Workshops. GF2 Program updates for producers: Did you know?  All GF2 funding opportunities will be assessed based on Merit-based Application Evaluation Criteria. All Project categories have different criteria, including completion of a Growing Your Farm Profits Workshop and Action Plan Review within the last five years for some, completion of a third or fourth edition Environmental Farm Plan Workshop and Action Plan Review within the last five years for others, etc. (see Program Guide for details). To be eligible, cost-share funding will only apply to invoices dated after a letter approving a funding allocation has been issued by OSCIA. To view the Program Guide, go to http://www.ontariosoilcrop.org/oscia-programs/growing-forward-2/
