The Ontario government is investing more than $6.1 million in 14 agricultural projects across Northern Ontario through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), Farms.com reports. The projects aim to extend growing seasons, improve yields and bring more farmland into production.
Several of the largest focus on tile drainage, which removes excess water and makes land more productive. The Northeast Community Network received a combined $1.95 million for tile drainage on about 3,500 acres in the Mushkegowuk-James Bay District. The Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance gets $1 million for more than 1,800 acres in Timiskaming-Cochrane, to raise yields and allow more diverse rotations, and Area One Farms will use $860,000 to drain more than 1,700 acres in the Clay Belt and convert more land to cropping.
"Northern Ontario's agri-food sector plays a vital role in supporting rural communities and strengthening the region's economy," said George Pirie, Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth. Agriculture Minister Sam Oosterhoff said the funding would help farms and food companies in the north open facilities, expand and raise output, and increase the supply of fresh Ontario-grown food.
Devon Prevost, chair of the Northeast Community Network, called the drainage investment a vote of confidence in northern agriculture that helps producers make long-term improvements to their land and expand.
Photo: Lynn Betts, USDA NRCS / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Source: Farms.com
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