| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 19, 2019 | |
Ontario’s Government is helping more farmers take action in Haldimand-Norfolk to make their operations more environmentally sustainable and to boost water quality in the Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair watershed.
Toby Barrett, MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk, commended Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ernie Hardeman, on a recent announcement of increased cost-share funding for farmers to help complete more than 300 on-farm projects to reduce phosphorus entering waterways connected to Lake Erie. The improvements come through the Lake Erie Agriculture Demonstrating Sustainability (LEADS) initiative, under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
Included among these are 19 projects in Haldimand and Norfolk Counties for the 2019-20 year. These local projects saw an investment under the Partnership of $177,491.40.
Some examples of LEADS projects include:
- Planting over-wintering cover crops to improve soil health and reduce soil erosion losses;
- Planting vegetation and trees to provide a buffer between agricultural operations and waterways; and
- Modifying equipment to improve management of agricultural nutrients and to reduce soil compaction.
“Phosphorous is a serious issue in Lake Erie and contributes to algal blooms in the west end,” said Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett. “We all need to pitch in on both sides of the border to tackle this problem. This funding is a step in that direction.”
“Our farmers always have been careful stewards of the land and our government is pleased to support them in their actions to protect what matters most, such as water quality in the Lake Erie watershed,” said Ernie Hardeman, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “Our government is committed to helping more farmers make changes through LEADS that will make their operations even more environmentally sustainable.”
LEADS programming under the Partnership builds on the substantial leadership that Ontario farmers in the Lake Erie watershed have demonstrated in taking action to improve local soil health and water quality.
To date, both the federal and provincial governments have committed cost-share support to more than 1,150 projects through the Partnership to help eligible Ontario farmers, processors, businesses and sector organizations innovate and grow.
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For more information, contact MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446