For all intakes, applicants are invited to start drafting their applications up to two weeks before applications can be submitted. This allows producers to work on their applications, ask questions, collect necessary application information, provide quotes etc, in anticipation of submission. Two weeks after applications are available, the submission button will go live, and producers can submit the applications for their projects. Projects will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis upon submission. Intake windows are as follows:

Riparian & Grazing, Biodiversity, and Nutrient & Waste Management BMPs: 
Open for applications: NOW
Submission window: Feb 13– Feb 19
 
Soil Carbon and Energy & Fuel Efficiency BMPs: 
Open for applications: Feb 27
Submission window: Mar 12 – Mar 18

Note:
‘Open for applications’ means applicants can commence drafting their application form and start uploading quotations etc.
‘Submission window’ means applicants can submit complete applications to IAF for review and adjudication.
 
*Intakes for Water Infrastructure BMPs for Fiscal Year 2024-25 will not be opening as funds are being applied to applications from the oversubscribed 2023 August/September intake.
 
For additional program details visit: www.iafbc.ca/bmp/

It's not too late to apply to the B.C. Agri-Business Planning Program (ABPP).
Program applications will be accepted until 4:30pm on February 15, 2024, or until the Program funding is fully allocated for fiscal year 2023/24.

Funding is available under two streams:

STREAM 1: AGRI-BUSINESS SKILLS and LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: Funding up to 70% to a maximum contribution of $2,000 for specialized business conferences and management & leadership training for business owners and key managers.

STREAM 2: BUSINESS PLANNING, PREPAREDNESS, and DISASTER RECOVERY: Funding up to $7,500 for individual businesses or up to $22,500 for groups to conduct an in-depth analysis of specific areas of your business plan.

• WHAT‘S NEW: New categories eligible for funding under Stream 2! 

      - Product Development: Planning a new food and/or beverage product.
      - Business Emergency Planning Preparedness

For more information please visit the B.C. Agri-Business Planning Program website or contact us by phone at 1-888-221-7141 or by email at AgriBusiness@gov.bc.ca.

The Knowledge and Technology Transfer Program 2024-25 Spring Intake is open to February 29, 2024.
 
Organizations will be required to submit an application using a BCeID and they are encouraged to reach out to their local Regional Agrologist to assist with the planning and application process. 
 
Please visit the website for more information:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/programs/knowledge-transfer-events
 
Questions can be directed to: Knowledge.Transfer@gov.bc.ca

The EWP program invites BC farm and ranch businesses to apply for a provincial cost-share funding opportunity that aims to increase farm-level climate resilience to extreme weather events.  
Funding for the first intake is available under four streams:

• Wildfire Preparedness Stream
• Flood Preparedness Stream
• Extreme Heat Preparedness Stream
• Innovation Projects

BC farm and ranch businesses can submit their applications to the program through the IAF Client Portal, on an ongoing basis until funds are fully committed.

• Please subscribe to the IAF newsletter to stay up to date.
• It is expected that there will be a high demand for this program. Funding will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis for all eligible completed applications. 

Food Safety Program (FSP) is now accepting applications from eligible BC Agrifood businesses.

The program provides 70% cost-shared funding up to a maximum of $25,000 to eligible B.C. farm-based (e.g., growing crops and raising animals for food) and eligible B.C. post-farm agri-food businesses (e.g., processing, packaging, warehousing, transporting, distributing, and importing operations) to increase adoption of food safety practices.

The FSP seeks to build public confidence in foods and beverages that are produced, processed, or handled by B.C. businesses along the agri-food value chain. FSP is being delivered by Investment Agriculture Foundation (IAF) until March 31, 2026.

For detailed information, program guide and application forms please visit the IAF website.

Please help us spread the word of this funding opportunity with your industry contacts.

Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is announcing a new FCC Replacement Heifer Program to help Canadian cattle producers in maintaining or expanding their herds.

Sophie Perreault, FCC‘s chief operations officer, says the drought conditions this summer affected a large cattle producing area in Western Canada and right now ranchers are making decisions about how to best manage their herds. She adds the Heifer Replacement Program will help reduce cash flow pressures for those who want to maintain or grow their herd.

Learn more about the program.

B.C.‘s farmers and food producers depend on a reliable supply of water to support food security and develop a resilient food system and economy. Water supply can be affected by many factors including seasonal weather, land use changes, water restrictions, and climate change. At the same time, flooding is a common hazard on B.C.‘s farmland that can occur with little warning and have significant impact on farm operations.
 
Learn more about financial assistance for agricultural producers impacted by drought on the Ministry‘s Drought in Agriculture webpage. This page also contains key drought resources and information on livestock, crop, and irrigation management during drought. Links to information on flood forecasting, preparedness, and mitigation are found on our Flooding webpage.
 
Please visit the Ministry‘s Agriculture Water website to access our library of water management resources for producers.

What is a Towards Increased Profits (TIP) Report?  A TIP Report is a simplified farm financial analysis, which provides producers with a cost of production (COP) report to compare their own farm (income and expenses) to other farms of similar type (benchmarks).

The BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food will provide to those who are enrolled in AgriStability / AgriInvest and requested / consented to a report, a personalized, free, and confidential TIP Report to be mailed out this fall-winter. 

For more information about TIP Reports, please visit Towards Increased Profits (TIP) report - Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca).  

Great news! You can still complete the University of Guelph Foundations in Agricultural Management course.

Completing this course will give you the knowledge and confidence to take your agricultural business to the next level.

Each of the eight modules takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and getting back into it is easy. Simply log in today using the same login name and password that you originally signed up with, and you can continue completing the course from where you left off!

Invest in Your Business. Invest in Yourself!
Questions? Reach out to us at help@guelphagriculturalmanagement.com

1. Subsidized diagnostic examination of smallholder cases submitted to the Animal Health Center in Abbotsford BC. The reduced fee ($25 per case for poultry and 75$ per case for pigs) will be applied when the case is received by the laboratory with a complete submission form.

2. Veterinary practices outside of the Fraser Valley can register to submit smallholder diagnostic cases to the laboratory at no/reduced cost to the practice or client. END Reminder: Autumn Brings Increased Risk of Avian Influenza. Unfortunately, new cases have been detected in BC starting October 20th, 2023, so we know infected wild birds are carrying influenza virus during fall migration. Producers should take all possible actions to protect their flocks over the coming months. More information about the status of the outbreak can be found here.

Visit our AgriService B.C. Past Webinars library to view recorded webinars that could support your business.