Farmers in Grey County can now apply for funding to test new farm practices that could improve soil health and resilience to climate change. The 2025 Experimental Acres program was launched at Grey-Bruce Farmers’ Week on January 14. The program provides up to $3,000 per project to farmers to help reduce their financial risk of trying innovative new practices that align with the project’s climate action goals.
Applications will be accepted through February 28, 2025. Interested farmers can learn more and apply at www.grey.ca/experimental-acres.
Grey County Experimental Acres projects are funded by Grey County as part of Going Green in Grey, the county climate action plan. The program supports Action 3 in the plan, Capacity Building in Sustainable Agricultural Best Practices.
Applications can fall into one of three categories: 1) Living Roots and Green Cover projects which extend the time soil is covered or has living roots in it; 2) Innovation for projects that implement new farm practices; and 3) Integrating Animals on the Farm for projects that incorporate livestock into farm systems.
Experimental Acres is designed to minimize the financial risk associated with trying new practices while preparing farmers for larger funding opportunities in the future. In addition to financial support, the pilot offers soil testing and education and networking with other participants.
Local dairy farmer and past Experimental Acres participant Wade Deaken explains how the program let him try something new. “I got interested in Experimental Acres to dragline the manure and see how the crop responds from that lack of compaction,” he said.
Other examples of past projects have included cover cropping, inter-seeding, rotational grazing systems, tarping to avoid tillage, no-till establishment of crops, and more.
“Farmers know their businesses best. Whether the practice is new to you or has never been done before, we’d like to hear your ideas,” said Emily McKague, Project Coordinator for Grey Agricultural Services.
The Experimental Acres pilot was developed as a part of Guelph-Wellington Our Food Future, a project funded by Infrastructure Canada. The County of Wellington facilitated the program in Wellington and Dufferin Counties in 2022, and Grey County joined in 2023.
For more information about the Experimental Acres program, contact Emily McKague, Grey Agricultural Services at info@greyagservices.ca or Megan Myles, Grey County Outreach and Engagement Coordinator, at megan.myles@grey.ca or 519-370-7060.
