New clearing and drainage program announced

By Gary Sliworsky
OMAF/MRA Rep.

The Ministry of Northern Development and Mines recently added a new initiative related to agriculture projects under the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation’s (NOHFC) Strategic Economic Infrastructure Program. It is for Regional Land Clearing and Tile Drainage Projects.
What is Eligible?
Land clearing and/or tile drainage contractor costs (materials and labour) and the project management/administration fees of the service provider are eligible for support.
The land can be already in production or can be new acreage.
Funding
NOHFC will fund 50 per cent of land clearing and/or tile drainage contractor costs to a maximum of $500 per acre and 100 per cent of the project management/administration fees, which is calculated as 10 per cent of the contractor costs to a maximum of $50 per acre.
Funding is in the form of a conditional contribution.

General Guidelines
The individual producers must make cash contributions of at least 10 per cent of the contractor costs (materials and labour) specific to their individual acreage.
NOHFC will not fund the same parcel of land twice (e.g. land clearing in year 1 followed by tile drainage in the same or subsequent years). The maximum funding for a parcel of land will be $500 per acre.
For land clearing projects:
·In-kind labour by farm owner / operator and current employees is ineligible.
·In-kind contribution for use of farm machinery to complete work is ineligible.
·All eligible expenses must be invoiced to a third party (contractor, leasing / renting of equipment).
For tile drainage projects:
·Work must be completed by a contractor licensed for tile drainage installation.
·Materials are eligible only if installed by a contractor licensed for tile drainage installation.
·Copy of map and identification of property showing tile installation must be provided with requests for payment to NOHFC.
·In-kind contributions (labour, farm machinery, etc.) are ineligible.
Who is Eligible?
The applicant would be a not-for-profit, agricultural or community organization that will develop/submit funding applications and administer approved funding on behalf of NOHFC. The applicant would work within its region to build a consortium of producers interested in undertaking land clearing/tile drainage projects.
Rainy River Future Development Corp. (RRFDC) has indicated it is willing to act as the applicant for such a project. Interested producers are encouraged to contact RRFDC as soon as possible at 274-3276.
Information on other new agriculture related initiative will be in next week’s column.