Farmers should be aware of some changes to Growing Forward 2 cost-share programs in Ontario this year.
Spokesman John Laidlaw says one of the key changes is that funding will only apply to invoices dated after a letter approving the allocation has been issued by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association.
The OSCIA administers the program.
This year, all the projects are merit-based, and there are cost-sharing caps on different projects.
This year's project submissions are going to be handled in three intake periods, rather than throughout the entire year.
The first intake period wraps up May 21st - the next runs August 10th the the 27th - with the final intake running from November 16th to December 3rd.
Laidlaw says they're hoping that some of these changes will help them spread the available dollars amongst projects in the Growing Forward 2 program's six areas of focus.
Those areas remain unchanged from previous years - and include environment and climate change adaption, market development and labour productivity enhancement.
There's more information on the Growing Forward 2 cost-sharing programs on the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement website.
===
John Laidlaw says one of the key changes this year is the timing for invoices to qualify for cost-sharing.
[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/LAIDLAW-GF2-1.mp3"][/audio]
===
Laidlaw says the old way of handling submissions made it hard to budget for.
[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/LAIDLAW-GF2-2.mp3"][/audio]
===
Laidlaw says all the programs are merit based and applications are being handled in three intake periods, rather than throughout the full year.
[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/LAIDLAW-GF2-3.mp3"][/audio]
