Wellington County is now accepting applications for the new Experimental Acres program for farmers.
Jordan Grigg, Agriculture Coordinator for the county, says the idea behind the program is to help farmers transition to newer agricultural, or regenerative agricultural practices.
"To do this we offer small grants, about $3,000 or less, depending on the project, to help them implement these new practices that they might be trying. We also do some soil testing on farms, and we like to make connections between farms that are doing similar things, to help share the learning," said Grigg.
Grigg explains what the county means by regenerative agriculture.
"Generally we're looking for projects that will help integrate animals back into the system. So it could be things like rotational grazing or bale grazing. In cropping systems, it might look like keeping roots in the ground or keeping the ground covered for more of the year. So that could be cover cropping projects, or inter-cropping," Grigg explained.
Ultimately, Grigg says the county just wants to support local farmers in being more environmentally friendly and trying new things to improve their operations.
"Farmers are the stewards of our land and they definitely know what's going on on their farms the best. So we don't want to come in and tell them what to do, but we're here to help if they decide to try something new because there can be a bit of a learning curve associated with it. So we wanna make sure they feel supported during that transitional period when they're trying something new," Grigg shared.
Applications for projects in 2025 will be accepted until January 19. For more information on Experimental Acres or to apply, visit www.wellington.ca/experimentalacres.
“We welcome any ideas from Wellington County farmers interested in improving yield, soil health, and sustainability,” added Grigg. “Adopting regenerative practices comes with a learning curve, but Experimental Acres is here to help. Regenerative agriculture can be practiced in as many ways as there are farms. Experimental Acres projects are designed by the participants because farmers know their land best.”