It’s an exciting time to be a switchgrass producer with all the market opportunities that are available. Animal bedding, garden mulch, renewable fuel source, erosion control products, construction materials, and more, there’s growing demand for switchgrass, and now there’s also some financial support to get it in the ground.
The Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP), delivered by the Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA), provides funding in the Perennial Biomass Crops category to support the planting/establishment and ongoing maintenance of perennial biomass crops on annual cropland in Ontario. The goal is to create more resilient agricultural landscapes.
Available Funding
RALP provides funding at a per-acre rate, depending on the nature of the project:
Rate 1: $500/acre for establishment and maintenance of perennial biomass crops on lands currently in annual crop production
Rate 2: $1,000/acre for establishment of biomass crops on marginal and high-risk lands currently in annual crop production
A single project is eligible for a maximum funding allocation of $150,000.
Who Can Apply
In order to apply for the funding, applicants must:
Be a farm business that files farm business taxes in Ontario.
Have a Certificate of completion for a 4th Edition Environmental Farm Plan.
Be willing to enter into a signed 5-year Land Use Agreement with OSCIA. See here for an example.
Be in compliance with all requirements of the law.
Provide a detailed site map based on a satellite image of the proposed project area (help is available with this through your local OSCIA Client Services Staff)
Have a Letter of Support provided by a qualified, arms-length third-party. See here for a template. Ontario Biomass Producers Co-op (OBPC) member Don Nott can provide a Letter of Support.
To be eligible for the program, plantings must be on fields that were previously in annual crop rotations in one or more of the last two growing seasons. Harvesting of the perennial biomass crops cannot take place before July 15th. Switchgrass, Big Bluestem, Indian Grass are included in the list of eligible crop species.
For full program details and to apply, please visit the program website.
OBPC is pleased to see perennial biomass crops be included in a funding program under their own category. The funding available through RALP can be an additional incentive to producers who have been thinking about adding or expanding switchgrass acres in their operation. As with any funding program, applicants should make sure to read all the details and ensure the program is a good fit for their operation before applying.
If you’re looking to start growing perennial biomass crops, please don’t hesitate to reach out to OBPC at support@ontariobiomass.com or by phone at 519-986-7544. You can also visit our Grower Resources section.