Ok so what is an environmental farm plan anyway? Well if you ask our planning team expert Heidi, it's a lot of work, and a lot of learning. It's not just a pretty sign. We are proud of it.
This winter we enrolled in a special development workshop with the Ontario Soil and Crop Association (OSCIA) to help build a sustainable environmental farm plan for Chava Farms that follows the latest and best practices for Ontario farmers. The workshop was an intensive 2-day in-person workshop, which offered the opportunity to learn from knowledgeable OSCIA staff to help assess soils, walk through the planning process, and learn about cost-share funding opportunities. Topics included everything from soil condition, wells and water, fertilizer use, crop planning, composting, animal care and waste management, preservation of wetlands, native species, cover crops, buffer zones and much more.
The Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) is an assessment voluntarily prepared by farm families to increase their environmental awareness in up to 23 different areas on their farm. Through the EFP process, farmers highlight their farm’s environmental strengths, identify areas of environmental concern, and set realistic action plans with time tables to improve environmental conditions. The EFP can then be used in conjunction with cost-share programs to begin implementing their action plans.
A huge thank you to Heidi for attending and building the EFP for Chava Farms. This invaluable work resulted in a comprehensive plan that will serve as a roadmap to all farm development and activities for years to come.
So what happens next?
The planning is underway. Our team is developing crop lists, making arrangements to assess soil conditions, plan beds, start seeds and fundraise $10K for 2 beautiful new greenhouses we need to be hopefully be installed in early May.
How can you help at the farm?
We are actively looking for community volunteers to help prepare the planting beds this spring and work in the greenhouse and more.
Join the volunteer team! We look forward to meeting you and bringing our community together!
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