KELOWNA – The Governments of Canada and British Columbia have partnered together to deliver up to $10 million to enhance environmental sustainability for farmers in British Columbia. Minister of Agriculture and Lands Steve Thomson and Ron Cannan, MP for Kelowna—Lake Country made the announcement today at St Hubertus Estate Winery & Oak Bay.

“Farmers are proud to be good stewards of the land and they continue to position Canada as a world leader in environmentally responsible agriculture,” said Mr. Cannan on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. “We are proud to work with B.C. on this program because investments in environmental stewardship make good business sense for farmers.”

“Farmers are key stewards of our land and can be leaders in reducing the risk of accidental harm to our soil, air, water and biodiversity values,” said Minister Thomson. “Environmental farm planning is one of the main tools to effectively accomplish this kind of protection of our natural resources.”

The Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) Program and the Beneficial Management Practice (BMP) are broad based, voluntary, and producer driven programs aimed at identifying and reducing environmental risks on farms. These programs will focus on water quality, water use, greenhouse gas emissions ultimately leading to ways that our farmers can ensure cleaner and healthier and more sustainable land.

EFP and BMP are funded by Growing Forward, a federal, provincial, and territorial framework that is delivering $1.3 billion to Canadian farm families from 2008 to 2013. British Columbia’s share under these agreements will total $78 million. These programs will be delivered by the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands (BCMAL) through the B.C. Agriculture Research and Development Corporation (ARDCorp).

“Farmers and ranchers across B.C. are proud of being environmental stewards, and have made significant investments to improve on-farm environmental conditions through the previous EFP program,” said Garnet Estell, Chair, B.C. Agriculture Council. “The new Growing Forward funding will build on this success and keep B.C. agriculture on the leading edge in managing its natural resources.”

For more information on how to apply to these programs, visit  http://www.ardcorp.ca/index.php?page_id=40.

For a complete list of Growing Forward programs in B.C., visit www.gov.bc.ca/al/ or www.agr.gc.ca/GrowingForward.