The federal and provincial governments are preparing to accept applications for a new round of project funding to help farmers improve environmental sustainability and water quality in the Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair watersheds. In addition to protecting Ontario’s water, this investment will continue to improve farm productivity in the region.
Starting January 20, 2021, applications will be accepted for a new intake under the Lake Erie Agriculture Demonstrating Sustainability (LEADS) initiative. LEADS is a regionally targeted cost-share program funded under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
Approved projects will target improved soil health and reduced risk of nutrient losses in the Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair watersheds. Eligible applications will be received and assessed on a continuous basis, while funding is available. Up to $2.58 million is allocated for supporting approved LEADS projects this year.
“Farmers in the Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair watershed areas continue to improve their environmental performance,” Neil Ellis, Parliamentary Secretary to the federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food says. “Through the LEADS initiative, we are helping them to continue to adopt better environmental practices and technologies to improve soil health and reduce nutrient loss.”
LEADS is a five-year, $15.6 million investment by the federal and provincial governments, available until March 2023, to help farmers take action to improve soil health and water quality in the Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair watershed areas.
Since 2018, more than 730 projects have been approved under the regionally targeted LEADS initiative, with $7 million committed through the Partnership to support completion of these on-farm improvement projects.