The Lake Erie Agriculture Demonstrating Sustainability (LEADS) initiative is entering its final intake, beginning November 2, 2021.
LEADS cost-share projects must be completed by September 30, 2022.
The program, funded through the federal-provincial Canadian Agricultural Partnership, supports cost-share projects that improve soil health and reduce the risk of nutrient losses on farms while improving water quality in the Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair watershed areas.
For example, farmers who apply may qualify for funding to cover the cost of:
- Planting cover crops to reduce soil erosion;
- Modifying equipment to reduce soil tillage and compaction;
- Improving nutrient placement; and,
- Planting of permanent trees or vegetation strips to serve as windbreaks.
The LEADS initiative supports Ontario’s commitment to a 40 per cent reduction of phosphorus run off into Lake Erie and its watershed by 2025. To date, more than 930 projects have been approved under the LEADS initiative, with $9.2 million committed through the Partnership.
The intake, with a budget of $2.58 million, will run for just one week and closes November 8, 2021, and is run through the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association.
