On November 3rd, 2021, myself and EFP Coordinator Sonja Shank will be providing a two-hour EFP workshop for producers in the Camrose, Flagstaff, Beaver, Paintearth, and Stettler Counties. We will be helping those who want to get an EFP done for their farm and haven’t already done so.
The Alberta Environmental Farm Plan (or Alberta EFP) is a voluntary, whole-farm, self-assessment tool delivered by the Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta (ARECA). It helps producers identify their environmental risks and develop plans to mitigate identified risks. Alberta EFP and their various partners are committed to working together with farmers who are dedicated to environmental stewardship.
Maintaining a healthy environment is essential to the success of Alberta’s agricultural producers. The Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) program helps producers identify and address environmental risks in their operations. It also increases an understanding of legal requirements related to various environmental issues. Protecting water, air and soil quality is key to the sustainable production of crops and livestock and to leaving a healthy and productive farm for the next generation. An EFP will identify what is already being done well and pinpoint where improvements can be made. By addressing these risks, there is an increase operational efficiency while reducing farm costs, which results in increased profit. With an EFP completion certificate, producers become eligible for some funding under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership program. Pairing environmental stewardship with agricultural production is also crucial in the marketing of various products. Consumers are increasingly concerned about the safety and quality of the food they eat and how that food is grown or raised. Sustainable sourcing is becoming a requirement of many major food purchasers, from manufacturers to restaurants. Having an EFP demonstrates to the public, government, lenders and/or investors that environmental risks are being managed.
Most EFPs are completed online. Plenty useful information and resources are available from the EFP website and within the farm’s EFP workbook, plus it makes it easy to update any information if necessary and have automatic risk rating calculations done… automatically!
When working with BRRG to complete a workbook, there’s the added benefits of being able to work with a local EFP technician that is familiar with the area in order to help build customized action plans. We provide various local programs, workshops, field days, and webinars within the region to help provide decision making tools and information for the operation. BRRG also offers individual support that may be needed in order to finish the workbook, no matter if it’s in-person farm visits or by phone or email. Help is just a phone call or mouse-click away.
For more information on how to get started on your EFPs, please visit the Environmental Farm Plan website .
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