Métis producers receive federal funding

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/07/2023 (1171 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Red River Métis farmers will share up to $7.2 million worth of federal funding to adopt sustainable farming practices to help build resilience to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The funding is part of an investment of more than $14.5 million in the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) — which is the National Government of the Red River Métis — and comes from a fund that was announced during the federal budget in 2021, with up to $200 million available to organizations across the country.

The On-Farm Climate Action Fund is part of the Government of Canada’s Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) program to help farmers tackle climate change, which falls under the $4-billion Natural Climate Solutions Fund managed by Natural Resources Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Funding will support farmers who adopt beneficial management practices that store carbon and reduce greenhouse gases by managing nitrogen (an ingredient in fertilizer), planting crops to manage soil erosion, and engaging in rotational grazing practices.

This kind of assistance is a big help to Métis producers considering the economic turmoil and after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Will Goodon, minister of housing with the MMF.

Goodon added that there are 75 Red River Métis producers who will benefit from funding of $75,000 each.

“This has been able to save some family farms, there’s no doubt about it. Having the ability to help our producers adapt to what’s going on in the world, not just economically, but to climate change, and other things that are affecting all of us every day, is very positive for us going forward,” said Goodon, who is also the elected representative from the southwest region of the MMF.

The funding will also allow the farmers, ranchers and producers to address food insecurity while embracing sustainable farming practices, Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand said during Tuesday’s announcement in Winnipeg.

“Each of these actions will ensure our citizens remain responsible stewards of the land for generations to come,” Chartrand stated in a news release.

Chartrand was alongside federal Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal, the Liberal member of Parliament for Saint Boniface-Saint Vital, at the future site of the Métis Nation Heritage Centre in downtown Winnipeg on the corner of Portage Avenue and Main Street.

Vandal said the Manitoba Métis Federation will deliver funds directly to local farmers who are ready to take action and build climate resilience.

“Ensuring Indigenous communities have equal access to the tools to adopt sustainable farming practices will help address food insecurity across Canada,” Vandal stated in the news release.

Organizations across the country applied for funds under the $200-million On-Farm Climate Action Fund from August 2021 to September 2021.

It was open to not-for-profit, for-profit and non-governmental organizations as well as Indigenous groups and provincial or territorial Crown corporations.

As of Tuesday, there are 13 Canadian recipients that have received $185.9 million for their commitment to adopt ways to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG), store carbon and improve climate resiliency and support sustainable farming.

Along with the MMF, the Manitoba Association of Watersheds will benefit from funding to help farmers across Manitoba and Saskatchewan with rotational grazing, nitrogen management and cover cropping.

The Canola Council of Canada will work with farmers across the Prairie provinces to increase canola yields while reducing nitrous oxide emission, which is part of the Canadian government’s strategy on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Activities supported through the On-Farm Climate Action Fund are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to two million tonnes by 2024, while improving the health and resiliency of farmers’ soil, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Goodon said the producers will benefit from the funding, but he insisted, it’s about giving them support they never had before.

“Red River Métis farmers and ranchers have been left out for a very long time, with nobody to provide support for them. This gives them some direction on better farming practices for the future, and when you wrap all those things around, it’s a very good program, and we’re very happy to partner with Canada.”

» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @enviromichele