Fruit & Vegetable Magazine

News Environment Policy
Ontario invests in rural development and regenerative agriculture

The Ontario Water Centre will receive $150,000 to support their program that provides experience to young people interested in pursuing careers in agriculture.

August 4, 2020  By Fruit and Vegetable


The Ontario government committed $3.3 million in cost-share funding to 58 projects through the updated Rural Economic Development Program (RED) to help rural and Indigenous communities diversify their economies, retain skilled workers, invest in local infrastructure and create jobs.

“Supporting local jobs and removing barriers to investment and economic growth in rural communities is more important than ever,” said Ernie Hardeman, the province’s minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, during the announcement. “As the economy reopens, our investments in the Rural Economic Development program will have a very real impact for communities across rural Ontario.”

One local project that will receive funding through the RED program is the Ontario Water Centre. An investment of $150,000 will help support their Young Agripreneurs Program (YAP) that provides hands-on experience to young people interested in pursuing careers in regenerative agriculture.

Advertisement

This initiative is one of 58 successful projects receiving funding from the first intake of the updated RED program. Project applications to the RED program were subjected to a streamlined process starting last year to reduce the burden for applicants.

Municipalities, not-for-profit entities, Ontario Indigenous communities/organizations or local services boards are eligible for the Rural Economic Development program and costs are shared according to which of the two streams under which the project may fall.


Print this page

Advertisement

Stories continue below