Plan for peace of mind

Farmers who have an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) are serious about learning how to reduce agriculture’s impact on the environment. Many EFP participants enjoy increased efficiency, profitability and new customers as a result of increased environmental sustainability. What opportunities exist on your farm?

Applications for Beneficial Management Practices (BMP) 2023 are currently being accepted until June 8th. For more information, including project category lists and project applications please see below.

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What is an EFP?

The Environmental Farm Plan Program’s objective is to provide farm and ranch operators with the means to identify agri-environmental risks and opportunities. The goal of the EFP Program is to improve on-farm awareness of agri-environmental risks.

The EFP & BMP programs provide eligible agri-food sector producers with access to consultants (known as EFP Planning Advisors) to assist in the completion of Environmental Farm Plans and support the application process to BMP funding. The EFP and BMP programs enhance the capacity of producers to maintain competitiveness by adapting and responding to emerging environmental, regenerative agriculture, and climate challenges and changing environmental conditions.

Who’s Eligible for an EFP?

  • Farms, ranches and hobby farms
  • First Nations agricultural operations, or
  • Agricultural operations with a lease (private or Crown) to use the land and make alteration

Implement an EFP for your farm:

Step 1: Book an Appointment

Book an on-farm appointment with one of our friendly Environmental Farm Plan Advisors. You could be eligible to receive an Environmental Farm Plan sign after this first visit! Many farmers are surprised by how sustainable they already are.

Step 2: Assess Environmental Risks

Your Planning Advisor will identify any environmental risks on your farm within your Environmental Farm Planning workbook. This workbook is confidential and yours to keep. Choose to voluntarily address these risks to receive an Environmental Farm Plan Sign.

Step 3: Apply for funding

Funding is available to help you reduce the environmental risks identified within your EFP workbook (i.e. red box answers).

Projects that can be funded through the Beneficial Management Practices (BMP) program include waste management, air quality control, emissions control, soil and riparian integrity, water quality and on-farm materials storage.

What’s a red box answer?
Red box answers are items where a provincial or federal regulation applies to the farm and you need to do/change something. Once you have no red box answers you’re eligible for implementation with your planning advisors consensus.

Step 4: Implement your EFP

To qualify for implementation of your EFP and get your EFP sign, you must complete your workbook (reviewed by a Planning Advisor), with no outstanding items requiring attention (red box answers).

Step 5: Put up your EFP sign!

Once implemented, display your new Environmental Farm Plan sign to proudly show your farm’s environmental sustainability and to help us spread the good word about this great program! Don’t forget to contact your planning advisor to renew your farm plan every 5-years.

Beneficial Management Practices

What is BMP?

The Beneficial Management Practices (BMP) program is a complementary, on-farm cost-share incentive program to assist farm and ranch operations to mitigate some of the risks identified in the farm-specific Environmental Farm Plans (EFPs). The goal of the BMP program is to increase adoption of technology and practices to mitigate high-risk activities or emerging challenges.

There are over 70 categories of practices and actions eligible for cost-share funding through the Beneficial Management Practices Program. For over 17 years the program has helped place BC farms and ranches at the forefront of regenerative agriculture and climate adaptation.

There are BMPs which support farms to act on regenerative agriculture practices in areas such as: building soil fertility and health, increasing water percolation; water retention, and clean and safe water runoff, enhancing and conserving biodiversity on farms, capacity for self-renewal and resiliency through ecosystem health and sequestering carbon.

Who’s Eligible for BMP?

BC producers with Farm Status who have developed and have completed a current (within 5-years) Environmental Farm Plan may be eligible to apply for cost-shared incentives through the Beneficial Management Practices Program. Funding is to support implementation of actions identified in the on-farm action plan.

BMP Applications

Application Process

Applicants will apply through the IAF Client Portal. Please create an account and register your organization (i.e. farm/ranch). Once the IAF Team have validated your information you will be able to apply to the fund. Do not wait to start this process – it can take up to two business days to validate your organization.

The application process will consist of:

  • Create a personal profile (name and email)
  • Organization information, including:
    • Name
    • Contact details
    • Type of organization
    • BC ID / CRA numbers
    • Primary contact
    • and more
  • Select Basic Plans or Complex Plans
  • EFP information
  • Property/Farm information (i.e. number of hectares)
  • Project partners
  • Practice code
  • Funding request / cash costs
  • Required forms (i.e. Statement of Completion)

EFP Planning Advisors are available for technical question or support on code selection, but applications must be completed by the producer.

Need help with IAF’s Client Portal?

We’ve created a number of tutorials and FAQs about the IAF Client Portal to help you navigate this resource successfully.

BMP List

All application windows are subject to funding availability and may close earlier than stated if funds are fully allocated. Applications must be complete and be accompanied with all appropriate or required information and documents in order to be processed for approval.

Planning and Design applications are open until June 8th.

Project applications: application dates not available

Looking for BMPs in the areas of Nitrogen Management, Cover Cropping, & Rotational Grazing?

The BC Climate Agri-Solutions Fund (BCCAF) provides cost-shared funding to eligible producers and supports the training of certified crop advisors and agrologists as well as information sharing throughout the agricultural community.

Resources

Have a question?

We’re here to help! Send us an email.

Eligible BMPs

Download the current 2023 Eligible Beneficial Management Practices.

EFT Application

Download the Electronic Funds Transfer Application (PDF)

EFP Renewal Assessment

Download the Environmental Farm Plan renewal assessment form 2022/23.

Farm Energy Assessment Providers

Download the list of approved contractors: Recognized Farm Energy Assessment Providers.

IPM Plan Approved Contractors

Download the list of IPM Plan Approved Contractors (updated: January 2023)

Land Owner Statement

Download the fillable Land Owner Statement form.

Reference & Guides

EFP Reference Guide

Visit the Government of BC’s website to download the EFP reference guide to support the EFP Planning Workbook.

Biodiversity Guide

Download the Biodiversity Guide from the Government of BC’s website.

Link not working?

From time to time the links to resources change. We do our best to keep everything up to date, but in the meantime, visit the Government of BC’s Environmental Farm Plan Program page for more information.

Management Plan Guides

Drainage Management

Visit the BC Government’s Drainage Management Guide page.

Grazing Management

Visit the BC Government’s Grazing Management Guide page.

Irrigation System Assessment

Visit the BC Government’s Irrigation System Assessment Guide page.

Riparian

Download the Riparian Management Field Workbook from the Government of BC’s website.

Riparian Areas & Information

Learn more about Riparian Areas from the Government of BC’s website.

Vegetative Buffers

Download the Vegetative Buffers Guide from the Government of BC’s website.

Funding for this program has been provided by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a 3.5-billion, 5-year agreement between the federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen the competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of the agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. Additional funding has been provided by CleanBC and British Columbia’s Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy (CPAS). The program is delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC.

SCAP Logo, Clean BC Logo, Province of BC Logo, Government of Canada Logo

Please note: the Government of BC may, from time to time, give instructions to IAF in relation to the delivery and administration of this program. IAF must and will comply with those instructions.