Robin Tunnicliffe, an organic vegetable farmer with her M.A. in food policy from UVic and the chair of the Metchosin Agricultural Committee, had reassurance in the sustainability of her farming practices at Sea Bluff Farm thanks to the Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) program.
Farmers who have an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) learn how to reduce agriculture’s impact on the environment. Many Environmental Farm Plan participants enjoy increased efficiency, profitability, and new customers as a result of increased environmental sustainability. (Ministry of Agriculture and Food)
Robin wanted to undertake the completion of her EFP to ensure Sea Bluff Farm was following current best environmental practices and so that her farm would qualify when applying for further IAF programs.
She worked alongside her EFP advisor, Wayne Haddow, to complete her Environmental Farm Plan workbook. Considering Robin’s substantial background in land stewardship, it was no surprise that Sea Bluff Farm was given few recommendations for environmental remediation, other than future solar panel installation, which could reduce dependence on fossil fuels and support more sustainable agriculture at Sea Bluff Farm.
“I really enjoyed the process of doing the environmental farm plan. It was an afternoon of visiting with a retired farmer, and we worked together through the workbook,” she said. “It was a pleasant gateway to funding with absolutely no repercussions for environmental disasters on your property. I’m confident that anyone can succeed at this.”
The ease with which Robin found the EFP process gave her the confidence to apply for our Beneficial Management Practices program (BMP) this January. The BMP proposal for Sea Bluff Farm would involve installing solar PV modules, an inverter system, racking components, and a system monitoring device, ensuring the farm’s electrical infrastructure resilience and supporting the sustainability goals outlined in her EFP report.
The EFP program has been instrumental in helping farmers realize their commitment to sustainable farming practices while enhancing their operational efficiency.
Funding for these programs have been provided by the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a $3.5 billion, 5-year agreement between the federal, provincial and territorial governments. Additional funding has been provided by CleanBC. The program is delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC (IAF).
