Dufferin County’s 2025 Experimental Acres Open for Applications
Dufferin County invites farmers to apply to the 2025 Experimental Acres Program by Friday February 28, 2025.
Experimental Acres provides Dufferin farmers with educational and financial support to de-risk new practices that improve yield, soil health, carbon sequestration and overall sustainability. The Program is intended to champion farmer-led discovery, with small-scale experimentation that can link to larger funding opportunities. Farmer-created projects will be supported through three Experimental Acres funding streams:
Living Roots and Green Cover
Maintaining soil cover helps reduce soil erosion from wind and precipitation. Example practices include cover cropping, intercropping and introducing new crops into the rotation.
Innovation
The innovation stream is for projects that can benefit soil health and do not fit into other categories. Example practices include tarping to reduce tillage intensity, winter crop rotation and planting tall grass prairie.
Integrating Animals on the Farm
Integrating animals on the farm can have many benefits to soil health and promote carbon storage in cropland soil. Example practices include rotational grazing, silvopasture and bale grazing.
Successful applicants can expect to receive prompt reimbursement of costs to de-risk their trial, and for soil testing and result analysis, research support from staff, and information about related events and programs.
The County is dedicated to engaging a collaborative learning process to advance sustainable farming practices that not only produce food but also enhance climate resilience – boosting biodiversity, enriching soil health, strengthening watersheds, and supporting pollinators. Dufferin farmers who are charting unique, practical pathways toward sustainable agriculture are encouraged to submit an application for funding by Friday February 28 here.
