United States
USDA announces $16B in disaster assistance for producers
USDA will provide financial relief to producers who experienced eligible crop losses due to natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 through the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP). Applications opened July 10 at local Farm Service Agency offices. To streamline the process, pre-filled applications are being mailed directly to eligible producers. “Wheat growers have faced numerous challenges over the past year, including extreme weather,” said Pat Clements, president of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) in a statement. “These funds will help producers recover and continue their critical work of feeding and fueling the world. NAWG appreciates USDA’s commitment to delivering this much-needed assistance in a timely manner.” For additional information on eligibility, application procedures, and program details, please visit USDA’s SDRP page or contact your local FSA office.
MSU receives grant to address nutrient contribution to key waterway
Michigan State University (MSU)’s Institute of Water Research received a $12 million investment from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) to address nutrient contributions to the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) in Michigan. The WLEB has been plagued with harmful algal blooms for more than a decade despite bi-national efforts to reduce nutrient inputs into the lake. To overcome this challenge, MDARD is leveraging and expanding previous work by the Institute of Water Research that maximizes nutrient reductions while minimizing costs. The activities in this project will be led by a partnership among the MSU Institute of Water Research, the MSU Center for Regenerative Agriculture, MSU Extension, the Lenawee County Conservation District and the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Previous work in the WLEB has demonstrated success with a performance-based approach that utilizes model-based outcomes. The approach resulted in reductions of phosphorus, which were seven times more cost-effective than the traditional conservation implementation used in the River Raisin watershed. This program will build on that approach by expanding the geographic scale and magnitude of effort, enhancing the program’s marketing through novel partnerships, incentives, and expanding the value chain of conservation outcomes and ecosystem services.
The organizations working with producers to enroll them will also be developed. These organizations will utilize a simplified online tool connected to a complex model running in the background, which will help predict the environmental benefits, such as reduced phosphorus, sediment, and runoff, resulting from various management changes in the fields. The online tool will also determine the payment amount based on the predicted phosphorus reductions and enable the producer to enter into a contract directly from the tool if they are interested. The program will run for seven years. During the first year, the project team will work with a diverse stakeholder advisory committee to develop various aspects of the project, such as payment rates, incentives, additional project priorities, verification, and strategic visioning. In the spring of 2026, the project will start enrolling producers in the program. To help explore more options for adopting conservation practices, the Center for Regenerative Agriculture will develop yield stability maps that identify areas in agricultural fields that are less productive and therefore less profitable. These areas may present prime opportunities for farmers to implement conservation practices, which can increase their overall profitability. In addition, the center will also work to leverage the area’s supply chains’ interest in sustainable sourcing and look for potential financial incentives to offset any losses during transitions.
Canada
Canada, Ontario offering grants for improving energy efficiency on farms
The governments of Canada and Ontario will invest up to $3 million as part of the third intake of the Agricultural Stewardship Initiative, which helps farmers implement projects to improve the energy efficiency of farming operations. The initiative is being funded through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Successful applicants can receive between $10,000 and $90,000 for energy efficiency improvements, including the replacement of inefficient on-farm technologies, installing geothermal heating and adopting high efficiency motor, ventilation, heating, cooling, refrigeration, grain drying and lighting systems.
FCC introduces new AI tool for producer support
Farm Credit Canada (FCC) has struck a new partnership with Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) to introduce a new free generative AI tool, Root. Root is designed to close critical information gaps and give producers fast, reliable support. Root delivers accessible, expert-backed guidance from decades of research, field experiences and proven practices to producers without requiring complex data inputs. Developer RDAR has inked a memorandum of understanding with FCC to strengthen the tool’s capabilities, connecting Root with relevant data sources and supporting testing efforts. According to the company, Root is built on a privacy-first principle, ensuring no personal user information is required to use the assistance. This protects producer confidentiality and builds trust as they explore the tool. Since its launch, Root has supported more than 2,900 conversations, with 91 per cent of users reporting helpful results. It is available in English and French.
Ontario opens nominations for Excellence in Agriculture Awards
The Ontario government has officially opened nominations for the 2025 Excellence in Agriculture Awards. The awards highlight the achievements of farmers, food processors, industry organizations and agri-businesses across Ontario’s $51 billion agri-food industry. This year’s awards will recognize excellence in 12 categories: Youth Excellence; Food Processing Excellence; Research and Innovation Excellence; Northern Business Excellence; Workforce Excellence; Women’s Excellence; Education Excellence; Supply Chain Excellence; Indigenous, Métis or Inuit-Owned Business or Community Excellence; Promotional Excellence; Farm Family Excellence; and Urban Agriculture Excellence. Nominations are open until Sept. 2. Individuals and organizations can nominate themselves or others by visiting ontario.ca/agrifoodinnovation.
