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INNOVATION PROJECTS

Since its inception, PODF has undertaken a number of Innovation projects designed to improve farm resilience. Key projects, goals and deliverables are summarized below.

Introducing Prairie Farmers to a New Tool to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agriculture
FUNDER: Sustainable Agricultural Partnership Program - Manitoba Industry Development Initiatives 
Budget: $49,900, cost-share ratio: 50:50
DATES: April 2024 - February 2025

GOAL: To train farmers  and agronomists in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to use the new Nutrient Budgeting App developed as part of the Canadian Organic Ingredient Strategy.
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PROJECT DETAILS: PODF will host on-line training sessions for agronomists and in-person training sessions for producers over the winter months of 2024-2025 to help these groups become proficient in using the app and to improve their crop rotations. Ultimately, the app will help to decrease greenhouse gas emissions associated with agriculture by reducing the use of fossil fuel-based fertilizers and decreasing nutrient leaching to the environment.

Scaling Up Organics: Education, Leadership and Benchmarking for Resilience
FUNDER: Sustainable Agricultural Partnership Program - AgriCompetiveness Program
AMOUNT: $1,408,550, cost-share ratio: 70:30 (AAFC:PODF)
DATES: May 2023 - March 2026

GOAL: To advance the organic sector in Canada by improving business management and planning capacity, increasing public trust, and building skills, knowledge and best practices. The project focusses on scaling organic profitability, environmental outcomes, and credible image through:
  • building evidence for organics through data aggregation and benchmarking
  • growing organic supply and leadership through education, tools and skill-building, and
  • strengthening public trust in organics and Canadian food systems.
 
PROJECT DETAILS: Project partners include Organic Alberta, SaskOrganics, Manitoba Organics, the Organic Council of Ontario, the Atlantic Canadian Regional Organic Network and the University of Manitoba. The groups will deliver farmer trainings in their regions, including conferences, farm tours and farm clubs, educate consumers about the multiple benefits of organic agriculture though tabling events, and work with farmers to benchmark soil health. Other projects include enhancing the sector's data benchmarking capacity by introducing new statistical tools and supporting organic grain markets through enhancement of the Organic Grain Hub.

The Canadian Organic Ingredient Strategy
FUNDER: Agricultural Partnership Program - AgriCompetiveness Program
AMOUNT: $594,660, cost-share ratio: 50:50
DATES: April 2021 - March 2023

GOAL:​ The Canadian Organic Ingredient Strategy built on the success of the Prairie Organic Grain Initiative, while expanding the scope to include organic vegetables and livestock. Geographical range was also expanded to include Ontario. The project aimed to help Canadian farmers benefit from increased knowledge and skills of organic farming methods, which can improve soil health and boost farm resilience in the face of changing markets and climate change. Specific outcomes included:​
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  • Enhancing business skills, resilience and profitability for organic field crop, livestock and vegetable producers in the Prairies and Ontario
  • Increased adoption of environmental beneficial land management practices by all participating producers (organic, transitioning to organic, conventional)
  • Increased supply of organic ingredients for Canadian food processors and exporters
  • Increased numbers of organic producers and acres under organic management
  • New learning and connectivity tools and enhanced digital learning opportunities for producers
  • Build relationships between organic and conventional agriculture
 
PROJECT DETAILS: The project produced new podcasts, videos and fact sheets and updated and expanded the pivotandgrow website, while delivering 76 producer training events (on-line and in-person) in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. The funding also helped organic associations to expand their reach and capacity to deliver hybrid on-line and in-person conferences. PODF hosted a series of Organic Agronomy Training sessions with Dr. Martin Entz of the University of Manitoba. 
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Between 2021 and 2023, Manitoba Organics produced a series of podcasts on topics of keen interest to organic producers. Listen to the pods:

The Prairie Organic Grain Initiative
FUNDER: Western Economic Diversification Canada, grant to Organic Alberta with fundraising support from PODF
AMOUNT: $2,200,000, cost-share ratio: 50:50
DATES: 2015 - 2019

GOAL: To build resilience and stability in the Canadian organic grain sector.

PROJECT DETAILS: The project included several different streams as described below. Click here to view the final evaluation report produced by Tapestry Evaluation and Strategy.
TRANSITION STREAM
GOAL: To bring new entrants into organic farming
 
APPROACH: Focus groups were held in Saskatchewan to study the perceptions of mainstream farmers of organic farming. Participants were also asked what they considered to be the key barriers to transitioning to organic. The marketing company behind the focus groups identified characteristics of producers who they thought would be ideal candidates for recruitment. The target farmer should have a business focus, strong management skills be open to new market opportunities. Once the target was identified, a strong business case was built to counter each of the key concerns raised by producers in the focus groups. This business case formed the centrepiece of a communications strategy that was then rolled out in main stream media and in the places where farmers gather such as at conventional farm shows. The program also included a training program for new entrants, including a 1 800 Organic Expert line, farmer-to-farmer mentoring programs, farm clubs, transition workshops, a new website, field days and conferences. Throughout, the approach has been to provide opportunities for new organic farmers to network and learn from long-time organic producers.
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RESULTS: 
  • Focus groups with mainstream producers in Saskatchewan
  • Media materials for new organic growers and a marketing campaign to reach prospective organic growers
  • Attended 15 conventional farm shows
  • PivotandGrow website developed to host extension materials and to communicate directly to producers about training events
  • Downloadable Transition Starter Kit for new organic growers
  • 1-800 Ask an Expert phone line to match new farmers with expert advice
  • B-2-B Directory to help new growers find input suppliers, grain buyers and other resources
  • Between 2015 and 2018, the number of organic producers in the three Prairie provinces increased by 36% from 1290 to 1756
OPTIMIZATION STREAM
GOAL: To scale up organic grain production and improve grain quality by transferring the latest science and practice related to organic best management practices to organic producers.
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APPROACH: Our extension strategy had four areas of focus:
  • Soil fertility
  • Managing weeds
  • Crop rotations for weed and fertility management
  • Grain quality
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Preferred extension methods involved peer-to-peer learning, and matching farmers and exemplary practitioners together to transfer the latest science and methods. Extension methods employed a mix of one-to-many activities such as conferences, farm clubs and tours and one-on-one activities such as agronomist farm visits and the 1-800 Ask an Expert phone line
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RESULTS: 
MARKET DEVELOPMENT STREAM
GOAL: To accelerate sales of Prairie organic grains by providing opportunities for organic producers and grain marketers to attend international trade events.
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RESULTS: 
  • Created an Exporter Directory to link organic producers to export markets
  • Attended 13 international trade events with 71 Canadian organic businesses (producers, processors and importers/exporters)
  • As a result of this outreach, Prairie operators met with 188 international buyers, 30 of which are now purchasing Canadian organic grains
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