Perennia — On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF)

• Completed project worksheets.
• Quotes, estimates, or contracts for purchases and services over $3,000.
• Proof of Nova Scotia farm registration.
• Georeferenced aerial photograph with field location.
• Most recent tax return page showing gross farming income, if applicable.
• Before photos for rotational grazing infrastructure projects.

Who is eligible?

• Actively farming applicants
• Applicants able to enter into a legally binding agreement and aged 19 years or older
• Organizations located in Nova Scotia
• Farm or co-operative
• Not-for-profit agricultural association
• Regional or community pasture
• Other agricultural producer group in existence prior to the program
• Mi'kmaq conducting farming activities in Mi'kmaw communities
• Underrepresented group

Who is not eligible

• Companies not headquartered in Nova Scotia.
• Organizations not actively engaged in farming activities or agricultural production.
• Businesses applying funds to lands outside Nova Scotia.
• Applicants unable to pay 100% of project costs up front.
• For-profit companies outside of the farming/agricultural sector.

Eligible expenses

• Difference in cost between urea and eligible polymer coated urea (PCU) fertilizers.
• Difference in cost between eligible stabilized fertilizers and urea (must include both urease and nitrification inhibitors).
• Fees for plans, assessments, design work, and consultancy costs for technical or agronomic support.
• Soil testing and soil mapping costs (only when combined with another eligible practice and capped at $20,000).
• Offset costs for adopting synthetic fertilizer substitutes such as manure, compost, or digestates.
• Costs for split application of fertilizer with a reduced rate based on increased crop use efficiency.
• Seed and planting costs for increasing legumes in crop rotation (flat rate basis).
• Purchase or upgrade of fertilizer application equipment for banding, side-dressing, or injection (cap applies).
• Spreading costs and equipment for improved manure application, including hoses or shallow incorporation devices (restrictions apply for equipment type).
• Professional service fees from agronomists, agrologists, or Certified Crop Advisers related to cover cropping or rotational grazing.
• Seed costs or per-acre payments for cover cropping with regionally-appropriate seed varieties.
• Purchase or upgrade of direct planting equipment for cover crops (certain types only, capped per applicant).
• Infrastructure costs for rotational grazing (e.g., cross fencing, virtual fencing, wildlife-friendly fencing, temporary fencing, waterers, and remote watering systems powered by renewable energy), including third-party installation labor.
• Seeding costs for improving pasture composition with eligible low methane species.
• Costs for developing grazing management plans, technical assessments, or engineered designs.

Eligible geographic areas

• Nova Scotia

• Eligibility of the applicant, activities, costs, and project timelines.
• Alignment of the project with the program’s objectives and priorities.
• Contribution of the project to the adoption of beneficial management practices that store carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Capability of the applicant to successfully complete the project.

• Send the completed pre-screening form to programs@perennia.ca or by fax to 902-678-7266.
• If you must mail it, send it 3 weeks before the application deadline.

• Complete applications are reviewed by a committee of professional agrologists.
• The committee may request additional clarifying information before making a decision.
• Applicants are notified by email after the review committee meeting.
• If approved, a contribution agreement is issued and must be signed and returned by the deadline.
• If not approved, the applicant may reapply if intake is still open.

• All recipients are required to complete an educational activity related to each adopted best management practice (BMP).
• Recipients must retain all original invoices and proofs of payment for seven years after project completion for potential federal review.
• OFCAF contributions are considered taxable income and will be reported with an AGR-1 tax slip.
• Monitoring or site visits may be conducted to ensure compliance with approved project activities.