FCC AgriSpirit Fund now open for applications

 

Farm Credit Canada is now accepting applications from registered charities and non-profit organizations in rural Canada for the FCC AgriSpirit Fund. The fund will award $1.5 million in funding this year.

 

The application deadline is March 29, 2018 and FCC will announce the selected projects in August.

 

Rural community groups can view the eligibility requirements, past projects and apply online by visiting www.fccagrispiritfund.ca.

 

For the past 15 years, FCC has awarded rural community groups between $5,000 and $25,000 in FCC AgriSpirit funding for various community improvement initiatives. This year, the fund will support key projects that enhance the lives of residents or contribute to sustainability in communities. Examples include capital expenditures on equipment purchase and installation, energy efficient building improvements and repairs and purchasing rescue and fire equipment.

 

Since inception of the FCC AgriSpirit Fund in 2004, FCC has supported over 1,000 capital projects in rural Canada totaling $10.5 million in donations.

 

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.