Governments Announce Funding to Strengthen Ontario Food Supply System

Oct 29, 2024

The federal and Ontario governments jointly announced a $7.5 million contribution Friday for a variety of projects aimed at strengthening the province’s food supply system.

Combined with cost-shared investments by the sector, the investment through the Biosecurity Enhancement Initiative is expected to generate up to $31.5 million in total funding across the Ontario agri-food sector, a provincial release said.

Under the initiative, farmers, processors, and select farm-supporting agri-food businesses were eligible for cost-share funding ranging from 35 to 50%, depending on the project category. Supported activities include the implementation of technologies that reduce the spread of animal and plant diseases and capital upgrades that enhance biosecurity, such as constructing isolation facilities and wash bays.

Examples of funded projects include:

Up to $50,000 for a sheep farm in Clarington to build a new barn to improve its on-farm isolation and separation processes;
Up to $50,000 for an Ottawa-area farm to purchase and implement an electronic traceability collection system to improve biosecurity and animal health for its cattle farming operation.

“Maintaining and strengthening Ontario’s world-class food safety system is the number one priority for this ministry,” said Rob Flack, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “This initiative builds on our government’s consistent record of enhancing the resilience of Ontario’s food supply chains and boosting our standing as a globally trusted producer of agri-food commodities and goods.”

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Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.