Initiative
Giving farmers choice on how to preserve biodiversity
April 23, 2021 – Edmonton, Alberta – Alberta Environmental Farm Plan
With new content in the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan platform, farmers now have a program that will support them in farm-level conservation efforts, giving them a variety of choices that will work for their land.
The Habitat Management Chapter has been in development for several years and was carefully created to guide producers through a series of questions that will define the potential habitats they have based on where they are in the province. Once the farmer has moved through all of the questions, they will have the ability to choose the stewardship opportunities that will work for them on their farm or ranch. The workbook also provides resources and support organizations to help them implement their plan.
Alberta EFP Director, Lisa Nadeau, highlights that “We often hear from farmers that being able to work in and with nature is a major upside to their daily work. However, when your expertise is in producing food, needing to also understand the complexities of ecology can seem a little daunting. They’re not wrong, habitats can be very complicated, but hopefully, this chapter will act as an entry point so they can find simple ways to protect those natural experiences they associate with the farming lifestyle”
The new chapter, developed with biologists was designed to balance the needs of the farm with the needs of the ecosystem, provides a series of selections for the farmer to pick from so they can tailor their activities to best suit their farm. The information was compiled with a cross-section of the most recent peer-reviewed research and data sets available.
This project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada through the federal Department of Environment and Climate Change. Ce projet a été réalisé avec l’appui financier du gouvernement du Canada agissant par l’entremise du ministère fédéral de l’Environnement et du Changement climatique. This program is also supported through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a cost-shared investment by the Governments of Canada and Alberta.
###
Media Relations Contact
Carlene Schneider
Agricultural Communications Consultant
Alberta Environmental Farm Plan
780-729-3552
www.albertaefp.com
About the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan
The Alberta Environmental Farm Plan (AEFP) is a voluntary, whole farm, self-assessment program that helps producers identify their environmental risks and develop plans to mitigate identified risks. Starting in 2003, over 8,000 farmers have completed an environmental farm plan with the help of 45 technicians based across the province. For more information find us at http://www.albertaefp.com/.