Canada-Ontario Environmental Farm Plan (EFP)
Learn about this voluntary program to increase environmental education and awareness on the farm.
Overview
Environmental Farm Plans (EFPs) help farm businesses assess and improve environmental practices in up to 23 areas on their farm. By completing an EFP, you can:
- highlight your farm's environmental strengths
- identify areas of environmental concern
- create an action plan with timelines to address concerns
- strengthen your farm’s competitiveness
- support a more sustainable agricultural sector
You may be eligible for cost-share programs to help implement your projects.
The program is delivered locally by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA).
The EFP program was developed by the farm community under the former Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition, led by:
- Ontario Federation of Agriculture
- Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario
- Farm & Food Care — Ontario (an amalgamation of the Ontario Farm Animal Council and AGCare)
The program is funded through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), supported by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA).
Since 1993, more than 50,000 Ontario farmers have participated in the EFP. It is an internationally recognized program that supports environmentally sustainable farming practices.
How to complete an EFP
You can complete an EFP by:
- attending a two-day, in-person workshop
- joining a two-session webinar
- using the self-direct electronic workbook (only available if you are updating a previously completed fourth edition EFP)
Each step of the EFP process is voluntary. You may proceed as far as you wish.
Step 1: attend an EFP workshop or webinar
Attend an in-person EFP workshop scheduled for your area or a webinar. You’ll receive the fifth edition EFP workbook (paper or electronic), which includes:
- worksheets
- instructions
- guidance to help you complete the risk assessment and action plan
Workshops are delivered locally by OSCIA. Check the OSCIA website or call
Complete the risk assessment
The EFP risk assessment helps you evaluate the current level of environmental concern for various areas on your farm, such as:
- water wells
- fuel storage
- soil and pest management
Each worksheet includes about 20 questions. You only need to complete the worksheets and questions that apply to your farm.
Develop an action plan
Once you complete the worksheets, your ratings will show areas where changes could reduce environmental risk. Use this information to create an action plan.
You’ll decide what actions to take and when to take them. You can use infosheets and best management practices books to help set priorities.
Step 2: submit your EFP for review
Submit your completed action plan (paper or electronic) to OSCIA for confidential review. Once it’s reviewed and verified, you’ll receive an EFP completion certificate.
Step 3: review and implement your plan
Use your action plan to guide your next steps. You can complete projects based on your priorities and timeline.
About the workbook
The EFP workbook helps you understand your farm from an environmental perspective. It asks you to think about how your land, buildings and practices affect:
- air
- soil
- water
- biodiversity
The workbook includes 2 parts:
- Farm review: assess your farm using 23 worksheets
- Action plan: identify and prioritize changes
As you work on your action plan, you’ll consider whether risks come from natural conditions or how you manage your farm. Then, you’ll decide what to address now and what to plan for in the future.
The farm review and the action plan belong to you and are not shared with any other parties.
Infosheets
22 of the 23 worksheets in the workbook have a corresponding infosheet to help you complete your action plan. There is no infosheet for Worksheet 1 — soil and site evaluation.
Each infosheet follows the same structure as the worksheet it supports. It takes you through each issue, 1 question at a time.
Infosheets provide:
- a quick reference for information specific to the worksheet question
- a short list of possible actions to improve your situation
- examples of acceptable compensating factors that may address a situation without changing the rating you specified in the workbook
- a benchmark to measure the quality of your proposed solutions
Infosheets do not:
- offer the only solution — other options may become available
- provide the last word on an issue — some issues may require more technical information from other sources