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Manitoba Whole Farm Research program accepting Letters of Intent

The Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is currently accepting letters of intent (LOIs) for the newly developed Whole Farm Research program. The Whole Farm Research (WFR) program is a whole-farm, cross-commodity approach to research. It is not crop-specific and leads to innovative solutions for the benefit of Manitoba producers now and in the future.

Whole Farm Research priorities include crop rotation innovation; soil health: organic matter, cover crop and intercropping; pest management: weeds, diseases and insects; as well as water. General principles for MCA-funded WFR projects are:

• Innovative and forward-thinking;
• Designed to answer farmers’ questions or resolve issues;
• Solution-oriented with actionable outcomes and an emphasis on end goals that producers can implement in their operations;
• A pathway to assess and integrate new/next technology into Manitoba cropping systems;
• Another channel to communicate and collaborate with other organizations in Manitoba and across Canada;
• An opportunity to enhance communication channels with consumers and the public.

“The Whole Farm Research program is a unique opportunity for Manitoba,” says Warren McCutcheon, farmer, delegate on the Whole Farm Research Committee and director with MCA. “It’s a chance for researchers, commodities and organizations across the country to collaborate on initiatives to increase profitability for grain farmers in Manitoba now and into the future. It’s also an opportunity to share success stories to the public.”

LOIs will be accepted until Thursday, April 15, for projects to begin in 2022. MCA will consider three- to five-year proposals related to grain production and value‐added processing. An overriding priority is improving the profitability for Manitoba’s barley, corn, flax, wheat or sunflower producers.

For more information about MCA’s Whole Farm Research program or to review the LOI eligibility criteria, please visit mbcropalliance.ca/research/projects or contact Lori-Ann Kaminski, MCA research program manager, at loriann@mbcropalliance.ca.