The Manitoba Organic Development Fund has announced its first set of grants through their new organic farm check-off program.

In 2023 over $50 thousand dollars is being awarded to five different projects.

The first three grants will be delivered through the Manitoba Organic Alliance.

The first project will see $20,000 with matching funds, for the creation of a Digital Marketing Tool and the hiring of a market analyst for one year to help farmers navigate the organic grain market. 

The second grant for $17,216.50 will be matched with funds from a number of other entities to promote cover crops, soil building and biodiversity enhancement, a fundamental aspect of organic agriculture.

The third grant for $5000, will provide funding for Manitoba Organic Alliance summer field tours.

Two other grants include a five-year commitment of $6000 per year for a national research project led by a University of Manitoba scientist looking at ways to increase phosphorus levels in soils from recycled entities such as struvite, one meal and compost products. 

Overton Environmental Enterprises will receive a one-year grant of $2500 to conduct objective third-party field trials of foliar-applied biological inoculants for organic cereal grain production.