The Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is now accepting letters of intent (LOI)s for the newly developed Whole Farm Research Program.

The Whole Farm Research program is a whole-farm, cross-commodity approach to research. It is not crop-specific.

“The Whole Farm Research Committee delegates have been busy building the objectives and priorities for an exciting way of working together,” says Lori-Ann Kaminski, Research Program Manager at MCA. “It’s exciting bringing the information we received from Manitoba farmers and other MCA delegates together to develop the program and call for research projects to bring the Whole Farm Research priorities to life.”

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.

“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.”

LOI’s will be accepted until Thursday, April 15, 2021 for projects to begin in 2022.

MCA will consider 3–5 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 visit mbcropalliance.ca/research/projects or contact Lori-Ann Kaminski at loriann@mbcropalliance.ca.