RALP funding supports the costs associated with the establishment and long-term maintenance of native perennial grasslands on marginal/lower productivity agricultural landscapes in Ontario. A grassland is dominated by grasses rather than by trees, as in a forest. Growing with the grasses are many other kinds of non-grassy herbaceous plants known by the collective name of “forbs”. On moist soils, prairie blends into marshlands dominated by sedges rather than grasses (adapted from Tallgrass Ontario).

Native grasslands result in more resilient agricultural landscapes with an increased ability to sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce soil erosion, and provide many other ecological benefits. Native grasslands are often best suited to wet, sloping, poor-soil, or otherwise marginal fields.

RALP funding supports the planting/establishment and on-going maintenance of perennial biomass crops (e.g., switchgrass) on annual cropland in Ontario.

Increasing the frequency of perennial biomass crops in annual crop rotations and conversion of marginal and high-risk annual croplands to perennial biomass crops results in more resilient agricultural landscapes, with an increased ability to sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce soil erosion and provide many other ecological benefits.

RALP funding supports the planting/establishment and on-going maintenance of perennial warm season grasses for improving pastures.

Increasing the frequency of plantings of perennial warm season grasses as part of pasture management results in more resilient agricultural landscapes with an increased ability to sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce soil erosion, and provide many other ecological benefits.

RALP funding supports farmers who want to implement a new practice of no-till, strip-till or minimum tillage, and ultimately increase the number of acres under reduced tillage on annual cropland in Ontario.

Reduced tillage practices result in more resilient agricultural landscapes with an increased ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce soil erosion, and provide many other ecological benefits.

RALP funding supports the rejuvenation of existing or establishment of new tree and/or shrub plantings on agricultural landscapes in Ontario.

Tree and shrub plantings result in more resilient agricultural landscapes with an increased ability to sequester carbon, reduce soil erosion, and provide many other ecological and water quality benefits. To learn more about the benefits of trees on agricultural lands, visit Trees on farms | ontario.ca.

RALP funding supports the rejuvenation or the establishment of water retention or shallow groundwater type features on agricultural landscapes in Ontario. The feature must be a minimum of 15 feet deep to qualify for funding.

Water retention features result in more resilient agricultural landscapes with an increased ability to help farmers adapt to changing climate conditions and manage fluctuations in water resources, creating more resilient agricultural production and providing many other ecological and water quality benefits.

RALP funding supports the restoration or establishment of wetlands on agricultural landscapes in Ontario.

Wetlands result in more resilient agricultural landscapes with an increased ability to sequester carbon, reduce soil erosion, and provide many other ecological and water quality benefits. Wetlands are areas that are either covered or saturated with water at some times of the year.