As part of the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Initiative, the Agricultural Stewardship Initiative (ASI), provides cost-share funding to support farmers to accelerate the adoption of best management practices (BMPs) supporting soil health, water quality, energy efficiency, and productivity benefits on agricultural land across Ontario. The Initiative also provides enhanced funding on a regional basis for projects contributing to phosphorus reductions in the Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair watershed areas. Projects will focus on:
Basic Energy Use Assessment (Level 1)
Detailed Energy Audit (Level 2)
Energy Efficiency Improvements
Larger-Scale Energy Efficiency Improvements
Please note that all project categories may not be offered in each application intake period.
Carefully read the Agricultural Stewardship Initiative Program Guideas only eligible and complete applications will be considered. The Program Guide provides information on eligible activities and costs, available cost-share, required application documentation, and provides a link to the OSCIA Portal.Â
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Applications to the Agricultural Stewardship Initiative are submitted electronically through the OSCIA Portal. You will need to create an account and complete the Enrolment Form on the OSCIA Portal to be able to apply.
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The following must be included with an application submission:
Application Form
FBRN or documentation to support an eligible FBRN exemption
Additional information may be required please refer to the Program Guide
Are you looking for information on the Agricultural Stewardship Initiative 2025 Application Intake?
The next application intake opens on August 13, 2025, 9am ET and will close on September 3, 2025, 3pm. Eligible farm operations can apply for cost-share funding under the following project categories:
Basic Energy Use Assessment (Level 1)Â
Detailed Energy Audit (Level 2)Â
Energy Efficiency ImprovementsÂ
Larger-Scale Energy Efficiency ImprovementsÂ
For more information on the available cost-share, please visit the Program Guide.
The Program Guide provides information on eligibility criteria, available cost-share, limits of cost-share funding and more; carefully read the guide before applying.
The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) is a 5-year (2023-2028), $3.5-billion investment by federalâprovincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of the agriculture, agriâfood and agriâbased products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by the provinces and territories.
Thank you for choosing to join OSCIA!Merci d'avoir choisi de rejoindre l'AASRO!
To become an OSCIA member with your local association, you'll be redirected to the OSCIA Portal at osciaportal.org.
The first step is to create an account, which will give you access to your personalized dashboard. From there, you can register for workshops, apply for cost-share programs, and complete your membership registration.
To finalize your membership, simply click the Membership button on your dashboard. You'll then be guided to select your region and the local association where you'd like to become a member.
