Ontario Announces $1.4 Million for Five Clay Belt Agriculture Projects
The Ontario government announced on June 12, 2025, that it will provide more than $1.4 million to support five agriculture projects in the Clay Belt region of Northern Ontario. The funding will go to farms and organizations in the Timiskaming-Cochrane area, Thornloe, New Liskeard, and Cochrane.
According to the province, funding is being delivered through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC). The NOHFC provides financial support to a variety of economic development projects across Northern Ontario, including those in agriculture.
The largest portion of the funding, $1 million, is allocated to the Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA) to oversee a tile drainage project. Provincial officials said this money will support the installation of tile drainage on approximately 1,872 acres in the Timiskaming-Cochrane area, with 18 agricultural producers participating. The province describes tile drainage as a method intended to improve crop consistency and reduce soil erosion.
Other grants include $200,000 for Greenrock Acres, a sheep farm in Thornloe, to build a new barn and feed storage, renovate an existing barn, and purchase equipment. KR Farms, a cattle farm in New Liskeard, will receive $93,303 for a hay and equipment shed, fencing, and equipment purchases. Adrian and Margaret Struyk, operators of a dairy and cash crop farm in Cochrane, are allocated $71,300 for barn renovations and equipment. Willgrove Farms in Thornloe will be awarded $51,611 to construct a hay shed.
Yves Gauthier, president of NOFIA, said: "Agriculture in Northern Ontario supports over 8,991 jobs and contributes over $555 million in GDP to the provincial economy. Farm cash receipts have grown over the past 15 years from $182 million in 2006 to $246 million in 2024." These figures were cited as provincial data.
The province also reported that, since June 2018, the NOHFC has invested more than $905 million in 7,309 projects across Northern Ontario, creating or sustaining more than 11,210 jobs. In January 2025, the government announced an additional $30 million investment over three years, raising the NOHFC's annual budget to $110 million for 2025–26.