Ontario invests up to $5 million to boost community grazing pastures
Funding aims to improve pasture quality and resilience for cattle farmers
30 June 2025
2 minute read
By: The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $5 million to enhance the productivity and resilience of community grazing pastures across Ontario, according to a government-issued press release. The funding supports cattle farmers by improving shared pasture lands, helping them stay competitive amid economic uncertainty.
The Community Pastures Initiative, funded through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), offers financial support for projects including rotational grazing, planting resilient perennial forage crops, establishing riparian buffers, and integrated tree-forage-livestock systems. Eligible projects may receive up to 100% of costs for design, construction, and maintenance.
“The investment supports biodiversity, soil health, and resilient grazing systems—key to a sustainable future,” said Heath MacDonald, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Trevor Jones, added the initiative is vital to maintaining a strong cattle and agri-food sector.
The program is administered by the Ontario Forage Council in partnership with the Association of Community Pastures and is part of the broader $56.7-million Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program under Sustainable CAP.
Don Hargrave, chair of the Ontario Association of Community Pastures, welcomed the support, highlighting its potential to rejuvenate 6,400 hectares of pastureland. Craig McLaughlin, president of Beef Farmers of Ontario, called the investment “a vital step toward securing a more sustainable and productive future for our beef sector.”
More details and application information are available through the Ontario Forage Council.
