May 8, 2026
Dear Producer,
Thank you for your interest in the On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) and for the strong response to RDAR’s 2026-2027 intake. As at the date of this circular, RDAR has received more than 600 producer applications totaling over $13 million for projects across rotational grazing, the new virtual fencing beneficial management practice, drone seeding, nitrogen management, cover cropping and soil testing. We are grateful for the trust Alberta producers continue to place in the program.
RDAR is committed to ensuring that every dollar of public funding allocated to the Alberta delivery of OFCAF reaches farmers and ranchers undertaking beneficial management practice work. To support that commitment, and to ensure that the 2026-2027 allocation is placed with as many Alberta producers as possible on a clear, fair and predictable basis, RDAR is introducing four refinements to the OFCAF subscription terms.
These refinements do not change the eligibility criteria or the beneficial management practices supported under OFCAF. They are operational improvements designed to give every applicant certainty that funds reserved against an approved project will be available, and that approved producers will move smoothly from approval to project completion to reimbursement.
1. Minimum project size of $10,000
Going forward, RDAR will accept OFCAF applications only where the requested funding amount is $10,000 or greater. This change ensures that the administrative cost of processing each application is proportionate to the value placed with the producer and reserves program capacity for projects that materially advance the adoption of beneficial management practices.
Producers with smaller projects and the desire to trial BMPs are encouraged to apply for an RDAR PREP (Producer Research and Evaluation Project), which is eligible for $20,000 funding and project support. Contact PREP@rdar.ca for more information.
2. Acceptance within 14 days and project start date
For projects approved in 2026 - 2027, producers must indicate acceptance online within 14 days of project approval and provide a project start date. If acceptance is not indicated within 14 days, the project will be placed on a waitlist, and the reserved funds may be reallocated to other producers.
3. Sixty-day reimbursement claim deadline
Reimbursement claims must be submitted to RDAR within 60 days of the earliest date of:
the date of project completion or
the date of the final vendor invoice.
The 60-day window applies equally to all producers and is intended to deliver consistent, predictable processing for everyone in the program. RDAR's claim audit team is structured to turn complete claims around quickly within this window.
4. Producer Undertaking and Acknowledgement
A new Producer Undertaking and Acknowledgement will record each producer’s commitment to start and complete the approved work and to submit claims within the 60-day reimbursement deadline.
Pause of the current call on 15 May 2026
To enable orderly implementation of the four refinements and to ensure consistent treatment of all applicants, the current OFCAF call will hold on accepting new applications at 5:00 p.m. MST on Friday, May 15, 2026. The next OFCAF call, incorporating all four refinements, will open in early June 2026.
Why are we making these changes?
Two realities have shaped the design of these refinements. First, producer demand for OFCAF is exceptionally strong: in the first three weeks of the 2026-2027 intake, RDAR has already received applications that, if approved, would take a substantial share of the year's allocation. The producers most ready to invest in beneficial management practices on their farms and ranches deserve a program that runs to a clear and predictable timetable.
Second, RDAR's commitment to the producers it funds is to place every approved project with someone who is ready to undertake the work in the time available, so that no Alberta producer is excluded by funds being reserved against work that does not proceed.
These refinements are operational. They do not change eligibility criteria or the beneficial management practices supported under OFCAF. The $100,000 per farm program maximum includes 85% of costs for rotational grazing (e.g., livestock watering systems and fencing), including virtual fencing devices. The programmes expense caps remain: $20,000 for cover-cropping equipment (drone seeding), $20,000 for soil testing, $20,000 for soil amendments, and $2,000 for Professional Agrologist / Certified Crop Adviser (PAg/CCA) project approval.
Support for applicants
If you have any questions about these refinements or about whether they affect a project you are currently developing, the OFCAF Program Team is available to help. We will be pleased to support you in scoping a project that meets the new requirements, and to connect you with the Professional Agrologists and Certified Crop Advisers who support producer applications.
OFCAF Program Team: OFCAF.BMP@rdar.ca | 877-503-5955 | rdar.ca/ofcaf
Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting the adoption of beneficial management practices across Alberta.
Yours sincerely,
Mark Redmond, Ph.D., ICD.D, ESG.D
Chief Executive Officer
RDAR | Results Driven Agriculture Research