GROW Program Now Accepting Letters Of Intent

The first call for Letters of Intent for project proposals under Manitoba’s new Growing Outcomes in Watersheds (GROW) Program is now open.

 

“Through GROW, and the establishment of these two Trusts, we have a new program and funding that will sustainably manage Manitoba’s watersheds,” said Agriculture and Resource Development Minister Blane Pedersen. “This is the beginning of a long-lasting partnership between the province, the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation and, most importantly, Manitoba farmers and other landowners.”

 

In addition to income from the $102 million Conservation Trust, GROW projects will also be supported through the $52.0 million GROW Trust that was announced in June 2019. GROW Trust funds will compensate farmers when agricultural lands are committed to conservation purposes.

 

“The goal is to improve watershed resilience to the impacts of a changing climate,“ said Pedersen. “These trusts implement our government’s commitments in our Made-in-Manitoba Climate and Green Plan while enhancing sustainable production for Manitoba farmers.”

 

GROW will be delivered by Manitoba’s Watershed Districts and will provide incentives for landowners to adopt practices that reduce flooding, improve water quality and make the agricultural landscape more resilient to the impacts of climate change. Incentives will support activities such as wetland conservation and restoration, small water retention structures, riparian area enhancement, conservation buffer strips and perennial cover plantings and other conservation projects that are watershed management plan priorities.

 

“The two Trusts and the overall GROW framework bring a new dimension to conservation programs in rural Manitoba,” said Tim Sopuck, chief executive officer of the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation. “The new program and the funding approach will deliver important environmental results to Manitobans for generations to come.”

 

Groups that are eligible to deliver GROW may apply for up to $500,000 in funding. Other groups may consider applying to the Conservation Trust under criteria established in the Watersheds category, where the maximum funding available is $250,000.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.