Request for proposals: FaRM Field Trials 

FaRM Field Trial objectives

• Troubleshoot and overcome regional barriers to adopting cover cropping, nitrogen management, and rotational grazing practices that can improve on-farm resilience, soil health, and profitability while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon sequestration.

• Build familiarity and confidence with these BMPs among farmers, ranchers, and agricultural professionals through practical, hands-on experience.

• Generate regionally relevant on-farm agronomic and economic data to support decision-making.

• Encourage peer-to-peer learning and stronger regional and cross-country networks of agricultural professionals, farmers, and ranchers.

The Request for Proposals follows a two-stage process, beginning with a Letter of Intent (LOI). Applicants successful at the LOI stage will be invited to submit a Full Proposal. See the application, selection, and notification process for more information.

Eligibility requirements

• This program is primarily intended for Canadian agricultural professionals, such as Professional Agrologists (P.Ag), Agronomes (QC), or Certified Crop Advisers (CCA), however other professionals with relevant experience are welcome to apply. 

• Applicants must be a Canadian organization, a Canadian citizen, or a permanent resident currently operating and residing in Canada and able to enter into a legally binding agreement.

• Applicants must apply in partnership with at least one participating farmer and/or rancher. The project should be producer-led, meaning the barrier to BMP adoption was identified in collaboration with the participating producer(s), who must also be willing to share their experience and learning from the trial. 

• Field trials must be conducted at field-scale using field-sized equipment on a working farm or ranch that receives the majority of its income from commercial farming practices. Small plot trials, trials using plot-sized equipment, and trials located on research farms are not eligible. 

• Projects may begin at any time in 2027 and may run for a single season or longer, depending on the nature of the trial. Only expenses incurred after March 4, 2027, are eligible, and funding decisions are not expected until March 4, 2027. The maximum funding available is the same regardless of project duration. 

• Treatments may include commercially available products, but the trial must address a broader producer-identified BMP adoption-related question. The program does not typically support trials where the primary purpose is product development and testing, product promotion, or generating evidence that would ordinarily be developed by the product manufacturer or supplier.

Additional eligibility requirements may apply depending on the proposed project activities (i.e. accessing additional funding for mentorship purposes, trials that include enhanced efficiency fertilizers). See funding available and frequently asked questions for details.

Funding available

Up to $20,000 per project

Funding can support field trial costs, agronomist wages, producer stipends, analysis, travel, knowledge transfer, and other eligible expenses. Includes all applicable taxes and administrative fees. 

Up to $30,000 per project with mentorship component

Projects that include hiring and mentoring a junior agronomist or an agronomist from an underrepresented group in Canadian agriculture may receive up to an additional $10,000, for a total project total of up to $30,000, including applicable taxes and administrative fees.

The additional funding is intended to help grow agricultural extension capacity by supporting eligible wages, training, and mentoring costs that provide the mentee with meaningful, hands-on experience related to the BMP(s) being trialed and/or the on-farm trial process.

A mentee could be one or both of the following:

•  A junior agronomist is defined as an agronomist who is currently enrolled in, or graduated within the past five years from, a relevant post-secondary program (e.g. crop, animal, soil sciences, etc.).

• FCS defines the term underrepresented as: Young agronomists (<35), women agronomists, agronomists with disabilities, Black agronomists, Indigenous agronomists and food providers, agronomists of colour, 2SLGBTQ+ agronomists, and new Canadian agronomists. 

• The mentee can be a permanent or temporary employee, but must be a new hire as of March 4, 2027 and cannot be an existing employee of the applicant organization or business.

• The mentee must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident.

• The mentee cannot be the lead agronomist or lead investigator on the trial. 

Key deliverables

1. Design and execute a field trial

The trial must address a producer-identified regional barrier to adopting cover cropping, nitrogen management, and/or rotational grazing. The experimental design and data collected should be appropriate to the question or challenge the trial is intended to address. Note: Nitrogen management trials may have additional requirements; see the frequently asked questions. 

• Design a scientifically robust field trial. In the selection process, greater weight will be given to field trials demonstrating scientific rigour (e.g., a trial with four replicates will be weighted more favourably than a split-field trial design). 

• Record key management and site information needed to interpret the trial, such as field history, crop rotation, planting or seeding dates, fertilizer and manure application history, grazing or harvest dates, weather-related events, and other relevant field activities. 

• Collect sufficient, relevant data and clearly identify the response variables being measured (e.g., yield, percent cover, feed quality, etc.) to quantify the differences between treatments and ultimately inform trial conclusions. A trial measuring multiple key response variables will be weighted more favourably than a trial that only measures one response variable.

• Collect economic data pertinent to the trialled practices (e.g., fertilizer costs, corn price, etc.) which will be used in the partial budget analysis, where the “new practice(s)" should be compared to a control or business-as-usual.

• Document the trial with photos throughout the project, including trial establishment, key observations or treatment differences, and the on-farm event. Photos should support trial verification, reporting, and knowledge sharing.

OSCIA has put together a fantastic resource for their ONFARM program called “How to Conduct On-Farm Research Guidebook,” which has great tips that can be useful across multiple regions and production types.

2. Organize an on-farm event 

Organize and host an on-farm event (i.e. field day, demonstration, workshop, etc.) featuring the field trial, where regional farmers, ranchers, and agronomists are encouraged to come and see the trial and share their experiences. Peer-to-peer learning should be emphasized at this event.

• Share event details (e.g., date, description, flyer, etc.) with FaRM six weeks in advance of the event date so that we can cross-promote it through our regional newsletters, event calendar, and through our regional partner networks. 

• Include FCS Terms of Use and Privacy Statement in the event registration process and at the events. Event registration support is available through FaRM upon request.

• Acknowledge and promote the FaRM Program and Learning Hub at events and in all communications related to this project.

• Track and report on event participation and feedback. This must include:

1. Record the number and type of participants (e.g. producers, agronomists, etc.) at the event. 

2. Conduct a short (four-question), on-site, hand-raising survey of event participants using the questions provided.

3. Collect email addresses (voluntarily) from participants. Emails will be used by FaRM to administer the voluntary annual FaRM Impact Survey and to subscribe participants to a regional FaRM email newsletter. This survey measures the impact of the FaRM program activities, such as whether the knowledge/experience gained from FaRM events actually resulted in changes in practice. It also collects information on barriers to adoption and identifies other needed supports that inform our work.

3. Field trial report and extension materials

At the end of the trial, submit the completed Field Trial Report and extension materials using the templates and guidance provided by FaRM. The report will be used to share project objectives, data, and outcomes in public formats such as the FaRM Learning Hub, the FCS website, or other FaRM online platforms. 

The report must include the following four elements:

1. A completed report summarizing farm context, trial methodology, results and discussion, practical observations, and lessons learned (e.g., what worked, what didn’t work, what applicants might change in the future, etc.).

2. As peer-to-peer learning is a cornerstone of the FaRM Program, the report must feature a Producer’s Perspective section. This first-person storytelling can be submitted as an article, video, or audio file. If the trial involves multiple sites with different producers, please provide a Producer’s perspective from each producer.

3. A partial budget analysis comparing the differences in benefits and costs between the new practice(s) (e.g., cover cropping) and the baseline practice (e.g., not cover cropping). The partial budget analysis lets you consider the net return of adoption or net change in farm income.

   Net Return = Change in Benefits - Change in Costs

   Some sample partial budget analyses for cover crops are available on the FaRM Learning Hub under the mini-course “Economics of Cover Cropping.”

4. Photos with captions that document or help to communicate results, observations, or practical understanding. Videos are also welcome. 

Additional forms of extension materials are welcomed and encouraged (e.g., a podcast, instructional YouTube video, factsheet, infographic, conference presentations, webinars, etc.). Proposals with additional materials will be weighted more favourably in the review process.

4. Participate in evaluation

FCS values feedback on our programming and, as such, we ask that you and the field trial producer(s) participate in a group reflection hosted by the FaRM team and/or complete a brief survey at the end of the contract.

If the project includes hiring and mentoring a junior agronomist or an agronomist from an underrepresented group, the mentee must complete a brief reflection or evaluation survey at the end of the trial or their employment to help assess the knowledge and skills gained through participating in this program.

Expenses

Eligible expenses 

• Salaries and wages.

• Stipend to cover producer time (suggested $50/hr) or to cover possible crop loss (e.g., in a 0 lbs N/acre control); highly recommended.

• Field trial costs (e.g., flags, specialized equipment rental, etc.) and treatment costs (e.g., cover crop seed of new species being tested, etc.). 

• Some equipment >$500 is eligible with pre-approval by FaRM staff.

• Knowledge transfer costs (including venue, audio-visual rentals, supplies, and materials, etc.).

• Third-party expenses (soil and tissue testing, feed analysis, custom operator, etc.).

• Travel related to field trial (mileage, accommodation).

Ineligible expenses

• Capital costs (building improvements, office furniture/equipment, field trial/farm equipment over $500 unless prior approval from FaRM staff, drones, virtual fencing collars, computers, projectors, etc.).

• Cash crop seed. 

• Alcohol.

• Finance charges, loan interest payments, bank fees, and charges.

Application, selection and notification process

The Request for Proposals follows a two-stage process, beginning with a Letter of Intent (LOI). Applicants successful at the LOI stage will be invited to submit a Full Proposal.

Stage One: Letter of Intent 

• The Letter of Intent (LOI) submission form and instructions become available on this webpage on November 2, 2026. Subscribe to the FaRM Newsletter to receive a notification when submissions open. 

• The deadline for LOI submissions is 11:59 p.m. PT on November 23, 2026. 

• LOIs are reviewed by FaRM agronomists and scientific advisors based on the following criteria: 

  • Alignment with the FaRM Field Trial objectives and eligibility requirements.

  • Co-led with a farmer or rancher and clearly identifies a producer-inspired barrier to adoption. 

  • Demonstrates the potential for meaningful impact (e.g., significant greenhouse gas reduction potential, high relevance across significant acreage or production systems, strong peer-to-peer learning opportunities)

  • Describes an experimental design showing scientific rigour, including clearly defined and appropriate agronomically viable treatments and response variables.

• Applicants will be notified by email of the outcome of their LOI by December 3, 2026. Applicants invited to proceed to Stage Two will receive the Full Proposal submission form and instructions at that time.

Stage Two: Full Proposal 

• Applicants invited to participate in Stage Two must attend a mandatory 20-minute meeting with a FaRM team agronomist. The meeting is intended to help applicants strengthen their trial design, confirm program alignment, and address questions about completing a Full Proposal. Meetings will take place virtually between December 7 and December 10, 2026.

• Full proposals must include a project budget (template provided) and Letter(s) of Support from the collaborating farmer(s) or rancher(s).

• The deadline for Full Proposal submissions is 11:59 p.m. on PT January 18, 2027.

• Full Proposals are reviewed and scored by a regional committee composed of farmers, ranchers, agronomists and other subject-matter experts. The committee may also provide recommendations to strengthen the proposed project, including aspects such as treatment selection, agronomic practices, response variables, experimental design, and knowledge-sharing activities.

• Our goal is to notify applicants of decisions by email on or before March 4, 2027, with successful project contracts signed by mid-March.

Sign up for an upcoming Q&A session:

• October 21, 2026 – 12-1 pm ET (English only) – Register here

• October 22, 2026 – 11-12 pm ET (French only) – Register here

• November 16, 2026 – 12-1 pm ET (English and French “drop-in” session) – Register here

Contact

Should you have any questions about eligibility or the application process, or would like to discuss your project idea, please feel welcome to reach out to the FaRM Agronomy Program Manager for your region:

Taryn Dickson
FaRM Agronomy Program Manager, Prairie Canada and BC
taryn@farmersforclimatesolutions.ca

Madeline Rodrigue
FaRM Agronomy Program Manager, Eastern Canada (ON, QC, and Atlantic Canada)
madeline@farmersforclimatesolutions.ca

Frequently asked questions