Learn About the ALUS Project
Sometimes the best solutions are the ones right in front of us. ALUS Peel leverages the power of nature to develop solutions that benefit agriculture and the environment. This partnership between Credit Valley Conservation, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, the Region of Peel and the charitable organization, ALUS, supports sustainable farming practices across the Region of Peel.
ALUS Peel opens new funding opportunities for on-farm stewardship and provides annual payments to farmers of up to $150/acre for the long-term monitoring and maintenance of eligible stewardship projects such as tree planting, native grassland and wetland restoration, in-field soil erosion control, and livestock restriction fencing.
Since its launch in 2022, 13 farmers have signed up to participate in ALUS Peel and are working hard with their local conservation authorities to create natural assets on their farms. Natural assets, including forests, wetlands, meadows, and streams, benefit our health and wellbeing while also often providing direct benefit to the farm.
Working Wetlands
Flooded fields can cause serious problems for farmers, including difficulty accessing their field, crop diseases and crop losses.
Wetlands naturally provide flood mitigation services. When located on farm properties, they help prevent localized flooding by storing water during spring snowmelt and periods of high rain.
Grasslands Protecting Against Drought
During hot, dry summers many pastures produce less forage. This is because the cool season grasses are not productive during periods of intense heat and dryness. This forces farmers to switch to hay or grain which can be an extra expense.
Native grasses like switchgrass, big bluestem and Indiangrass are heat and drought tolerant. Healthy native grasslands thrive in hot dry conditions, so creating areas of native grassland pasture makes good sense and can help save farmers money.
In total, Peel farmers are maintaining over 45 hectares of naturalized land in ALUS Peel projects. This puts the pilot project well ahead of our three-year target of 30 hectares.
ALUS Peel extends existing financial support for farm stewardship provided by the Peel Rural Water Quality Program. Visit aluspeel.ca to learn more.