The AgriSpirit Fund is sending $90,000 to five B.C. food and farm projects, including $35,000 to two Vancouver Island groups.
Two Vancouver Island organizations are receiving a combined $35,000 to strengthen local food security, as part of a $1.5-million national investment in rural communities by Farm Credit Canada.
FCC announced Wednesday that 83 community projects across the country will receive funding through its AgriSpirit Fund, including five in British Columbia.
The funding will support new equipment, garden improvements and food security programming.
FCC president and chief executive Justine Hendricks said in a release that the fund supports “people who recognize a local need and take action.” She said the program backs projects that strengthen the places where people live, work and gather.
Across British Columbia
Five B.C. organizations are receiving a combined $90,000. The Bonaparte First Nation is receiving $10,000 to install a shared outdoor walk-in freezer to expand community food storage. In Sechelt, the Salish Seas Regenerative Farm Society is receiving $25,000 for a 24-kilowatt off-grid solar energy system, which will replace a gas generator and support farm operations, food processing, irrigation and educational spaces. The Seabird Island Band in Agassiz is receiving $20,000 to develop farm infrastructure supporting sustainable local food production and processing.
Nationally, grants of $10,000 to $25,000 are being awarded to projects focused on food security, community infrastructure, accessibility, energy efficiency, recreation and emergency services.
About the AgriSpirit Fund
The AgriSpirit Fund launched in 2004 and has since invested $25.5 million in 1,861 community improvement projects across Canada. The program supports communities with fewer than 50,000 residents, including Indigenous communities.
