Programs
Nova Scotia Seafood Innovation and Technology Adoption Program (NS-ITAP)
Perennia is providing non-repayable financial assistance to Nova Scotia commercial entities in the fishing, aquaculture, marine plant harvesting and seafood buying/ processing sector to increase productivity, competitiveness, quality and sustainability in the fish and seafood sector under NS-ITAP. Depending on the nature and scope of the project, funding may also be awarded to Nova Scotia-based industry groups or associations.
The NS-ITAP supports  ‘innovation’ and ‘infrastructure’ related projects and aims to increase the value and volume of Nova Scotia fish and seafood products that are marketed as high quality, value-added and sustainably sourced.
Food Ventures Program
The Food Ventures Program provides financial support for the acceleration of innovative and safe Nova Scotia local products to market using Perennia’s food safety and product development services. This program is for Nova Scotia registered farms and agri-food and beverage businesses with head offices in Nova Scotia and funded on the federal/provincial Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership program.
Seafood Accelerator Program
This program provides advice, resources and funding to help Nova Scotia-based seafood businesses move to the next level. The two main program components are Market Access – Quality and Food Safety and Product Development. This program is funded by the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
On-Farm Climate Action Fund Program
The On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) is an initiative to help farmers improve soil health, protect soil from erosion, and tackle climate change by adopting beneficial management practices that store carbon and reduce greenhouse gases. The program offers funding to help farmers implement nitrogen management, cover cropping, and rotational grazing practices. In addition, the OFCAF program supports professional training for farmers, agronomists, and certified crop advisers
Climate Adaptation Leadership Program
The Climate Adaption Leadership Program (CALP) is funded through the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change to increase Nova Scotia’s understanding of the impacts of climate change and specifically support individual agricultural sectors develop and implement plans that help to build capacity within the Province to increase resilience to those changes.
For more information, please contact:
Allan Thomson
athomson@perennia.ca
(782)370-2303
Agricultural Production Extension Program
Informally known as ‘farm extension’, this program has been provided by Perennia on behalf of the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture since 2001 at no cost to eligible producers, or cost recovery for some basic costs not covered by the program. Sectors covered include: horticulture, livestock, field crops and soils for both conventional and organic systems. Services covered by the program include: individual farm advice by phone, electronically and in person at the discretion of the specialist; publications and information online and in hard copy; virtual and in-person workshops and field days; and sector development projects. with collaborative partners.
To be eligible for the program, producers must: be a provincially-registered farm operation producing commercially as an income source, or with the desire and commitment to be selling at a commercial level; and show the commitment to learning the hands-on and decision-making skills to successfully manage the day-to-day agronomic needs of their operation with little formal assistance from our specialists (for example, learning how to read soil tests, identify a cow with metabolic disease, and when to harvest a crop).
Under this program, Perennia specialists undertake industry development projects to address industry-wide issues, often with collaborators. When working with partners where Perennia is not an original co-operator or a collaborative in the project scope, in-kind participation by specialists under this program, will be determined on an project-by-project basis.
For more information, please contact one of our offices at:
(902) 678-7722 or (902) 896-0227
or connect with an agricultural production specialist
Biosecurity Program
For five years, Perennia offered a biosecurity education program on behalf of the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture. Signs for your farm are available to no charge. Visit the Biosecurity Nova Scotia website for more information and to order signs.
Atlantic Technology Transfer Team for Apiculture
The first ever Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture was created in 2016 at Perennia Food and Agriculture Corporation as a joint initiative supported by government, provincial beekeeper and wild blueberry associations. The majority of the project is funded under the Pan Atlantic Research and Innovation Program under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, which is program cost-shared between the federal and provincial governments with contributions from provincial commodity associations. The ATTTA apiculturists work with a steering committee to focus on building the pollination capacity of honey bees for wild blueberry pollination through five objectives:
- Improve honey bee health and nutrition;
- Improve disease and pest monitoring and treatment (including IPM strategies);
- Improve overwintering success;
- Improve biosecurity techniques and
- Optimize pollination in lowbush blueberry
For more information, please visit https://www.perennia.ca/portfolio-items/honey-bees/
For more information, please contact:
Andrew Byers, PhD
abyers@perennia.ca
(902) 324-1832
NRC-IRAP Contribution Agreement
Perennia has a partnership with the National Research Council (NRC) under its Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) Contribution to Organization program. The program provides funding to successful applicants to have Perennia’s team answer a business or technical question. The ultimate goal is enabling clients to present market-ready products that are revenue generators for the consumer market. In doing so, the Perennia team helps identify and mitigate technical risk factors related to product and process development that can impact the overall product quality and safety, and addresses product reformulations and process issues such as establishing process controls, adapting new process technologies and developing new processes.
For more information, please contact:
(902) 896-8782
innovation@perennia.ca
Farm Weather Station Assistance Program
This program is now closed. If you need assistance for a weather station purchased under this program, please contact us at weatherstations@perennia.ca