Eligible Producer(s)/Farm Entities- Farm Business Advisory Services Program

The applicant is actively engaged in the farming entity at the time of application (i.e. participates in the day-today operations of the farm) and is a British Columbia resident who is at least 19 years of age.
• The farm operation has a minimum of $10,000 in annual gross farm income from sales reported on Canada Revenue Agency’s income tax return. (Annual gross farm income from sales is defined as sales of farm commodities including production insurance, livestock sales and value-added farm products; but does not include income from custom work, riding lessons, boarding horses, land and facilities rent, aquaculture, raising of pets, agri-tourism income, sales of forestry products and some agro-forestry products, government program payments, or any other non-commodity income).
• A beginning farmer who has farmed for less than three years (immediately prior to the year of application); owns or controls (by written agreement) productive agricultural assets (land, buildings, machinery, livestock) and can demonstrate that the farming operation can generate gross farm income from sales of $10,000 or more within the next three years and has completed the ministry’s information requirements for beginning farmers. For specific information please contact the B.C. Farm Business Advisory Services Program.
• Currently have B.C. Assessment Authority farm status.
• Farms entities eligible to participate include: sole proprietor, partnership, corporation or other association of persons. Applicants must be actively engaged in the farming entity (i.e. participate in the day-to-day operations of the farm) and be British Columbia residents over 19 years of age.
• Only one application per eligible farm entity for each of Tier 1 and Tier 2 will be accepted during the Growing Forward Agreement (to March 31, 2013).
• A farm entity that had a basic farm business assessment completed within the past three years under the previous Canadian Farm Business Advisory Services Program is only eligible for Tier 2 specialized business planning assistance.
• At least one member of the farm business is required to complete the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture’s “Taking Stock” self-assessment workbook including the farm action plan. This self-assessment farm action plan must be submitted for funding support.
• A farm entity that had a specialized business planning project completed within the past three years under the previous Canadian Farm Business Advisory Services Program is only eligible for Tier 2 in a business management area that was not previously supported.
• Applicants must authorize and agree to provide other information related to determining eligibility and reporting requirements of the program.