$30,000 on offer as Farmers for Climate Solutions opens 2027 field trial call

Up to $30,000 per project is on the table for Canadian farmers who pair with an agronomist under the 2027 round of the FaRM Field Trials program, which opened for proposals on November 13, 2026. Solo projects without a mentorship component still qualify for up to $20,000.

Farmers for Climate Solutions (FCS), the organization behind the Farm Resilience Mentorship (FaRM) Program, is asking agronomist-producer partnerships to pitch on-farm research projects focused on strengthening on-farm resilience. The 2027 trials are the next installment of a program that has already funded 70 field trials across Canada.

That track record matters. Previous trials have covered cover crops, nitrogen management and rotational grazing, among other practices. These aren't lab plots. They're tests run under local conditions, on working farms, by the people who have to live with the results.

What does the program actually fund?

FaRM Field Trials backs agronomist-producer teams conducting on-farm research. The funding structure is straightforward:

• Up to $20,000 per accepted project
• Up to $30,000 if the project includes a mentorship with an agronomist
• Support for trials on topics such as cover crops, nitrogen management and rotational grazing

The premium for mentorship is the program's quiet argument: pair up, and the learning travels further.

Rosalie Gillis-Madden, FaRM program director at FCS, frames the program as a two-step exercise in proof and propagation. "FaRM Field Trials brings producers and agronomists together to test practical solutions under local conditions," she says.

That's the first half. The second half is what happens after the harvest data comes in.

"They work together to not only understand the agronomic and economic results but also share that learning so that more producers can make informed decisions about practices that can strengthen their operations," Gillis-Madden said.

Why on-farm trials beat borrowed numbers

A nitrogen trial run in Manitoba doesn't necessarily translate to a farm in Saskatchewan, and a cover crop that sings in one soil type can sulk in another. That's the gap FaRM Field Trials is built to close. Local conditions, local economics, local answers.

The emphasis on economic results alongside agronomic ones is worth noting. A practice that adds a tonne of biomass but trims margin isn't a solution; it's a hobby. FCS wants both sides of that ledger measured.

For producers weighing whether a resilience practice fits their operation, the program offers a low-stakes route to a high-quality answer: funded, mentored, and run on their own ground.

What should interested farmers do next?

Producers and agronomists ready to pitch can submit proposals for 2027 trials through the FaRM program. Given that 70 trials have already passed through the scheme, competition is presumably real, and a clear hypothesis plus a named agronomist partner is likely the difference between funded and filed away.

Watch for the application deadline and successful project announcements in the new year. The 2027 trial results, when they land, will add to a growing Canadian evidence base on cover crops, nitrogen and grazing, and that's data no imported trial can replace.